Travel & Outdoors
January 21, 2013
Into the Wild
Out of more than half a million acres of state parks and natural areas, we’ve chosen the ten best trips—where to camp, what to do, and what to look for when you head to the nearest town
40 Articles
Travel & Outdoors
January 20, 2013
On the Road Again—Piney Woods
North from Lufkin to Nacogdoches, east to San Augustine, southwest to Zavalla, west to Diboll, and north to Lufkin.
Travel & Outdoors
January 20, 2013
Climb Every Mountain
Whether you want to ride a horse, bomb down a mountain-bike trail, hike up a hill, relax in a hot springs, scale the face of a giant granite boulder, or just sit on your tailgate and look at a pretty sunset, there’s a lot to do on and around the
Travel & Outdoors
January 20, 2013
Nature Trip
Whatever I do in them, Texas mountains have a way of clearing my mind.
Feature
May 31, 2011
Huntsville
Where it is: 6 miles southwest of Huntsville What you’ll do: Relax and unwind under the East Texas pines Where you’ll sleep: Claim your spot in one of five serene camping areas What you’ll learn: Want to fish but don’t know how? Register for one of the TPWD’s Go Fish!
Travel & Outdoors
May 31, 2011
Ten More Trips Worth Gearing Up For
Even more camping suggestions, from El Paso's Franklin Mountains to Caddo Lake in East Texas.
Feature
May 31, 2011
Caprock Canyons
Where it is: 3.5 miles north of QuitaqueWhat you’ll do: Hike the rough breaks between the Caprock and the Rolling PlainsWhere you’ll sleep: In your tent at the mouth of South Prong CanyonWhat you’ll learn: The park is home to the state’s official bison herdThe colors are what strike you at Caprock Canyons
Feature
May 31, 2011
Ray Roberts Lake
Where it is: 10 miles north of Denton What you’ll do: Biking, horseback riding, and kayaking, but don’t forget to stop and watch the sunset Where you’ll sleep: Camp near the water’s edge, which is close to numerous sites in Quail Run What you’ll learn: How to speak mountain-biker, as
Feature
May 31, 2011
Bentsen–Rio Grande
Where it is: 2800 S. Bentsen Palm Dr., MissionWhat you’ll do: Look at birds. Eat. Look at birds. Sleep. Look at birdsWhere you’ll sleep: Book a spot at a local RV parkWhat you’ll learn: Chachalacas are named for their call, a rowdy cha-cha-lacWe imagine that a lot of people visit
Travel & Outdoors
May 31, 2011
Balmorhea
Where it is: In Toyahvale, 192 miles east of El PasoWhat you’ll do: Bask in the splendor of West TexasWhere you’ll sleep: In a comfy bed in a historic lodge or innWhat you’ll learn: How about scuba diving? The pool at Balmorhea is the best freshwater diving in Texas. Contact
Feature
May 31, 2011
Brazos Bend
Where it is: 28 miles southwest of HoustonWhat you’ll do: See more waterfowl than you thought existedWhere you’ll sleep: In a tent under tall elm treesWhat you’ll learn: If the alligator is hissing, you’re too close (trust me) Even if this park consisted only of the rectangle of forest
Feature
May 31, 2011
Garner
Where it is: 33 miles north of UvaldeWhat you’ll do: Float, eat, and danceWhere you’ll sleep: The cabins and campsites in Old Garner are much sought-after. Book early—but bring earplugsWhat you’ll learn: The proper way to two-step Garner State Park’s charms are no secret. In fact, it is arguably
Feature
May 31, 2011
Enchanted Rock
Where it is: 24 miles south of Llano What you’ll do: Climb a 425-foot batholith in the middle of the Hill Country Where you’ll sleep: Three primitive camping areas for those who like to get away from it allWhat you’ll learn: The name is thought to come from the Tonkawa,
Feature
May 31, 2011
Bastrop
Where it is: 1 mile east of BastropWhat you’ll do: Hike through a pine forestWhere you’ll sleep: In a charming historic cabinWhat you’ll learn: Pine trees can live more than three hundred years If there has ever been an enchanted forest in Texas, the Lost Pines Forest would be
Feature
May 31, 2011
Chinati Mountains
Where it is: 20 miles north of PresidioWhat you’ll do: Explore remote West Texas by Jeep and on footWhere you’ll sleep: In one of five cabins built by the former ownersWhat you’ll learn: Legend has it that the name is Apache for “pass,” but no one knows for sure
Sports
August 31, 2010
Ride, Charlie, Ride
What possessed me to join about 14,000 people in ninety-degree heat to ride in one of the largest bicycle races in the country? Why the hell not.
