Texas is home to over 80 state parks and 2 national parks. Top 10 Bucket List | Visited | Panhandle Parks | Northeastern Parks | Western Parks | Central Parks | Western Parks | Southeastern Parks | Southern Parks
| # | Park Name | Photo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🔜 Balmorhea State Park Reeves County |
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🚫 Temporarily Closed🏊 Largest spring-fed swimming pool📰: Hope Springs Eternal at Balmorhea |
| 2 | 🔜 Colorado Bend Hill Country |
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🍂 Best in early spring or late fall🏊 Spicewood Springs🥾 Gorman Falls, 3 mi round trip⛰: Caves🐶 Must be leashed📰: A world of wonders, above ground and below |
| 3 | 🔜 Devils River Natural Area Val Verde County |
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🍂 Best in spring or fall🛶 Clear crystal-blue river🌌 International dark sky sanctuary🐶 Must be leashed📰: The Temptation of the Devils River |
| 4 | 🔜 Dinosaur Valley State Park Somervell County |
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🌞 Best in summer🦖 Authentic dinosaur tracks🦌 Deer, coyotes, bobcats🌵: Cross timbers / prairie🐶 Must be leashed📰: Dinosaur Valley hiking guide |
| 5 | 🔜 Lost Maples Natural Area Bandera County |
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🍂 Best in late October/early November✨ Stargazing spot🐦 Green kingfisher, black-capped vireos🍁 Uvalde bigtooth maples🐶 Must be leashed📰: Lost Maples State Park Guide |
| 6 | 🔜 Pedernales Falls Blanco County |
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🗓 Okay to visit year-round🦌 Deer, coyotes, rabbits, armadillos⛰ Limestone🐶 Must be leashed |
| 7 | 🔜 Seminole Canyon Val Verde County |
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⛄️ Good winter option🦌 Deer, racoons, armadillos🥾 Twin Falls Hike, .5 mi⛰ Ancient rock art🐶 Must be leashed |
| # | Park Name | Photo | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ✅ Palo Duro Canyon |  |
🗓 Okay to visit year-round🏜 Desert canyon landscape🐶: Must be leashed🥾 Famous Lighthouse Trail📰: 3 Days in Palo Duro State Park |
| 2 | ✅ Caprock Canyon |  |
🗓 Okay to visit year-round🏜 Desert canyon landscape🐃: Wild Bison & Prairie Dogs🐶: Must be leashed📰: Texas Monthly: Caprock Canyons |
| 3 | ✅ Caddo Lake State Park Harrison/Marion County |
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🍂 Best in early spring or late fall🛶 Wetland swamp / bayou🐊: Alligators, Frogs, Snakes, Turtles🌵: Cypress trees, spanish moss🐶: Must be leashed📰: Weekend guide to Caddo Lake |
| 4 | ✅ McKinney Falls |  |
🌞 Best to visit in summer🏊 Two swimming holes🦌 White-tail deer, raccoons, armadillos |
| 5 | ✅ Monahans Sandhills Ward/Winkler Country |
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🍂 Best in spring, fall, or winter🛷 Sand sleding🦡: Badgers, kangaroo rats, javelinas🐶: Allowed📰: Monahans Sandhills State Park |
| 6 | ✅ Blanco State Park |  |
🌞 Best to visit in summer🏊 Large swimming hole🥾 One easy hiking trail |
| 7 | ✅ Davis Mountains |  |
🗓 Okay to visit year-round🏜 Mountainous Plains and Desert🐗 Javelinas & Blue Birds🐶: Must be leashed🏨 Stay at Indian Lodge📰: Texas Monthly: Davis Mountains |
| 8 | ✅ Longhorn Cavern |  |
🗓 Okay to visit year-round 🆒 Temps stay around 68 degrees🦇 Eastern pipistrelle bats |
| 9 | ✅ Daingerfield State Park Morris County |
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🍂 Best in early spring or late fall🍁 Popular for autumn leaves🥾 Easy to moderate hikes 🧺 Good picnic spot |
| 10 | ✅ Cedar Hill State Park Dallas County |
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🚫: Swimming closed until 2022💐: Best to visit in spring for wildflowers🌾: Known for prairie grasses🦜: Painted bunting |
| 11 | ✅ Purtis Creek State Park |  |
🗓 Okay to visit year-round🌲 Pineywoods and ponds🦢 Great blue herons and beavers🎣 Popular fishing spot🐶: Must be leashed |
| 12 | ✅ Cleburne State Park Johnson County |
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🌤 Best in late spring or early summer ⛵️ Spring-fed lake with man-made dam 🦎 Lots of little lizards 🎣 Popular fishing spot |
| Park Name | Photo | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ Caprock Canyon | |
🗓 Okay to visit year-round🏜 Desert canyon landscape🐶: Must be leashed🥾 Famous Lighthouse Trail📰: 3 Days in Palo Duro State Park |
| ✅ Palo Duro Canyon | |
🗓 Okay to visit year-round🏜 Desert canyon landscape🐃: Wild Bison & Prairie Dogs🐶: Must be leashed📰: Texas Monthly: Caprock Canyons |
| 🔜 Copper Breaks State Park |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| Park Name | Photo | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🔜 Atlanta State Park Cass County |
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🛶: Swimming and boating |
| 🔜 Bonham State Park Fannin County |
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🌾: Grasslands |
| ✅ Caddo Lake State Park Harrison/Marion County |
|
🍂 Best in early spring or late fall🛶 Wetland swamp / bayou🐊: Alligators, Frogs, Snakes, Turtles🌵: Cypress trees, spanish moss🐶: Must be leashed📰: Weekend guide to Caddo Lake |
| ✅ Cedar Hill State Park Dallas County |
|
🚫: Swimming closed until 2022💐: Best to visit in spring for wildflowers🌾: Known for prairie grasses🦜: Painted bunting |
| ✅ Cleburne State Park Johnson County |
|
🌤 Best in late spring or early summer ⛵️ Spring-fed lake with man-made dam 🦎 Lots of little lizards 🎣 Popular fishing spot |
| 🔜 Copper Lake State Park Delta County |
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⛵️: Boating |
| ✅ Daingerfield State Park Morris County |
|
🍂 Best in early spring or late fall🍁 Popular for autumn leaves🥾 Easy to moderate hikes 🧺 Good picnic spot |
| 🔜 Dinosaur Valley State Park Somervell County |
|
🌞 Best in summer🦖 Authentic dinosaur tracks🦌: Deer, coyotes, bobcats🌵: Cross timbers / prairie🐶: Must be leashed📰: Dinosaur Valley hiking guide |
| 🔜 Fairfield Lake State Park |  |
Blackland Prairie |
