Texas State Parks Special | 12 Top Nature Preserves
These top State Parks in Texas are the places to go for your next travel adventure!
Texas is home to over 80 State Parks and Natural Areas. Here are the ones you should not miss 
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. —Khalil Gibran
Texas has tons of terrific State Parks. Over 80, to be more precise.
But time is limited. And sometimes you wish you knew the ones you should focus your attention on, right?
This article is here to help you with this (delightful) task!
Read it through and discover the most outstanding State Parks in Texas to visit and the best things to do around each one of them.
12 amazing nature preserves, administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife State Agency, ideal for camping, hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, and everything in between.
Texas State Parks Reservations
Whenever planning to visit Texas State Parks, it is always wise to make online reservations in advance.
Especially when you are talking about the best State Parks to visit in Texas: they are very sought-after nature preserves, limiting the number of daily visitors, and most fill-up weeks if not months in advance.
In this post, you will find the links to the page of each recommended State Park reservation system.
You can also access the Texas State Park reservation system directly to do so.
Pro Tip?
To score last-minute camping reservations for Texas State Parks, leave the “location” field empty in your search.
The system will return all state parks with availability for the date you chose!
Texas State Park Pass
If you are into nature travel and are planning to visit a handful of Texas State Parks in the months to come, it might be a good idea to purchase a Texas State Park Pass.
It is valid for 12 months and grants you and your guests (riding in the same car) access to all 80+ State Parks in Texas – reservations are still required, though.
It also gives you discounts on camping parcels and in the State Park stores.
Top 12 Texas State Parks
Ready to explore? Discover below the 12 must-visit State Parks in Texas.
Pick your favorites, plan your escapes and go explore Texas nature at its best!
1. Garner State Park
Distance: 360 miles/ 5 h 20 min from Dallas
Garner State Park is a famous summer travel destination in Texas.
The beautiful nature preserve is crossed by the pristine Frio River, one of Texas’ top swimming holes.
It is an amazing Texas State Park for camping, but you can also stay in nearby cabins and glamping spots.
Best activities at Garner State Park include swimming, paddling, river tubing, and hiking.
Paddleboats, kayaks, and inner tubes are available for rental. Or you can bring your own equipment and enjoy water activities.
2. Colorado Bend State Park
Distance: 190 miles/ 3 h 20 min from Dallas
Colorado Bend State Park is home to Texas’s largest waterfall, Gorman Falls.
The 3-mile round trip hike to reach it is amazing and rewards you with gorgeous views of this 70-foot spring-fed waterfall.
One of Texas’ nature wonders, Gorman Falls is a must-visit natural attraction in the Lone Star State and is worth the trip by itself.
But Colorado Bend State Parks is also home to caves – the nature preserve offers wild cave tours (by reservation only).
And an outstanding place for hiking and camping in Texas.
3. Inks Lake State Park
Distance: 215 miles/ 3 h 25 min from Dallas
Inks Lake State Park is located in a gorgeous part of the Texas Hill Country, characterized by a unique rocky landscape.
This beautiful Texas State Park is home to the famous Devil’s Waterhole, a terrific Texas swimming hole known for cliff-jumping.
Inks Lake offers campsites and also cabins.
Burnet, a charming Texas small town, is only 15 minutes away from the park entrance. And offers lodging alternatives if you cannot get reservations inside Inks Lake or prefer to spend the night in a hotel.
Inks Lake State Park is a short driving distance from Longhorn Cavern State Park, another Texas State Park featured in this post, and you can visit both on the same trip.
4. Caddo Lake State Park
Distance: 170 miles/ 2 h 30 min from Dallas
Caddo Lake is gorgeous and one of Texas’s most underrated nature gems.
The state’s only natural lake and the world’s largest cypress bald trees forest is only a short driving distance from Dallas and a must-visit Texas destination.
Staying at Caddo Lake State Park is one of the best ways of exploring Caddo Lake.
The park offers campsites, cabins, gorgeous trails – especially stunning in fall – and paddling through the swamp.
Nestled in East Texas, Caddo Lake is surrounded by amazing attractions. Find here the best things to do in this beautiful Texas State Park surroundings.
5. Dinosaur Valley State Park
Distance: 80 miles/ 1 h 20 min from Dallas
Dinosaur Valley is one of my favorite Texas State Parks to visit from Dallas. It is less than 1h30 from the city, and it has it all!
The main attraction at the nature preserve is the real dinosaur footprints you can find along the riverbed (water level permitting). And by itself, this would be already more than worth the visit.
But Dinosaur Valley State Park is also home to crystalline Paluxy River, river sandy beaches, swimming areas, and an impressive trail system with over 20 miles of trails.
And an outstanding place for horseback riding near Dallas. You can take a guided horseback riding tour at Dinosaur Valley State Park with Eagle Eye Ranch Carriage Company.
Fossil Rim and Big Rocks Park are other must-visit attractions in the area.
In this post you can find all the best things to do in Glen Rose, to make the most of your day.
6. Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Distance: 380 miles/ 5 h 45 min from Dallas
Palo Duro Canyon is one of Texas’s most underrated attractions. It is simply awesome! If you love nature and hiking, this is a place you must visit at least once in a lifetime.
