Discover Hockley County: Culture, Landscapes and Levelland
Accommodation in Hockley County
Hockley County is located on the Llano Estacado and features a landscape characterized by predominantly flat land. Elevations range from 3,300 to 3,650 feet above sea level. At the same time, the region combines wide-open nature with culture, history and events in Levelland and throughout Hockley County Levelland. When looking for a vacation rental or holiday home for a trip, you can therefore first consider whether art and local history, landscape experiences or an event date should be the main focus.
Art, History and Self-Guided Exploration
The South Plains College Art Gallery is located in the Christine Devitt Fine Arts Center on the campus in Levelland. The Marjorie Merriweather Post Art Collection at South Plains College includes eight oil paintings from the 18th to the 20th century, as well as a pastel drawing on paper from the 18th century. For travelers who would like to combine their stay with cultural impressions, this campus provides a specific place to visit.
There are also special features to discover in public spaces. Levelland has around a dozen mosaic installations, five of them on the South Plains College campus. The Hockley County Courthouse displays a two-part mosaic entitled “Hockley County: Past and Present” on its sign at Avenue H. The Downtown Historical Walking Tour is self-guided and requires a smartphone. Archives, stories and photos relating to the history of Hockley County and Levelland can also be explored.
A Region with a Distinctive Landscape
Hockley County drains into numerous playas. In the northern part, Yellow House Canyon cuts into the land; it is considered one of the most distinctive landscape features of the South Plains. Yellow House Draw is still present and marks the route’s course. The artificially created Lobo Lake can be viewed from two bridges. These varied landscape features give you the opportunity when planning your trip to choose between largely flat surroundings, a distinctive canyon and a water setting.
For active days, Levelland City Park offers sports facilities for baseball, softball, swimming and disc golf. The Oxy Sports Complex is a more than 30-acre baseball, softball and soccer facility for recreational and tournament use. Which of these options fits your trip therefore depends primarily on your preferred daily itinerary. U.S. Highway 385 is an important road in Hockley County and can be taken into account when finding your way around the county.
Events and Regional Traditions
The event calendar includes various cultural and community occasions. The county-operated Mallet Event Center hosts weddings. The Levelland Horse Sale is considered a long-standing tradition and attracts buyers and sellers from across the country. South Plains College’s Creative Arts department hosts several country and bluegrass music events each year at the Tom T. Hall Recording and Production Studio.
Seasonal dates can also influence the choice of travel period: The Sausage Lovers Festival takes place in February, as does the Hockley County Junior Livestock Show. The Levelland Rotary Club Arts and Crafts Festival follows in November. The annual Cotton and Crude Street Fair and Music Festival in Levelland was formerly known as Early Settlers Day. If you are looking for accommodation, it is therefore worthwhile to determine your preferred date and main focus – culture, landscapes, sports or events – before choosing where to stay.
Historical Traces in the County
Hockley County was one of the last two counties in the contiguous United States to be opened for settlement and had no permanent residents until 1880. The townsite of Levelland was surveyed and platted in 1912 as “Hockley City” and renamed Levelland in 1922 after the local topography. Also in 1912, the Santa Fe Railroad was built through the Spade Ranch to Littlefield. This background gives the search for a vacation rental in Hockley County an additional historical perspective, without requiring nature and cultural interests to be considered separately.
For the overarching travel overview: Texas.
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