Texas is the second-largest state in the U.S. and is home to many large state parks. From the very south to the north, east and west, with woods, dunes, lakes, rivers or caves, these parks have it all---even dinosaurs. These state parks will provide tons of acres and hours of fun for children and adults alike.
Located south of Sugar Land in Needville, Texas, Brazos Bend State Park spans 4,897 acres. With campgrounds, picnic tables and concrete paths, the park was made for visitors. The natural swampy lakes and streams throughout the park are home to many wild animals, like alligators and turtles. If you take a walk around the park, you may get up close and personal with them. They're used to people, but park rangers will advise you to keep your distance and to not torment the creatures, because they will lash out if necessary. White-tailed deer, bobcats and raccoons also call the park home.
Brazos Bend State Park
21901 FM 762
Needville, TX 77461
979-553-5101
brazosbend.org
The city of Austin's Emma Long Metropolitan Park is the perfect place to camp, to have a picnic or to go hiking. The park has a mile of shore on Lake Austin, which is a good lake for swimming, fishing or boating. The park isn't new, so the natural surroundings are all you can expect, but it's a nice, big park with electrical outlets and plenty of room for camping and having fun. There's a golf course and biking trails nearby if you do ever get sick of the water, which is highly unlikely.
Emma Long Metropolitan Park
1600 City Park Rd.
Austin, TX 78730
512-346-1831
ci.austin.tx.us
The 2,174 acre Lost Maples State Natural Area is located along the Sabinal River near Vanderpool, Texas. The park is popular in the fall months due to the drastic leaf color change, which doesn't happen much throughout the state. When summer turns to fall, the park lights up with oranges and yellows. There also are endangered species of birds, which makes birdwatching a joy.
Lost Maples State Natural Area
37221 FM 187
Vanderpool, TX 78885
830-966-3413
tpwd.state.tx.us
If you ever wanted to visit the sand dunes of Egypt, Monahans Sandhills State Park is a small sample of what it's like. Located in Monahans, Texas, the 3,840-acre park is host to a sea of sand hills, some around 70 feet tall. Sand surfing, bird-watching, camping, hiking and finding the watering stations (from the deep water preserves under the sand) are some of the fun activities to do here.
Monahans Sandhills State Park
Monahans, TX
1-800-792-1112
tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest
The Guadalupe River State Park is located in Comal and Kendall counties. The main feature of the park is the natural Guadalupe River, a popular place for tubing and kayaking. The summer months are most popular, because this is when the river waters are higher and warmer, although the temperature only reaches around 70 degrees. The park also boasts hiking and camping areas among the beautiful cypress trees and plenty of birdwatching.
Guadalupe River State Park
3350 Park Rd. 31
Spring Branch, TX 78070
830-438-2656
tpwd.state.tx.us
Touted as the "Grand Canyon of Texas," Palo Duro Canyon State Park is 120 miles long and 20 miles wide, with depths of 800 feet. As the Grand Canyon was formed by the Colorado River, Palo Duro Canyon was formed by the Red River. Its Spanish name means "hard wood" and its namesake comes from the many mesquite and juniper trees in the park. Camping, mountain-biking, horseback riding, hiking and picnicking are some of the popular activities to do at the park.
Palo Duro Canyon State Park
11450 Park Road 5
Canyon, TX 79015
806-488-2227
palodurocanyon.com
Kickapoo Caverns is located near Bracketville Texas and is 6,368 acres large. The park is available by guided tour only. Two of the 15 known caves are quite large. Most visitors choose to come during the spring and summer months to see the many Brazilian bats. The bats will fly out of the caves in mass numbers at dusk to find food. To tour the caves, you must sign a consent form because of the undeveloped state of the caves. However, many want to come to Kickapoo Caverns because of the natural state of the caves.
Kickapoo Cavern State Park
Brackettville, TX 78832
830-563-2342
tpwd.state.tx.us
Located in Glen Rose, Texas, Dinosaur Valley Park is a 1,525-acre piece of land that sits next to the Paluxy River. The main attraction at this park is the well-preserved dinosaur tracks reminding visitors that dinosaurs roamed Texas over 100 million years ago. Park employees educate its visitors about these dinosaurs and the park has two dinosaur models that are 70 and 45 feet tall for children to see what they looked like. The park has a campsite and also is good for hikers.
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Glen Rose, TX 76043
254-897-4588
tpwd.state.tx.us
Although Galveston State Park was damaged during Hurricane Ike, the park still offers plenty of camping space, picnic areas and the natural wilderness that makes the park a pleasure, including the coast. Fishing, birdwatching, swimming and mountain-biking are other activities visitors enjoy, all with a beautiful view of the gulf.
Galveston Island State Park
14901 FM 3005
Galveston, TX 77554
409-737-1222
galveston.com
Enchanted Rock state park is 1,644 acres large and is located near Fredericksburg, Texas, on Big Sandy Creek. This park is known for its giant, pink granite rock that is over 400 feet tall and spans over 600 acres. The park was made a National Landmark in 1970, but the history of the rock goes back over 10,000 years. Tonkawa Indians once believed ghosts flickered at the top of the rock at night, but it was later learned to be the result of the rock cooling drastically after being in the hot sun all day. Recreational activities that occur at the park include camping, birdwatching, stargazing and hiking.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
16710 Ranch Rd. 965
Fredericksburg, TX 78624
830-685-3636
tpwd.state.tx.us
