Texas destinations, parks and attractions

Are you going on a road trip to Texas, looking for tips about the destinations so you and your party can enjoy it, be comfortable and not spend a fortune?

Here are some of the top destinations in Texas and tips about visiting them

National parks and monuments in Texas

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Fritch, TX.

13,000 years ago, this site was well-known by mammoth hunters as a source of flint for tools. Centuries passed but the colorful flint never lost its value and usefulness in the Texas Panhandle. Gain a sense of how integral this site was to the survival, commerce and culture of the High Plains. Visit Alibates Flint Quarries to see the many colors of the beautiful Alibates Flint.
Amistad National Recreation Area, Del Rio, TX.

An oasis in the desert, Amistad National Recreation Area consists of the US portion of the International Amistad Reservoir. Amistad, whose name comes from the Spanish word meaning friendship, is best known for excellent water-based recreation, camping, hiking, rock art viewing, and its rich cultural history. Amistad is also home to a wide variety of plant and animal life above and below the water.
Big Bend National Park, The big bend of the Rio Grande, TX.

There is a place in Far West Texas where night skies are dark as coal and rivers carve temple-like canyons in ancient limestone. Here, at the end of the road, hundreds of bird species take refuge in a solitary mountain range surrounded by weather-beaten desert. Tenacious cactus bloom in sublime southwestern sun, and diversity of species is the best in the country. This magical place is Big Bend...
Big Thicket National Preserve, Beaumont, TX.

Life of all types abounds in the Big Thicket. This national preserve protects the incredible diversity of life found where multiple habitats converge in southeast Texas. Hiking trails and waterways meander through nine different ecosystems, from longleaf pine forests to cypress-lined bayous. It is a place of discovery, a place to wander and explore, a place to marvel at the richness of nature.
Chamizal National Memorial, El Paso, TX.

Chamizal is more than just an urban park to recreate or enjoy a quiet afternoon. These grounds are a reminder of the harmonious settlement of a 100-year boundary dispute between the United States and Mexico. We celebrate the cultures of the borderlands to promote the same mutual respect that helped to diplomatically resolve an international disagreement.
El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail, Various States TX,LA.

Explore a diverse array of histories contained within El Camino Real de los Tejas’ 150-year life, including the Spanish struggle to missionize American Indian nations, the growth of cattle ranching in the Mexican period, and the movement for Texan independence and statehood.
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail, NM,TX.

Travel along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail to experience and learn from a complicated legacy of 300 years of conflict, cooperation, and cultural exchange between a variety of empires-European and non-European alike.
Fort Davis National Historic Site, Fort Davis, TX.

Fort Davis is one of the best surviving examples of an Indian Wars' frontier military post in the Southwest. From 1854 to 1891, Fort Davis was strategically located to protect emigrants, mail coaches, and freight wagons on the Trans-Pecos portion of the San Antonio-El Paso Road and on the Chihuahua Trail.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Salt Flat, TX.

Come experience mountains and canyons, desert and dunes, night skies and spectacular vistas within a place unlike any other. Guadalupe Mountains National Park protects the world's most extensive Permian fossil reef, the four highest peaks in Texas, an environmentally diverse collection of flora and fauna, and the stories of lives shaped through conflict, cooperation and survival.
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, Fritch, TX.

Within the dry, windswept plains of the Texas Panhandle lies a hidden oasis, a welcoming haven where wildlife and people find relief from the dry grasslands above. Through this plain, the Canadian River has cut dramatic 200-foot canyons, or breaks, where humans lived 13,000 years ago. Lake Meredith occupies these hidden coves and is a haven for migratory birds and other wildlife.
Lyndon B Johnson National Historic Park, Johnson City, TX.

---Lyndon Baines Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park tells the story of our 36th President beginning with his ancestors until his final resting place on his beloved LBJ Ranch. This entire "circle of life" gives the visitor a unique perspective into one of America's most noteworthy citizens by providing the most complete picture of any American president.
Padre Island National Seashore, Corpus Christi, TX.

Padre Island National Seashore separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre, one of a few hypersaline lagoons in the world. The park protects 70 miles of coastline, dunes, prairies, and wind tidal flats teeming with life. It is a safe nesting ground for the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle and a haven for over 380 bird species. It also has a rich history, including the Spanish shipwrecks of 1554.
Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park, Brownsville, TX.

On May 8, 1846, United States and Mexican troops clashed on the prairie of Palo Alto. The battle was the first in a two-year long war that changed the map of North America. Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park preserves the site of this notable battle and provides an understanding of the causes, events, and consequences of the U.S.-Mexican War.
Rio Grande National Wild and Scenic River, Southwest Texas, TX.

For 196 miles, this free-flowing stretch of the Rio winds its way through desert expanses and stunning canyons of stratified rock. For the well prepared, an extended float trip provides opportunities to explore the most remote corner of Texas and experience the ultimate in solitude, self-reliance, and immersion in natural soundscapes.
San Antonio Missions National Historic Park, San Antonio, TX.

Welcome to San Antonio Missions, a National Park Service site and the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas. After 10,000 years, the people of South Texas were faced with drought, European diseases, and colonization. In the early 1700s, many Native people of South Texas foreswore their traditional life to become Spanish, accepting a new religion and agrarian lifestyle in hopes of survival.
Waco Mammoth National Monument, Waco, TX.

Standing as tall as 14 feet and weighing 20,000 pounds, Columbian mammoths roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago. Today, the fossil specimens represent the nation's first and only recorded evidence of a nursery herd of ice age Columbian mammoths.

Texas State parks and historic sites

Texas Seasons, bugs, topography and climate

Texas is a huge state with a diverse topography, which means the weather varies widely, from arid in the desert west to humid in the coastal east..From east of Interstate 35 the state is subtropical, while to the west of Interstate 35 is arid desert. Texas ranks first in tornados in the U.S. with an average of 139 per year.

Texas Camping tips

To guarantee entry, we highly recommend reserving day passes and overnight stays before your visit.

Texas Online Camping Reservations

Check availability and make an online reservation, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You cannot reserve group facilities online.
Use a credit card to confirm reservations.
Get help with logging in to the reservation system and changing reservations.

How-to camping reservations videos

These videos walk you through the online reservation process.

Purchase a day pass for parks with time entry windows:
- time entry windows - desktop version
- time entry windows - mobile version
Purchase a day pass for parks without time entry windows:
- regular entry - desktop version
- regular entry - mobile version

Phone Reservations

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Make or cancel reservations.
Use a credit card to confirm your reservation.
Campsites, shelters, cabins and rooms (including those at Balmorhea): (512) 389-8900
Group facilities or organized group reservations: (512) 389-8920. (Some parks are taking group reservations. Capacity may be reduced due to local COVID-19 regulations.)
T.D.D. - Call (512) 389-8915 to reach a text-only telecommunication device for the hearing impaired.

There are both state parks and private campgrounds in Texas.