Big Thicket National Preserve
Your first stop at Big Thicket National Preserve should be the visitor center where the staff will assist with orientation to the many units of the Preserve and the surrounding region. In…
Although over 96% of Texas remains in private hands, we still have an amazing network of open spaces accessible to all Texans.
That’s not only good for citizens, it also benefits our significant wildlife population whose management comes under the stewardship of the state’s Parks & Wildlife Department. State and federal regulations have helped us protect a number of endangered species including golden eagles, black bears, and sea turtles. Even our own white-tailed deer population, devastated by uncontrolled hunting in the first decade of the 20th century, is now a robust (and important economic) resource thanks to state wildlife management. Together with our national parks and forests, our wildlife refuges, our national seashore, and our state-managed lands, Texans have dozens of natural environments available for birding, hiking, fishing, camping, hunting, and wildlife watching. Our natural world provides more than just outdoor recreational opportunities and places to swim, camp, and hike. Connecting with the outdoors offers health benefits, both physical and emotional, providing an opportunity to sideline the pressures of jobs, family, and finances for a while and restore that important sense of peace, relaxation, and well-being.
Find more ways to experience Texas' scenic grandeur by visiting our Texas State Parks.
Texas has an abundance of scenic beauty. From the dense pine forests of East Texas to the high desert in the west. From beaches to canyons, you really can experience an incredible variety in terrain and scenic views. One of the best ways to experience the outdoors in Texas is by visiting one of our National Parks, National Natural Areas, or National Recreation Areas, so lace up those hiking boots and get outside.
Your first stop at Big Thicket National Preserve should be the visitor center where the staff will assist with orientation to the many units of the Preserve and the surrounding region. In…
Cave Without A Name is one of nature's magnificent masterpieces, the underground contains six cavernous rooms filled with enormous clusters of stalactites and stalagmites, delicate soda straws, rimstone dams, and unique flowstone…
Enchanted Rock was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1970 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The Rock is a huge, pink granite exfoliation dome, that…
Longhorn Cavern State Park is a scenic park in the rugged Hill Country. The state park opened on Thanksgiving Day in 1932 and was dedicated as a natural landmark in 1971. In…
Visitors enjoy picnicking, camping, backpacking, sightseeing, hiking, photography, bird watching, fishing, swimming and nature study. People should stay on designated trails, because maples have a shallow root system, and soil compaction from…
SPELUNKERS’ SPECIAL Flowstones, stalactites, chandeliers, stalagmites, and soda straws are all terms for the formations you’ll see in one of the most stunning show caves in Texas. Natural Bridge Caverns, located between…
Dinosaur Valley State Park, located just northwest of Glen Rose in Somervell County, is a 1524.72-acre, scenic park set astride the Paluxy River. The land for the park was acquired from private…
The “big bend” region of Texas, named for a horseshoe curve where the Rio Grande River carves canyons into the mountains along the border of the far southwestern portion of the state…
Established by Congress in 1972, Guadalupe Mountains National Park lies along the northern edge of the state’s “boot heel”, sharing a border with New Mexico. The park’s rugged beauty, comprised of a…
Excellent setting for water sports & protects some of the world's best examples of prehistoric American Indian art and artifacts. Camping, wildlife and birds! Area information available. The National Park Service oversees…
BEAUTY UNDERGROUND Co-founder of the National Speleological Society Bill Stephenson once said of the stunning environment found in the Caverns of Sonora that “…its beauty cannot be exaggerated, even by Texans”. It’s…
BAT SPECTACULAR The Devil’s Sinkhole, located a few miles northeast of Rocksprings along State Highway 377, is a National Natural Landmark and believed to be the largest known single-room cave in the…
