With over 85 state parks in Texas, as well as major national parks in Big Bend and the Guadalupe Mountains, Texas offers families a multitude of outdoor adventures. Opportunities to connect with nature on public lands include waterfront activities, such as boating, swimming, and fishing, as well as high-octane rock-climbing, hiking, and biking, and even passive activities like birdwatching, stargazing, and s’mores making.
Here are a few favorite spots from across the great state of Texas.
Big Bend National Park
From fascinating park plaques with information about history and geography to campsites in hidden canyons, Big Bend National Park in far West Texas is craggy must-see country. With more than 800,000 acres to explore, make sure this park is on your bucket list. A paddle down Santa Elena Canyon, with its easy put ins and beautiful, dramatic canyon views, remains a favorite trip — rangers can direct you to qualified outfitters — while day hikes along Ross Maxwell Scenic drive offer a chance to see native wildlife and historic and cultural sites. Relax and unwind from the day’s activities at the Chisos Mountains Lodge, where you’ll still be surrounded by stunning wilderness vistas full of craggy rocks and native vegetation, even as you enjoy the comforting accommodations.
Dinosaur Valley State Park
The towering model dinosaurs at the park entrance are great for selfies and holiday photos, but the real pleasure of Dinosaur Valley southwest of Dallas-Fort Worth comes from exploring the hills along the Paluxy River in nearby Glen Rose. That’s where you can find actual dinosaur tracks left in the mud bottoms of an ancient ocean that covered Texas long ago. In addition to preserved footprints of massive sauropods (think brontosaurus) and carnivorous theropods (think velociraptor), a variety of native Texas wildlife abounds. Plus, the park has 20 miles of trails for hiking, off-road biking, camping, swimming, fishing and horseback riding for the entire family.
Brazos Bend State Park
Not far from Houston, Brazos Bend offers a diverse patchwork of ecosystems spanning forests, riparian zones, and assorted wetlands across a span of 5,000 acres. The park is also a dynamite destination for birders, who will find many wading birds and waterfowl among the 300 documented species. The whole family can fish from the many shores or from the fishing pier. There are plenty of campsites, shelters, and cabins for an overnight stay. If you do happen to be visiting overnight, make sure you make a visit to the historic George Observatory, operated by the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Palo Duro Canyon State Park
The second-largest canyon in the lower 48, Palo Duro Canyon promises a breathtaking experience. Twenty miles wide and 800 feet deep, the “Grand Canyon of Texas” offers a variety of family friendly experiences. From the Lighthouse formation, where you’ll see the most iconic “hoodoo” (a tall, thin column of rock usually caused by erosion) in the Lone Star State, to the vivid sediment bands of sandstone layers of the high canyon walls, the glorious, ancient geology of the landscape is inescapable. Trail runners, mountain bikers, and hikers will find plenty of diversions along a trail system stretching 30 miles. If you’d like to get on the trail like those legendary ranchers, you can experience dedicated trails for horseback riding. Take a guided tour complete with snacks and souvenirs, or even bring your own horse and enjoy the equestrian campground. Ambitious hikers will enjoy the Rock Garden Trail with eyepopping sights of ancient rockslides. For those seeking something a little less rustic, “glamping” sites offer a relaxing stay where you can watch the sunrise directly from your porch swing.
Galveston Island State Park
Nature lovers of all types find activities for days at this beautiful Gulf Coast Gem. Recreational offerings include saltwater fishing, with abundant populations of sportfish caught on both the beach- and bayside of the park. Try your luck fishing on the picturesque pier. There are several prime paddling options, and four miles of hike-and-bike trails across an array of habitats. Whether you’re looking for a variety of unique lodging options or for where to rent beach chairs, umbrellas, bikes, kayaks, and paddleboards, this park offers a variety of lodging options. This paradise of the outdoors has been shined up to a bright gleam, thanks to a $24-million redevelopment project completed in 2022. The effort included new campsite construction so it’s a greater getaway than ever before.
Garner State Park
On the banks of the Frio River in the Hill Country, Garner State Park routinely tops the list of “most visited” parks in Texas — with good reason. For more than half a century, Texans have been amassing memories, exploring, camping, floating, stargazing, hiking, and biking along the southwestern edge of the Edwards Plateau. Take part in a timeless tradition where summer evenings boast a popular jukebox dance at the park pavilion. Each autumn and spring, the park hosts a variety of ranger-led field trips and nature walks. If you have older kids who can handle a longer hike with some steeper parts of the trail, the whole family will be charmed by Crystal Cave. This 30-feet-deep cave feels like a different world, with much cooler temps than the surface and glittering with—you guessed it—crystals.