List of the best outdoor places to visit in Texas:
- Big Bend National Park: Located in West Texas, this park offers stunning views of canyons, mountains, and the Rio Grande river. You can hike, backpack, or mountain bike along the trails, or explore the river on a guided tour.
- Palo Duro Canyon State Park: Known as the “Grand Canyon of Texas,” this park offers dramatic vistas and miles of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails. You can also camp, stargaze, or attend a live outdoor musical at the park’s amphitheater.
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park: Located in West Texas, this park offers hiking trails, rock climbing, and stunning views of the highest peaks in Texas. You can also explore nearby Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
- Enchanted Rock State Natural Area: This massive granite dome is located in the Hill Country near Fredericksburg, and offers hiking, rock climbing, and birdwatching. You can also camp at the park’s primitive campsites.
- Padre Island National Seashore: This barrier island off the Gulf Coast offers miles of unspoiled beaches, dunes, and tidal flats. You can camp, fish, swim, or go birdwatching or sea turtle spotting.
- Caprock Canyons State Park: Located in the Panhandle, this park offers miles of hiking and biking trails, fishing, and wildlife watching. You can also see the state’s official bison herd, which roams freely in the park.
- Garner State Park: Located in the Hill Country, this park offers swimming, tubing, kayaking, and fishing in the clear waters of the Frio River. You can also hike, camp, or attend a summer dance at the park’s historic pavilion.
Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Here is a graphic showing each parks location on map:
Goldwater hiking loop trail which passes crockett falls
Garner State Park
Hamilton Pool
Hueco Tanks State Historic Site
Lake Travis
Caddo Lake
Big Bend National Park
Padre Island National Seashore
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
Lake Amistad
Santa Elena Canyon
McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis
Jacob’s Well
Gorman Falls
Inks Lake State Park
Caprock Canyons