Big Bend Ranch State Park and Enchanted Rock State Natural Area both saw a 50 percent surge in backcountry rescues last year.
Two major conservation funding victories could create a brighter future for Texas's public lands.
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.
There are places across the state where you can commune with nature, if not one another.
Spending time outdoors is good for mental health. But as COVID-19 spreads in Texas, officials and citizens are grappling with whether, and how, we can enjoy public parks.
Volunteers and others step in to help maintain Big Bend, the San Antonio missions, and other beloved sites, but fears about lasting damage grow as the impasse drags on.
Despite threats to its survival over the years, the picturesque and petite park goes with the flow, just like its namesake river.
Where to eat, drink, and play once you venture outside the park.
Where to find wide-open skies—or a big telescope—if you live in the big city or in the eastern half of the state.
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…
Our outdoors guru on exploring the state’s parks, getting lost, and being next to alligators.
Nothing marks an expert camper more than a mastery of the essential skills, so study up on these backwoods tricks before your next expedition.
Even more camping suggestions, from El Paso's Franklin Mountains to Caddo Lake in East Texas.
This month, a ragtag group of wanderers will descend on Hueco Tanks state park in West Texas, where they’ll spend their nights hanging out and their days hanging on to the most challenging boulders around.
Why Texans don‘t get the parks they pay for.
