Texas enjoys more dynamic topography than some entire countries. Explore the wealth of wildlife, scenery, and flora of the Lone Star State.
You think you know the landscapes of Texas? Think again. From the evocative wetlands of Caddo Lake to the Caribbean-style dwarf palmettos in Gonzales to West Texas’s mountains and towering canyons, the state has no shortage of exotic locales. Here is where to catch some of the most breathtaking sites in Texas.
Palmetto State Park
Palmetto State Park is a slice of the tropics in the unlikeliest of places. Located an hour away from both San Antonio and Austin, between Luling and Gonzales, this state park is named for the dwarf palmettos that peek out from under trees and make wanderers feel like they’re briefly in the Caribbean.
Featuring fun adventures by land and water, Palmetto State Park is a great place to fish on Oxbow Lake, canoe down the San Marcos River, go birding, camp, or just go exploring through the botanical wonderland.
Experienced paddlers can drop in at Luling City Park and canoe over to Palmetto State Park, a six-to-seven-hour trip down the San Marcos river.
Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Nature’s crown jewel of the Panhandle, Palo Duro Canyon State Park has been called Texas’s Grand Canyon.
Great for hiking, mountain biking, or exploring by car, Palo Duro Canyon State Park features 1,500 acres reserved primarily for horseback riding. Visitors can bring their own horses or visit Old West Stables to get situated for a beginners’ ride.
Camping is, naturally, a major attraction at Palo Duro. Visitors can rough it with backpack camping areas, tent camping, equipped campsites, or even “glamp” at one of the park’s luxury camping sites and really relax in style in a breathtaking, secluded setting.
Balmorhea State Park
The world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool is just a drive away into West Texas. Visitors seeking out this Texas treasure can cool down in the refreshing pool fed by the San Solomon Springs.
Perfect for swimming, scuba, or skim-diving, Balmorhea State Park is an oasis in the arid West Texas landscape. There’s nothing like waking up and taking a dip in Balmorhea’s azure expanse.
But that’s not all. After hopping into the springs, folks love to bird-watch, picnic alongside the enormous pool, and camp or stay at the retro motel-style San Solomon Springs Courts.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
The largest pink monadnock — that’s a fancy word for isolated rock hill — in the United States is right in the Texas Hill Country.
Rising 1,825 feet at its peak and with 11 miles of hiking trails, Enchanted Rock is an outdoor explorer’s dream. Hike your way up Enchanted Rock, stopping to gaze at the Hill Country views surrounding you. Or, take the challenging way up and climb the face of the massive pink granite dome. Spread a blanket out at the peak and enjoy a tasty beverage or snack and breathe in the vast Texas expanse in front of you.
Enchanted Rock is also a celebrated bird-watching area. Spot roadrunners, woodpeckers, sparrows, orioles, and more atop the mountain.
Caddo Lake State Park
East Texas wonder abounds at Caddo Lake State Park. Anchored by the 26,810-acre Caddo Lake, visitors will lose themselves in the towering Cypress groves.
Saw Mill Pond is great for canoeing, as is the Big Cypress Bayou, where visitors can rent watercraft. Hell’s Half Acre Paddling Trail is an 8.8-mile loop for the more adventurous sorts that will have paddlers wending through a cypress-filled swamp covered in gorgeous, verdant Spanish moss.
Pitching a tent under the gargantuan East Texas sky is a big draw at Caddo Lake, but the state park also features an array of rustic, historic cabins. Enjoy a piping hot cup of coffee from the front porch as you watch the sun rise through the thicket of Cypress trees that line the lake.
Davis Mountains Preserve
The Davis Mountains Preserve is a protected area of rare Texas landscape near Big Bend, perhaps the only one of its kind in the entire world.
Open on select weekends a year, the Davis Mountains Preserve is forestland smack in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert. As such, there are numerous flora and fauna that can only thrive in this gorgeous stretch of land. Zone-tailed hawks, Montezuma quail, horned lizards, and Rivoli’s hummingbirds fly and skitter amongst the Rocky Mountain Pondera pines, Mexican dwarf oaks, Quaking Aspens and so much more on Mount Livermore and Baldy Peak.
A respite for cyclists, hikers, backpackers, campers, and birders, the Davis Mountains Preserve and its year-round Madera Canyon Trail are the definitions of a Texas exotic landscape.
It’s also part of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve, the world’s largest of its type. That means that the stargazing is unparalleled, with minimal light pollution for a mesmerizing view of the big and bright Texas stars.
Franklin Mountains State Park
The high-desert mountains on Texas’s western tip must be seen to be believed.
Visitors can catch views for miles around atop North Franklin Mountain, elevation 7,192 feet, taking in expansive views encompassing three states and two nations, including Ciudad Juarez, El Paso, and New Mexico.
With 27,000 acres to explore across more than 100 miles of trails, the possibilities are endless. Discover ancient rock drawings, mountain bike across the other-worldly terrain, hike the trails and check out fresh blooms after rainfall, or rock climb at nearby Hueco Tanks outside El Paso.
Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area
You’ve pulled over on the side of the road for that iconic bluebonnet pic, but you haven’t done it right until you’ve immersed yourself in the never-ending fields of the Texas state flower found at Muleshoe Bend.
Located at the so-called “Gateway to the Hill Country” in Spicewood, Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area is an oak-filled 654 acres with almost 10 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
Camp alongside Lake Travis at one of more than 40 campsites, gaze at the gorgeous Hill Country sunset, or rent watercraft for a fun-filled weekend in Central Texas.
