Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2021
Bentonville Is a Mountain Biking Paradise
With more than three hundred miles of dirt trails, the city has a wonderful arts scene to boot.
Outdoors
Business
April 6, 2021
The Off-Grid Business Has Never Been Better
When demand surged for pandemic-friendly RVs and camper vans, Austin-based rental company Outdoorsy was ready to capitalize on the trend.
Travel & Outdoors
April 2, 2021
Texas Monthly Recommends: A Wildflower Drive
It’s one of the great rites of spring in Texas.
Travel & Outdoors
March 16, 2021
Sometimes It’s Hard to Be a Garden
Houston’s newborn Eden survives its first major weather event.
Travel & Outdoors
March 3, 2021
How to Care for Plants Damaged by the Texas Freeze—and Prep for Spring
Patience is key, but go ahead and trim those mushy bits.
Travel & Outdoors
March 3, 2021
Inside the Ambitious Plan to Redesign Houston’s Biggest Park
A ten-year, $205 million renovation is transforming Houston’s Memorial Park from a dense and dying thicket into a lush oasis. But is this restoring nature or replacing it?…
Parks & Recs
February 12, 2021
Finding Respite at Davis Mountains State Park and Its Historic Indian Lodge
In the heart of hard desert country, this welcome refuge features hiking, breathtaking vistas, and proximity to must-visit West Texas attractions.
Travel & Outdoors
January 26, 2021
As More Novices Head to the Wilderness, Rescues Are Spiking at Some Texas State Parks
Big Bend Ranch State Park and Enchanted Rock State Natural Area both saw a 50 percent surge in backcountry rescues last year.
Hunting & Fishing
January 21, 2021
In Search of the Chachalaca, the Least-Hunted Game Bird in Texas
With its distinctive, raucous call, the chachalaca is often heard in South Texas—but good luck spotting one.
Hunting & Fishing
January 20, 2021
Where to Hunt, or Photograph, Exotic Animals in Texas
From the Big Bend to East Texas, the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley, Texas ranches have been transformed in recent decades by the proliferation of exotic game animals, many of them rare and endangered in their native habitats. With the rise of “Texotics” has come an army of…
Recipes
January 20, 2021
Recipe: Wild Boar Picadillo
Jesse Griffiths goes hog wild to reinvent a favorite childhood meal.
Wildlife
January 20, 2021
How Texas Hunting Went Exotic
Sprawling ranches. Rare animals. Rich folks with guns. Welcome to the state’s booming business of stalking wildlife from around the globe.
Being Texan
January 15, 2021
Why Droves of Pilgrims Trek to This Tree in South Texas Every Year
Two decades ago, a woman bought a cutting from a nursery in the Rio Grande Valley. What grew was much bigger than a tree.
Travel & Outdoors
December 30, 2020
Houston Shut Down Its Biggest Biking Event for Pandemic Safety. The Indie Bike Scene Is Less Concerned.
Social cycling clubs have resumed their group rides, with tricked-out bikes and spotty mask-wearing.
Travel & Outdoors
December 17, 2020
It Snowed Across America, and We’re Not Jealous. We Swear.
It’s beautiful! Enjoy shoveling all of that.
Politics & Policy
December 17, 2020
2020 Has Been Awful, but It Was a Good Year for State and National Parks
Two major conservation funding victories could create a brighter future for Texas's public lands.
Travel & Outdoors
December 10, 2020
Cold-Water Paddling Is for the Brrrave
Winter kayaking and canoeing are catching on, even among heat-loving Texans.
Travel & Outdoors
December 8, 2020
Jupiter and Saturn Will Soon Align in a Rare Astronomical Marvel, and You Can Start Watching Now
With help from the McDonald Observatory in West Texas, we share seven beginner stargazing tips.
Travel & Outdoors
November 17, 2020
What’s Growing in My Garden Now: Images From Backyards Across the State
Texas gardeners share photos of their fall crops, plus tips for preparing for the winter season.
Travel & Outdoors
November 5, 2020
Meet an Intrepid Texan Who Spends Winters at the South Pole
Rockport resident Wayne White has worked for much of the last three years in Antarctica, where temperatures of minus 100 degrees don’t keep him from taking his daily walk or jog.
Travel & Outdoors
November 5, 2020
Now Is the Time to Plant Wildflowers in Texas. Here’s How to Do It Right.
Eight tips from expert gardeners.
Travel & Outdoors
September 10, 2020
Nine Fall Gardening Tips From a Texas Landscape Architect
David Hocker is busier than ever this time of year. He says that at home, you should be too. Here’s what to do.
Travel & Outdoors
June 8, 2020
In Praise of Pandemic Gardening
Thousands of Texans are finding much-needed stress relief by digging in the dirt. Plus: four tips for novice gardeners.
Travel & Outdoors
May 15, 2020
Priya Krishna’s Quarantine Journal, Entry No. 10: No Longer Taking the Backyard for Granted
Nothing breaks up the monotony like dining alfresco, drinking cocktails by the creek, and just breathing in the fresh air.
Travel & Outdoors
April 25, 2020
I Visited a State Park This Week. Here’s What I Found.
