The 11 Best Texas State Parks to Explore the Outdoors

Texas is home to some of the most beautiful State Parks, ranging from desert sands to gorgeous waterfalls to some incredible underground caverns. This is a list of the 11 best Texas state parks near Dallas and Austin to check out and spend a weekend exploring. Happy camping!

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Big Bend National Park in West Texas

Okay, so it’s a National Park, not a State Park, but it counts. Obviously, it got National Park status for a reason!

Big Bend is absolutely giant and filled with fun activities. Whether you’re up for hiking, biking, kayaking, or horseback riding you’ll find something to do here. The trails to some of the peaks have insanely gorgeous photo-opp views you won’t soon forget. This is the perfect weekend trip in Texas on this list of Texas state parks!

Ideal Trip Length // 2-3 Days

Location // West Texas along the Mexican border

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McKinney Falls State Park in Austin

One of my favorite swimming hole spots in Texas! Make a day trip of it to the North or South Falls, or snag a campsite for an evening. The perfect way to cool off when the summer heat is bringing you down. It’s got two falls, lower and upper falls, and I recommend the lower falls as the better swimming hole than the upper falls. Out of this entire list of the best texas state parks, this is probably the best day trip available!

Ideal Trip Length // 0.5-1 Day

Location // Just a short half-hour drive from Austin

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Palo Duro State Park in North Texas

A beautiful canyon right in the center of a desert, basically! Palo Duro is a gorgeous red rock canyon with amazing hiking trails to boot. I absolutely recommend doing a horseback ride through the canyon to get the full experience. Also heads up, do not drink the tap water here. It is likely the most disgusting water I have ever tried.

Ideal Trip Length // 1-3 Days

Location // Up in the Pan Handle, a short drive from Amarillo

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Longhorn Caverns State Park

Geology lovers, this one is for you! Longhorn Caverns are absolutely beautiful underground caves filled with incredible geology and stunning cave rooms. It’s a unique experience in Texas, and a must check out the spot. The tours are pretty short, 3 hours being the longest tour offered, so it’s a perfect half-day trip.

It’s also a great option on this list of the best Texas state parks for little kids that love to go exploring (and have short attention spans).

Ideal Trip Length // .05 Days

Location // One hour North of Austin

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Enchanted Rock Natural Area

Yes, it is a giant rock. However, it’s a very fun giant rock. You can either make a day trip out of Austin and hike the rock, or go all our and camp out there for the night too! Either way, you’ll feel accomplished when you reach the top. Also, you can reward yourself for a trip with some wine from Fredericksburg right afterward!!

Ideal Trip Length // .05-1 Day

Location // Two hours West of Austin

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Monhans Desert State Park

Who says you need snow to go sledding? Grab a sled and head to Monahans Sandhills for some giant sand dunes you’ll have an absolute blast out. It’s out in the middle of nowhere West Texas though, so be prepared to find somewhere to spend the night. This is one of the only texas state parks on this list I haven’t had a chance to visit yet, and I want to!

Ideal Trip Length // .05-1 Day

Location // Middle of Nowhere West Texas (like El Paso Ish)

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Pedernales Falls State Park

Another great summer spot full of hiking trails, watering holes, and great campgrounds! This is a perfect campground for friends or family, and the park is giant with tons of room to explore! It’s a great place during the summer especially.

Another spot that’s close to Fredericksburg, so it’s great to hit up the wineries near by as well. You’ll find my entire Fredericksburg guide here!

Ideal Trip Length // 1-2 Days

Location //One hour West of Austin (near Fredericksburg)

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Lake Minerals Well State Park near Dallas

Don’t worry Dallas, this Texas State Park Near Dallas if for you! Mineral Wells was where my family loved to go camping when I was growing up, and it holds as one of my favorites. Not only can you take your boat out on the lake and spend some time fishing, but their rock climbing is absolutely incredible.

Who wants to rock climb indoors when you can climb actual cliffs?

Ideal Trip Length // 1-2 Days

Location // Just West of Fort Worth

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Guadalupe River State Park

This used to be my FAVORITE state park on this list as a kid! My parents would pack up the RV almost every summer and take us down here to hit the river. Whether you want a relaxing float trip or just a good spot for the kids to play, this is such a great option. Plus, it’s smack in between Austin and San Antonio so you can easily get to both cities from here.

Ideal Trip Length // 1-2 Days

Location // Between San Antonio & Austin

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Caddo Lake State Park

The cypress trees and Spanish moss are what makes this spot so beautiful and unique. I recommend renting out a cabin for a night/weekend and taking a canoe to the lake for a relaxing and stunning adventure. I would recommend this more for couples than I would for kids!

Ideal Trip Length // 1 Day

Location // East Texas along the Louisiana Border

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Mustang Island State Park

Also known as Padre Island, this is one of the better beach spots in Texas. Don’t get me wrong, Texas beaches aren’t my favorite, but this one is way easier and cheaper than a ticket to Hawaii! They’ve got tons of places to stay nearby, or you can camp out along the beach if you’re feeling bold.

Also, I highly recommend you beware of jellyfish. Somehow someone gets stung every single time I make a trip down here.

Ideal Trip Length // 2-3 days

Location // Padre Island, just by Corpus Christi

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Thanks for checking out favorite Texas State Parks Near Dallas and Austin and All Over Texas! Whether you want great hiking or beautiful lakes, we have it all on this list. Texas is known for having some stunning State Parks and we agree!