Travel & Outdoors
November 22, 2023
Texas’s Newest Mountain Bike Park Was Built by a Fearless Teen Entrepreneur
At Station Mountain Bike Park, Rhett Jones created the serpentine trails and daring jumps of his dreams.
Outdoors
Giving Back
November 13, 2023
A Powerful Introduction to Nature for Kids Who Rarely See It
San Antonio’s Leon and Leticia McNeil have introduced generations of Black and Latino youth to the outdoors through their nonprofit, City Kids Adventures.
Travel & Outdoors
November 9, 2023
Deep—Very, Very, Very Deep—in the Heart of Texas
Call them the astronauts of the underground. The state’s cavers are a literal subculture, daring to go where no one has gone before.
By Katy Vine![Katy Vine's Profile Photo]()
Travel & Outdoors
November 9, 2023
Go Underground: Seven Texas Caves to Explore
Where to immerse yourself in the subculture.
By Katy Vine![Katy Vine's Profile Photo]()
Travel & Outdoors
November 6, 2023
Six Great Texas Hikes for Families With Kids
Whatever you do, don’t forget the special snacks.
By Katy Vine![Katy Vine's Profile Photo]()
Parks & Recs
November 1, 2023
How to Watch the April 8 Solar Eclipse From a Texas State Park
Skip the traffic and exorbitant hotel rates—go camping at one of the 31 parks in the path of totality. Overnight reservations open on November 7.
Music
October 27, 2023
Texas Parks & Wildlife Just Released One of the Best Albums of the Year
The compilation cover album Texas Wild, which includes pairings such as Adrian Quesada and Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name,” was curated by a mad Texan genius.
Travel & Outdoors
October 16, 2023
Texans Worship Brands, but We Should Celebrate Our Native Flora and Fauna Too
Step aside, Buc-ee’s and Blue Bell. Where’s the love for horny toads, swallowtails, and passion vine?
Critters
October 13, 2023
The Ghost-Faced Bat Is So Ugly It’s Cute
Found along Texas’s southwestern border, the creature has a mug only a mother could love.
By Rose Cahalan![Rose Cahalan's Profile Photo]()
Best Thing in Texas
October 10, 2023
Hats Off to the Arctic Cowboys, Who Just Became the First Paddlers to Cross the Northwest Passage
The Texas-based kayaking team completed the 1,600-mile journey over 83 grueling days.
Travel & Outdoors
October 6, 2023
Barton Springs Pool Says Goodbye to a Longtime Regular Named Flo
Austinites gathered poolside to celebrate a sick pecan tree’s hundred-plus years of shading swimmers.
Travel & Outdoors
September 27, 2023
An Ode to the Century Plant
No, Texans’ favorite agave doesn’t live for a century. But it is a botanical marvel.
Parks & Recs
September 20, 2023
After a Summer of Heat Deaths, Texas Parks Debate How to Protect Hikers
Six hikers died from heat-related causes in Texas state and national parks this summer. Should trail closures on the hottest days be standard?
Parks & Recs
September 15, 2023
A Pristine, 1,200-Acre Texas Preserve Will Open to the Public for the First Time This Week
Anonymous landowners donated the pristine 1,200-acre parcel, which will be open to the public on September 23.
Style & Design
September 14, 2023
On the Job With the Barton Boys, the Official Dive Rankers of Barton Springs
The 25-year-old “boys” have taken it upon themselves to score each jump off the diving board, Olympics-style. Austin poolgoers have embraced the challenge.
Books
September 12, 2023
You’ve Never Seen the Big Thicket Like This
Photographer Keith Carter explores the otherworldly wetlands of East Texas in a stunning new book.
Travel & Outdoors
September 11, 2023
The West Texas Desert’s Impossible Garden
The explosion of color found at the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute is not a mirage.
By Rose Cahalan![Rose Cahalan's Profile Photo]()
Travel & Outdoors
September 6, 2023
Where to Watch the October 14 Solar Eclipse in Texas
Paddle on a sea kayak in Rockport, party with Kinky Friedman in Kerrville, or find a quiet spot close to home.
Film & TV
August 24, 2023
No Store Does More . . . for Texas Wildlife?
H-E-B’s snazzy new nature docuseries highlights the conservationists who protect bats, bears, ocelots, and redfish.
Travel & Outdoors
August 11, 2023
In This North Texas Town, It’s Always Shark Week
The small city of Sherman, which lies far from the coast, is a fossil hunter’s paradise.
By Rose Cahalan![Rose Cahalan's Profile Photo]()
Travel & Outdoors
August 3, 2023
Why Texans Should Log Off and Touch Grass
Gardening brings us together, even as culture wars divide us over almost everything else.
News & Politics
July 25, 2023
A New Report About Human Waste and Texas Beaches Is More Than Just Gross
Human waste on Texas coastlines is a beach.
Critters
July 23, 2023
My Search for the Snow Monkeys of South Texas
In the half-century since a troop of Japanese macaques arrived in Texas, a truly wild tale has played out.
By Sarah Bird![Sarah Bird's Profile Photo]()
Travel & Outdoors
July 21, 2023
The Battle for Zilker Park
Austin's signature green space is at the center of a long-running debate over how much the city should cling to its past as it prepares for the future.