The reopening of state parks has not come without critics, from those who say the new rules are impossible to enforce to those who think they are too restrictive.
Being Texan
April 20, 2020
Meet the South Texas Couple Who Kill Feral Hogs As a Public Service
Robert and Vickie Lyle’s lives revolve around hunting and trapping hogs. Wildlife refuge managers count on them to keep the destructive pigs in check.
Hunting & Fishing
April 15, 2020
Fishing Lures We Love
These Lone Star lures catch the eye as much as they catch fish.
Hunting & Fishing
April 15, 2020
How a Battle Between Recreational and Commercial Fishermen Spawned a Conservation Movement
The Redfish Wars changed Texas fishing. A fight over flounder could be next.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2020
Fishin’ Across Texas
We’re calling it: Texas has the best fishing in the United States. Alaska and Florida are right up there. California is too, we guess. But what many Texans may not appreciate—even those of us who grew up casting lines—is the impressive diversity of fishing in the Lone Star State. Most…
Hunting & Fishing
April 15, 2020
The Great Texas Fishing Safari
Texas offers some of the most-diverse fishing in the country—from stalking monster sharks on Padre Island to fly-fishing from a kayak on the remote Pecos River. And for three months, I got to try it all.
Hunting & Fishing
April 15, 2020
Kayak Fishing 101: What You’ll Need
Here are four essential items to get off dry land and into a kayak.
Hunting & Fishing
April 15, 2020
How Fishing in Texas Got So Good—and Kind of Weird
The state has spent more than a century building up a world-class fishery, with some unintended consequences.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2020
Keith Combs Is the Best Bass Fisherman in Texas Waters—But He Has His Eyes Set on More
For all his success, Combs obsesses over the ones that got away—especially on the biggest stages.
Being Texan
April 14, 2020
“We’re Prepared for Just About Anything That Comes”
On a remote property near Terlingua, a prepper community is thriving.
Travel & Outdoors
April 3, 2020
Why I’m Not Going to South Padre Island
Even though it's legal for property owners like me to be there, it's not the right thing to do.
Travel & Outdoors
March 31, 2020
Planting Wildflowers in a Pandemic
A Houston poet laureate on the hopeful defiance of her bluebonnets.
Books
March 20, 2020
Texas Monthly Recommends: ‘Copper Stain: ASARCO’s Legacy in El Paso’
Plus, the cheesiest small business in Austin, a nature preserve on the outskirts of Dallas County, and a viral dance challenge.
Hunting & Fishing
December 30, 2019
Feral Hogs Are Invading Yankeeland. Northern Friends, Here’s What You Need to Know.
Tips from Texans who trap, kill, and study wild pigs.
Style & Design
November 26, 2019
Made in Texas Gift Guide: For the Adventurers
Whether they like fishing, hiking, or just enjoying the outdoors, we’ve got the explorers on your list covered.
Hunting & Fishing
October 28, 2019
A Procrastinator’s Guide to Free (or Cheap) Public Hunts in Texas
Deer season is almost upon us, but don’t fret if you don’t have a lease. Here are four public places that welcome hunters.
Hunting & Fishing
October 24, 2019
Can the Bobwhite Quail Be Saved?
Once widely hunted in Texas, the beloved game birds have been dwindling in number in recent decades. But a West Texas hunter and professor believes he’s found a way to save them.
Critters
October 17, 2019
The 12 Most Dangerous Critters in Texas
These creatures—some creepy crawlers, some fearsome beasts, some microscopic threats—can and will kill you, maybe.
Being Texan
October 3, 2019
The Summer That Wouldn’t Die
I left Texas after the brutal summer of 2011, only to return in time for the hottest September on record.
Travel & Outdoors
August 20, 2019
What’s on the Horizon for Big Bend National Park
After an eventful first year as superintendent, Bob Krumenaker has a vision for the park’s future as it celebrates its 75th anniversary.
Critters
August 13, 2019
Zebra Mussels Are Infesting Texas Lakes. There’s Only One Way to Stop Them.
The invasive species hitches rides on contaminated boats from one body of water to the next.
Art
July 30, 2019
The Texas Gulf Coast Gets a Rock Orchestra Soundtrack
Austin rockers Montopolis will premiere The Living Coast—an audiovisual homage to the Texas Gulf Coast—on August 2 in Austin.
Parks & Recs
June 20, 2019
Sea Rim State Park’s Fragile Magic
The park offers quiet coastland and abundant wildlife, and feels like a defiant bulwark against some very particular cares of urban life.
Politics & Policy
June 10, 2019
Texas Parks Are Broke. But There’s Good News: Voters Can Rescue Them.
A constitutional amendment on the ballot in November aims to shore up funding for Texas’s system of state parks and historic sites.
Travel & Outdoors
May 20, 2019
The Flight of the Texas Fireflies
Although they're on the rebound in Central Texas, these magical flying beetles aren't lighting up the sky like they used to. A New Braunfels expert says they're still out there if you know where to look.
Travel & Outdoors
April 25, 2019
Enjoy Houston’s Intoxicating Jasmine Air While You Can
It's that magical—and all too brief—time in the city, when the heady blooms seem to make everything a little bit better.