Texas State Parks

Texas is the best state of them all-I truly believe that!  Anywhere you go in the world, people always know where Texas is at on the map.  We are a world wide legend.  Texas is also so diverse in terrain where from side to side and tip to you can see everything from beaches to desert to swamps to mountains to prairies to piney woods.  Texas has it all!

In each part of the state there are state parks where you can enjoy each landscape and learn about the area.  You want to see the 2nd largest canyon in the USA?  Try Palo Duro State Park.

(Source)

You want to see actual dinosaur tracks from 113 million years ago?  Head to Dinosaur Valley State Park.

Want to view the stars with a fancy telescope?  Make your way to Brazos Bend State Park, which is super close to Houston.  Watch for the gators!

I want to pay homage to my favorite state by heading to each one.  I am going to attempt all 54 state parks for sure and perhaps among those times I will head to the other places listed.

The Texas State Parks are currently having budget issues and are in need of help.  I will try and do my part each year to save our parks!  Click on the link to read about all of the state parks.  I will try and update this post as I visit each one.

Texas State Parks List (source)

• Abilene SP
• Atlanta SP
• Balmorhea SP
• Barton Warnock Visitor Center
• Bastrop SP
• Battleship Texas SHS
• Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP
• Big Bend Ranch SP
• Big Spring SP
• Blanco SP
• Bonham SP
• Brazos Bend SP
• Buescher SP
• Caddo Lake SP
• Caprock Canyons SP & Trailway
• Cedar Hill SP
• Choke Canyon SP
• Cleburne SP
• Colorado Bend SP
• Cooper Lake SP
• Copper Breaks SP
• Daingerfield SP
• Davis Mountains SP
• Devils River SNA
• Devil's Sinkhole SNA
• Dinosaur Valley SP-Complete! I did a bucket list item here-polar plunge!
• Eisenhower SP
• Enchanted Rock SNA
• Estero Llano Grande SP
• Fairfield Lake SP
• Falcon SP
• Fanthorp Inn SHS
• Fort Boggy SP
• Fort Leaton SHS
• Fort Parker SP
• Fort Richardson SP, HS
• Franklin Mountains SP
• Galveston Island SP
• Garner SP-Complete!  One of my all-time favorite places on Earth.
• Goliad SP & HS
• Goose Island SP
• Government Canyon SNA
• Guadalupe River SP
• Hill Country SNA
• Honey Creek SNA
• Hueco Tanks State Park & HS
• Huntsville SP-Complete!  We go hiking here all the time.  The 7 mile trail is partly where I trained for my first half marathon.
• Indian Lodge
• Inks Lake SP
• Kickapoo Cavern SP
• Kreische Brewery SHS
• Lake Arrowhead SP
• Lake Bob Sandlin SP
• Lake Brownwood SP
• Lake Casa Blanca International SP
• Lake Colorado City SP
• Lake Corpus Christi SP
• Lake Livingston SP
• Lake Mineral Wells SP & Trailway
• Lake Somerville SP & Trailway
• Lake Tawakoni SP
• Lake Whitney SP
• Lipantitlan SHS
• Lockhart SP
• Longhorn Cavern SP
• Lost Maples SNA
• Lyndon B. Johnson SP & HS
• Martin Creek Lake SP
• Martin Dies, Jr. SP
• McKinney Falls SP
• Meridian SP
• Mission Rosario SHS
• Mission Tejas SP
• Monahans Sandhills SP
• Monument Hill SHS
• Mother Neff SP
• Mustang Island SP
• Old Tunnel SP
• Palmetto SP
• Palo Duro Canyon SP-Complete!  However, I would like to go again.
• Pedernales Falls SP
• Port Isabel Lighthouse SHS
• Possum Kingdom SP
• Purtis Creek SP
• Ray Roberts Lake SP
• Resaca de la Palma SP
• San Angelo SP
• San Jacinto Battleground SHS
• Sea Rim SP
• Seminole Canyon SP & HS
• Sheldon Lake SP- Complete!  This one is super close to my house.  This one is more of a day trip, not an overnight trip.  There are gators here!
• South Llano River SP
• Stephen F. Austin SP  - Complete!  I went here hiking one day.  I believe you can camp here but it is currently (as of 2016) closed due to flooding.  I believe they are trying to open back up soon.
• Tyler SP
• Village Creek SP
• Walter Umphrey SP
• Washington-on-the-Brazos SHS
• Wyler Aerial Tramway
• Zaragoza Birthplace SHS