IT CAME FROM OUTERSPACE The Odessa Meteor Crater, location of a catastrophic mash-up from space, offers an interpretive center full of science fact alongside a giant hole in the ground that may…
Contrasting spectacularly with its surroundings on the dry windswept Llano Estacado, Lake Meredith is truly one of the gems of the region. The Canadian river has cut and re-cut 200 foot canyons…
Established in 1935, Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge is the oldest National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. The refuge includes several intermittent salinas, or salt lakes, some of which have been modified to extend…
WHERE THE CLIFF SINGS AND THE CANYONS DANCE Palo Duro Canyon, considered the “Grand Canyon of Texas” for its geological variation and rich color, is 120 miles long and 800 feet deep…
The Longest Stretch of Undeveloped Barrier Island in the World Padre Island National Seashore is a barrier island separating the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre. The park protects 66 miles…
Tropical Trail Region
1101 South Texas Blvd. Weslaco, TX 78596 (956) 968-3275 Website
Independence Trail Region
14901 FM 3005 Galveston, TX 77564 (409) 737-1222 Website
Independence Trail Region
Galveston Naval Museum 100 Seawof Park Blvd Galveston, TX 77550 (409) 770-3196 Website
Forest Trail Region
21559 FM 365 Beaumont, TX 77705 (409) 794-9453 Website
Plains Trail Region
15412 Lake Marvin Road Canadian, TX 79014 (806) 323-8642 Website
Brazos Trail Region
500 Lake Overlook Drive Georgetown, TX 78628 (512) 930-5253 Website
Tropical Trail Region
500 E Ringgold Street Brownsville, TX 78520 (956) 546-7187 Website
Independence Trail Region
108 Park Rd. 6 Goliad, TX 77963 (361) 645-3405 Website
Tropical Trail Region
202 S Palmetto Street Rockport, TX 78382 (361) 729-2858 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
12861 Galm Rd San Antonio , TX 78254 (210) 688-9055 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
1010 Colorado Street Austin, TX 78701 (512) 305-8524 Website
Lakes Trail Region
Loy Lake Road and Hwy 75 South Denison, TX 75020 (903) 463-2487 Website
Mountain Trail Region
400 Pine Canyon Road Guadalupe Station, TX 79847 (915) 828-3251 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
3350 Park Rd. 31 Spring Branch, TX 78070 (830) 438-2656 Website
Lakes Trail Region
6465 Refuge Road Sherman, TX 75092 (903) 786-2826 Website
Lakes Trail Region
3939 Grand Avenue Dallas, TX 75210 (214) 421-4500 Website
Tropical Trail Region
902 South 2nd Street Hidalgo, TX 78557 (956) 843-8686 Website
Forest Trail Region
Hwy 124 High Island, TX 77623 (713) 932-1639 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
10600 Bandera Creek Rd. Bandera, TX 78003 (830) 796-4413 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
c/o Guadalupe River State Park 3350 Park Road 31 Spring Branch, TX 78070 (830) 438-2656 Website
Mountain Trail Region
Hot Springs Historic District Hwy 385 Big Bend National Park, TX 79834 Website
Forest Trail Region
442 Dogwood Lane West Crockett, TX 75835 713-826-6959 or 281-468-4503 Website
Mountain Trail Region
6900 Hueco Tanks Road No 1 El Paso, TX 79938 (915) 857-1135 Website
Forest Trail Region
565 Park Road 40 West Huntsville, TX 75948 (936) 295-5644 Website
Pecos Trail Region
2201 South Midland Drive Midland, TX 79701 (432) 853-9453 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
3630 Park Road 4 West Burnet, TX 78611 (512) 793-2223 Website
Brazos Trail Region
4200 South Interstate 35 Georgetown, TX 78626 (512) 931-2283 Website
Forts Trail Region
2 South Park Street San Angelo, TX 76903 (325) 657-4450 Website
Forest Trail Region
10 Parks & Wildlife Dr Port Arthur, TX 77640 (409) 736-2551 Website
Plains Trail Region
4341 Canyon Drive Amarillo, TX 79105 (806) 358-4891 Website
Tropical Trail Region
314 State Highway 361 Cut-off Road behind Shark Reef Resort Port Aransas, TX 78373 (361) 749-4158 Website
Pecos Trail Region
526 State Loop 25 Langtry, TX 78871 (432) 291-3340 Website
Independence Trail Region
550 McKinney St. Houston, TX 77002 (832) 393-1313 Website
Independence Trail Region
2704 Avenue O Galveston, TX 77550 (409) 765-7834 Website
Hill Country Trail Region
2385 Bandera Hwy. Kerrville, TX 78028 (830) 257-7300 Website
Mountain Trail Region
4200 Doniphan Dr. El Paso, TX 79922 (915) 490-8571 Website
Independence Trail Region
20303 Draper Road Tomball, TX 77377 (281) 357-5324 Website
Lakes Trail Region
2012 Woodall Rodgers Freeway Dallas, TX 75201 (214) 716-4500 Website