| 🔜 Fort Parker State Park |  |
Blackland Prairie |
| 🔜 Fort Richardson State Park |  |
Swimminig |
| 🔜 Lake Bob Sandlin State Park |  |
Swimminig |
| 🔜 Lake Mineral Wells |  |
Swimming/Kayaking/Fall Leaves |
| 🔜 Lake Ray Roberts |  |
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| 🔜 Lake Tawakoni State Park |  |
Blackland Prairie |
| 🔜 Lake Whitney State Park |  |
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| 🔜 Martin Creek Lake State Park |  |
Swimminig |
| 🔜 Meridian State Park |  |
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| 🔜 Mission Tejas State Park |  |
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| 🔜 Palo Pinto Mountains State Park |  |
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| 🔜 Possum Kingdom State Park |  |
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| ✅ Purtis Creek State Park | |
🗓 Okay to visit year-round🌲 Pineywoods and ponds🦢 Great blue herons and beavers🎣 Popular fishing spot🐶: Must be leashed |
| 🔜 Tyler State Park |  |
Blackland Prairie |
| Park Name | Photo | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🔜 Abilene State Park |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Balmorhea State Park | |
🚫 Temporarily Closed🏊 Largest spring-fed swimming pool📰: Hope Springs Eternal at Balmorhea |
| 🔜 Big Bend Ranch |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Big Spring |  |
Lighthouse Trail |
| ✅ Davis Mountains |  |
🗓 Okay to visit year-round🏜 Mountainous Plains and Desert🐗 Javelinas & Blue Birds🐶: Must be leashed🏨 Stay at Indian Lodge📰: Texas Monthly: Davis Mountains |
| 🔜 Devils River Natural Area | |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Fort Leaton Historic Site |  |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Franklin Mountains |  |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| 🔜 Hueco Tanks |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Kickapoo Cavern |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Lake Brownwood | |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| 🔜 Lake Colorado City |  |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| ✅ Monahans Sandhills | |
🍂 Best in spring, fall, or winter🛷 Sand sleding🦡: Badgers, kangaroo rats, javelinas🐶: Allowed📰: Monahans Sandhills State Park |
| 🔜 San Angelo |  |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Seminole Canyon | |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| Park Name | Photo | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🔜 Bastrop State Park |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| ✅ Blanco State Park |  |
🌞 Best to visit in summer🏊 Large swimming hole🥾 One easy hiking trail |
| 🔜 Buescher State Park |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Colorado Bend |  |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Devil's Sinkhole Natural Area |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Enchanted Rock |  |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| 🔜 Garner State Park |  |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| 🔜 Government Canyon Natural Area |  |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| 🔜 Hill Country Natural Area |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Honey Creek Natural Area |  |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Lockhart State Park |  |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| ✅ Longhorn Cavern | |
🗓 Okay to visit year-round 🆒 Temps stay around 68 degrees🦇 Eastern pipistrelle bats |
| 🔜 Lost Maples Natural Area | |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Lyndon B. Johnson Historic Site |  |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Mother Neff | Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs | |
| ✅ McKinney Falls | |
🌞 Best to visit in summer🏊 Two swimming holes🦌 White-tail deer, raccoons, armadillos |
| 🔜 Old Tunnel |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Palmetto State Park |  |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Pedernales Falls | |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| 🔜 South Llano River | Lighthouse Trail |
| Park Name | Photo | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🔜 Brazos Bend |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Fort Boggy |  |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Galveston Island |  |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Huntsville State Park |  |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Lake Livingston |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Martin Dies Jr. |  |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| 🔜 Sea Rim |  |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Sheldon Lake |  |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| 🔜 Somerville Lake |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Stephen F. Austin |  |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| 🔜 USS Texas BB-35 | #/media/File:USS_Texas-2.jpg) |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Village Creek |  |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| Park Name | Photo | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🔜 Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Choke Canyon Reservoir |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Estero Llano Grande |  |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Falcon State Park |  |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| 🔜 Goliad Historic Site |  |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| 🔜 Goose Island |  |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Lake Casa Blanca |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| 🔜 Lake Corpus Christi |  |
Wild Buffalo & Prairie Dogs |
| 🔜 Mustang Island |  |
Lighthouse Trail |
| 🔜 Resaca de la Palma |  |
Dark Sky?? |
| Park Name | Photo | Visited? |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ Big Bend National Park | ||
| 🔜 Guadalupe Mountains National Park |