Sports
July 31, 2010
Take Me To the River
The course of the Neches River Wilderness Canoe Race is the 22 miles of the Neches in Anderson County between Lake Palestine and U.S. 79, where the muddy channel winds through thick forest.
The Culture
April 30, 2010
Saving the Llano
What's missing from all the bureaucratic back and forth over permits and mining and dredging is a sense of the importance of the river itself.
Travel & Outdoors
April 30, 2010
San Marcos River
Where people do crazy things in the jet stream.
Travel & Outdoors
April 30, 2010
Go With the Flow
Throw a canoe on the roof or a tube in the trunk and head for the Llano, the Brazos, the Pecos, the Trinity, the Guadalupe, or any of the other rivers on this list of the twenty best trips to take on Texas waterways this summer.
Travel & Outdoors
July 31, 2008
Springs Eternal
Grab your towel, your sunscreen, and go! Presenting our 25 favorite swimming holes: Barton Springs, Blue Hole, Balmorhea, and other iconic places to lower your core temperature. At least for a couple of hours.
Web Exclusive
September 30, 2006
Urban Hikes
Yes, there are ways to get in a fantastic hike without leaving the city limits.
Travel & Outdoors
September 30, 2006
Take a Hike
Travel by foot along these thirty carefully chosen routes—from the South Rim in Big Bend to Lost Maples near Vanderpool—and you’ll take in the sights, sounds, and smells of Texas in ways you never thought possible. Lace up your boots and go.
Cojones
August 31, 2006
Richard and Gina Donovan
A tip of the hat to risk-taking, barrier-breaking, establishment-tweaking Texans.
Feature
September 30, 2005
Tour de Texas
These ten bike routes, some easy and some hard, will help you channel your inner Lance.
Travel & Outdoors
May 31, 2005
Hello to a River
Fourteen of them, actually. From kayaking the Colorado and rock climbing along the Pecos to tubing the Pedernales and birding on the Rio Grande, here are the most enjoyable and exciting things to do on some of our favorite Texas waterways.
Music
July 31, 2004
Paradise
Musician Ian McLagan survived the British rock explosion of the sixties. Now he lives in Austin, a place he loves to call home.
Atsbox
April 30, 2004
Bandera
If you’re going to play cowboy for a day, then you should do it in Bandera, the Cowboy Capital of the World. Folks come here from all around the globe to experience what they consider to be the real Texas—the land of rodeos and country music, clear streams and rolling
Travel & Outdoors
March 1, 2004
This Land is Your Land
With more than 600,000 acres of state parks, historic sites, and natural areas, Texas can be a perfect playground for every type of outdoor adventurer—if you know where to go. We do.
Great Outdoors
February 1, 2004
Arrested Development
The flat-as-a-mouse-pad landscape bordering the Laguna Madre contains one of the greatest wildlife-viewing regions in North America—and that's not all.
Great Outdoors
November 1, 2003
One Hump or Two?
Riding a camel across the West Texas sand dunes, I got in touch with my inner O'Toole and left the modern world far behind.
Great Outdoors
April 1, 2003
Ride On
To the long list of reasons to visit Fort Worth these days, add this: outstanding bike trails.
Web Exclusive
February 1, 2003
A Q&A With Candy Clark
Actress Candy Clark, who played Debbie Dunham in the movie American Graffiti, will be in Dallas February 14-16 for the Autorama show at Dallas Market Center.
Great Outdoors
January 1, 2003
Cast Away
There are rivers in Texassome of the most beautiful places on earthwhere the fly-fishing is great and you don't have to battle the crowds. Now, tell me again why I should vacation in Montana?
Travel & Outdoors
September 30, 2002
Coasting
A kayaking trip offers close encounters with the ecosystem of the wetlands near Port Aransas, where still waters run shallow.
Travel & Outdoors
April 30, 2002
Fredericksburg to Amarillo on U.S. 87
Black-chinned hummingbirds, rusting tractors, chuckwagon breakfasts and a restored brothel.
Web Exclusive
May 31, 2001
Down Under
You don't have to travel far to see treasures in the sea. They're right here.
Travel & Outdoors
May 31, 2001
On the Water Front
Summer’s blast furnace is firing up. Luckily, Texas is a paradise of spring-fed pools, sparkling beaches, and more. Here are our picks for the best places to chill out, get wet, and go off the deep end. Plus extra web-only information!
Web Exclusive
December 31, 1969
Fredericksburg to Amarillo on U.S. 87
Black-chinned hummingbirds, rusting tractors, chuckwagon breakfasts— and a restored brothel.
Web Exclusive
December 31, 1969
Water Works
Should the last free-flowing river in Texas be dammed?