Texas is Adding Brand New Parks to the Bucket List
Palo Pinto Mountains State Park: Located 1.5 hours west of Ft. Worth, this 4,000-acre park will offer hiking, camping, fishing, and stargazing with mountain views.
Chinati Mountains State Natural Area: This rugged area is located in the western reaches of the Lone Star State, bordering Mexico but still 3 hours west of Big Bend National Park. Though dormant, this park is home to the largest volcano eruption in the state.Â
Devils River State Natural Area: Spreading across three ecosystems, this 37,000-acre area encompasses the Chihuahuan Desert and is 3.5 hours west of San Antonio.
Albert and Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area: Formally a family ranch now cared for by Texas Parks and Wildlife, this parkland will eventually open to the public with camping sites and hiking trails (40 minutes northwest of San Antonio).
Powderhorn State Park: Located an hour southwest of Austin, this park is one of the largest tracts of “unspoiled coastal prairie” in Texas coming in at 17,000 acres though only 2,253 acres will be developed into a state park.
Davis Hill State Natural Area: Located 1.5 hours northeast of Houston, this park offers one of the most diverse plant species in the state from towering Cypress trees to ferns to orchids.
Texas Parks with Cool Cabins
- Buescher State Park is one hour east of Austin and offers families a chance to stay in a real log cabin.
- Palo Duro Canyon State Park is known as the Grand Canyon of Texas and is surprisingly the second largest canyon in the United States. This park offers cabins perched on the side of orange- colored mountains for spectacular views from an ancient rock shelter.
- Daingerfield State Park is known for its “Cathedral of Trees” which surround a peaceful lake. The cabins here are nestled into towering oaks and fit right into their natural environment.
- Bastrop State Park is located just 30 minutes east of Austin in the Lost Pines region. Their cabins are modeled after German construction practices with stone walls that meld into their hilly landscape, appearing to grow right out of the ground. The structures also have hand-carved mantels, exposed beams, and handmade furniture.
- Palmetto State Park’s single cabin is reminiscent of Lincoln Logs with the added benefit of a wrap-a-around porch. At this park, visitors may feel like they’ve been transported to a tropical island when they gaze upon the cool crystal waters of the San Marcos River and get lost in numerous dwarf palmettos.