By Peter Holley![Peter Holley's Profile Photo]()
Travel & Outdoors
July 20, 2023
Texas Summer Gardening Is Brutal, but These Two Native Species Don’t Mind
Thank goodness for sunflowers.
Best Thing in Texas
July 10, 2023
A Texas Oak Tree Was Believed to Be Extinct. Now It’s Making a Comeback.
Twelve years after the last known Quercus tardifolia disappeared, conservationists at the San Antonio Botanical Garden are bringing the species back.
Best Thing in Texas
June 29, 2023
A Texas Family Passed Up Millions to Turn Their Ranch Into a Nature Preserve
The conservation victory at Honey Creek relied on “the goodness of those people’s hearts,” says one environmentalist.
Travel & Outdoors
June 22, 2023
National Parks Urgently Need More Funding, Says Outgoing Big Bend Superintendent
“There’s a tremendous disconnect between the expectations of the American public . . . and the National Park Service’s ability to do those things,” says Bob Krumenaker.
Parks & Recs
June 16, 2023
What Should Texas Do With $1 Billion for State Parks?
Lawmakers just authorized lots of money to acquire new parkland. We asked advocates and conservationists to dream big.
Travel & Outdoors
May 15, 2023
A Wildflower Ramble at Clymer Meadow Preserve
The Nature Conservancy paradise teems with colorful blooms—and on May 20, Texans have a rare chance to see them.
Travel & Outdoors
May 10, 2023
Into the Wild with San Antonio’s Bloom Project
The nonprofit helps kids and teens affected by incarceration find healing in nature.
Sponsored
May 1, 2023
Spectacular Surprises Await in Farmington, New Mexico
From Aztec Ruins to whitewater rapids, Farmington is bursting with culture, history, and outdoor adventure.
Sponsored
May 1, 2023
Why a Ruidoso Summer Vacation in 2023 Will Be More Exciting Than Ever
Discover everything you need to plan and pull off a summer escape to Ruidoso, New Mexico.
Sponsored
May 1, 2023
Discover El Paso
El Paso is a thriving city with picturesque views and legendary local cuisine.
Texas Country Reporter
April 29, 2023
Confessions of a Nature-Documentary Filmmaker
For decades, Lubbock-based filmmaker Dale Johnson traveled the globe documenting the beauty, power, and fragility of the natural world.
Travel & Outdoors
April 17, 2023
Five Great Texas Paddleboarding Trails
From rugged coastal inlets to calm urban lakes, these spots offer something for every SUPer.
Best Thing in Texas
April 10, 2023
The Hill Country Is Getting a 367-Acre Nature Preserve, Thanks to a Generous Landowner
Monarch butterflies and painted buntings are among the species that flock there.
Sponsored
April 1, 2023
Whole Earth Welcomes the Return of Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour
Get up-close and personal with extreme sports in incredible landscapes.
Being Texan
March 31, 2023
Texas First: Taking Bluebonnet Photos of My Kid
I didn’t think I’d get to be a mom. Now that I am, the passage of time confounds me.
By Rose Cahalan![Rose Cahalan's Profile Photo]()
Parks & Recs
March 29, 2023
Lake Mineral Wells State Park Offers Adventurous Hiking, Fishing, and Some of the Best Rock Climbing in Texas
This underrated pocket of North Texas is well worth your time.
Books
March 24, 2023
Her Grandfather Dug For Fossils in Big Bend. Now Her Photos Celebrate His Spirit of Adventure.
Sarah Wilson's ‘DIG’ combines photos, her grandfather’s Kodachrome teaching slides, and creatively staged paleontological artifacts.
Travel & Outdoors
March 14, 2023
How One Texas Town Is Rethinking the American Lawn
The North Texas suburb of Lewisville is encouraging residents to let their lush, manicured yards grow wild.
Texas Country Reporter
March 14, 2023
A Longview Couple Brings Vintage RVs Back to Life
Ethan and Amanda Langley restore classic travel trailers for road warriors from all over North America.
Texas Country Reporter
March 13, 2023
This Texas Panhandle Rest Area Is an Unassuming Nature Haven for Highway Travelers
With access to hiking trails and waterfalls, Silver Falls Park is a beloved stop for weary travelers looking to refresh, recharge, and reminisce.
Parks & Recs
March 8, 2023
Empire, Wide and Glorious
As we celebrate one hundred years of our state parks, they are more popular than ever. But our booming population is overwhelming the state’s scarce public lands. What will the next century hold for Texas’s “best idea”?
By Rose Cahalan![Rose Cahalan's Profile Photo]()
Parks & Recs
March 8, 2023
There’s a State Park for That!
The twenty best Texas parks for birding, time traveling, kayaking, meeting up with relatives, and more.
Travel & Outdoors
March 1, 2023
Saying Goodbye to Fairfield Lake State Park
I stopped by for a hike on the park’s final day. Its 1,420 acres are set to become luxury homes.
Sponsored
March 1, 2023
Explore the Outdoors Year-Round in El Paso, Texas
Surrounded by four national parks, El Paso offers endless opportunities for outdoor adventure.
Sponsored
March 1, 2023
Get Real in Cochise County
Walk, hike, bike, bird, or climb the Instagrammable landscape of Cochise County, Arizona.
Hunting & Fishing
February 21, 2023
Texas Women Fly-fishers Are Angling for Respect
They’re changing the state’s male-dominated fly fishing scene.