The Lighthouse Trail (picture) is my favorite hiking in Texas to date and rewards you with impressive views of unique rock formations and the second-largest canyon in the US.
Another place you must check while there is the Big Cave. It is in a remote area of the park, but right off the road – your walk to the top will take less than 10 minutes. And it is absolutely gorgeous and impressive.
The best way to explore Palo Duro Canyon is camping inside the park (RV sites and cabins are also available). But this requires planning months in advance.
If you are late to get reservations inside the park, you have alternatives, though! Check this post for more info.
7. Pedernales Falls State Park
Distance: 240 miles/ 4 h 10 min from Dallas
Pedernales Falls has a unique landscape, with gorgeous cascades and craters, and it is a paradise for photography lovers.
This is an outstanding Texas State Park for camping, hiking, fishing, paddling, and swimming in the beautiful Pedernales River.
The nature preserve is nestled in a privileged area of the Texas Hill Country.
You can find other amazing natural attractions not far from there – such as Hamilton Pool and Westcave Preserve (35 minutes).
8. Enchanted Rock Natural Area
Distance: 240 miles/ 4 h 00 min from Dallas
Enchanted Rock is Texas’s most unique geological formation. A giant pink granite dome emerging in the middle of the Texas Hill Country, with superb views from the top.
The Enchanted Rock Summit Trail is by far the most famous there – and the one you should take if you only have a few hours to spend there.
But the park also offers other 7+ miles of trails, winding through big rock formations, oak trees, and scenic views.
Enchanted Rock is a short-driving distance from Fredericksburg, a must-visit lively Texas small town. You find more information on the best things to do there in this post.
9. Longhorn Cavern State Park
Distance: 215 miles/ 3 h 15 min from Dallas
The Texas underworld is rich and full of surprises.
Longhorn Cavern State Park is one of my favorite caves open to public visitation in the Lone Star State. And offers the unique chance to experience complete darkness – there are only a handful of places in the world where you can experience that!
This superb Texas State Park is only a few minutes away from Inks Lake State Park, also featured in this post.
And only 5 minutes away from outstanding Perissos Vineyard and Winery – if topping a day in the wilderness with a wine tasting in beautiful vineyards to recharge the batteries sounds good to you, this is your place!
10. Lost Maples State Natural Area
Distance: 350 miles/ 5 h 30 min from Dallas
This is the Texas State Park to hit if you are looking for the best place for fall foliage in Texas.
In early November, the fall colors paint the landscape in tones of red, orange, and yellow, and it is a natural spectacle worth seeing for those who enjoy nature contemplation.
Activities at Lost Maples State Natural Area include hiking, fishing, birding, and camping.
Plan to stay inside the park, but make reservations way in advance – this is one of the most sought-after Texas State Parks during fall, and reservations are usually sold out months before the fall foliage peak.
The nature preserve is about 45 minutes away from Bandera, Texas Cowboy Capital, and staying in a dude ranch is another special way to explore the area.
For things to do in Bandera and recommended dude ranches, check this post.
11. Big Bend National Park
Distance: 530 miles/ 7 h 30 min from Dallas
Big Bend National Park is one of the most remote parks in the US and a famous Texas travel destination.
It is a hiker’s paradise and also one of the best places in Texas for stargazing.
Big Bend is home to over 150 miles of hiking, winding through diverse scenery, such as desert, mountain, canyon, and river. Don’t miss the Lost Mine Trail and Santa Helena Canyon.
It also offers scenic drives and can be explored by car.
The best way to explore this Texas natural gem is by camping there.
But you can also combine a visit to the Big Bend with quaint Marfa – about one hour away – for the ultimate west Texas experience. Discover here the best things to do there.
12. Devils River State Natural Area
Distance: 380 miles/ 6 h 40 min from Dallas
Devils River is one of the most pristine and remote rivers in Texas and a fantastic place for paddling, backpacking, and stargazing – it is an International Dark Sky Sanctuary.
Getting to Devils River Natural Area is not an easy task. You will have to drive about one hour on a dirt road and hike one mile from the parking lot to reach the river.
But it rewards you with awe-inspiring views of the crystalline river and with a unique wilderness experience in the Lone Star State.
Summing Up
Best State Parks to Visit in Texas
Pinpointing the best State Parks, National Parks, and Natural Areas to visit in Texas is a hard task. Every nature preserve has its own wonders, and all are worth the trip somehow!
But some locations stand out for their uniqueness, and here we covered the 12 top ones.
Garner, Colorado Bend, Inks Lake, Caddo Lake, Dinosaur Valley, Palo Duro, Pedernales Falls, Enchanted Rock, Longhorn Cavern, Lost Maples, Big Bend, and Devils River are among the most fantastic nature destinations in the Lone Star State.
Texas State Parks near Dallas
In need of some fresh air but not in the mood for the long drive? We got you covered!
Discover here 14 Texas State Parks up to 1h30 from the city to explore and hit the road!
Texas State Parks Map - Discover Nature Preserves Near You
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Association has a fantastic interactive tool to locate the state parks near you and make online reservations.
Check their interactive map here and discover the locations closest to you.
What Are Your Favorite Texas State Parks?
Have you been to any Texas State Park before? How was the adventure?
What are your favorite State Parks in Texas and why?
Share your experiences in the comments below. I’ll love to hear from you!
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