Texas

Hamilton Pool Preserve, about a 45 minute drive from Austin, TX, is one of the most beautiful places to spend a hot, Texas afternoon. A short hike from the parking lot through a wooded forest opens up onto a scenic, natural pool. The small beach to one side is usually dotted with sunbathers and p...

Cedar Hill State Park and Joe Pool Lake are located just outside of Downtown Dallas. While Joe Pool Lake has many access points, I prefer the picnic area I marked on the map. From this side of the lake you can watch the sunset drastically over a completely flat horizon, and if there are clouds yo...

Memorial Park is a hub for Houstonians looking to escape that busy day-to-day urban rush. With a 3 mile running loop and 10 miles worth of multi-use trails to offer, the park does tend to get pretty busy, however it is rare that you would not be able to find parking on any given day.The best trai...

Jacob's well is a 12 foot opening that goes 23 feet deep in a riverbed in central Texas and makes for an awesome spot to escape the summer heat. Once you reach the parking lot there are signs that direct you on the very shot walk to the riverbed. The underwater cave is situated below a rock face ...

Hubbard City Lakes Park is located about two miles south of the town center of Hubbard off of Highway 31. If you're heading south on 31 you'll make a right on to Country Road 3360 (and if you're heading north you'll make a left). It will be a dirt road, but I took my VW wagon on it so most cars ...

To start this trail you'll enter Caddo Lake State Park located on Park Road 2, Karnack, Texas. Immediately after turning into the entrance, you'll see the park headquarters where the park rangers will get you set up with a key to a canoe. You'll drive to Saw Mill Pond after that to find a small ...

Caprock Canyon State Park is equipped with two primitive campgrounds: North Prong and South Prong. These campgrounds are equipped with pit toilets as seen in the above photos. For camping at the North Prong Primitive Campsite, the hike from the parking lot to the campsite is 1.25 miles. The hikin...

Pedernales Falls drops 50 feet in elevation over 3,000 feet of titled, layered steps of limestone along the Pedernales River in Blanco County. In order to reach the falls you must enter Pedernales Falls State Park and follow the park road until the very end. There you'll find a parking lot and it...

If you're looking for excellent views of hill country, the skyline, or just an awesome place to watch the sunset this is the place to be. If you're heading southbound from 183 on 360 just before you reach the bridge there will be a dirt parking lot on your right. There are trailheads on the easts...

Boquillas Canyon is one of the longest and most beautiful canyons Big Bend has to offer. To get here you will head towards Rio Grande Village from the park's headquarters at Panther Junction. If desired, you can stop at the store in Rio Grande Village to pick up some snacks and beverages before y...

Klyde Warren Park spans 5.2 acres over the Woodall Rogers Freeway in downtown Dallas and is a great place to spend an afternoon or Saturday. There are always a series of different food trucks that come and park next to it as well as a cafe located on site. There's plenty of open space, shaded pic...

Milton Reimer's Ranch is a limestone sport-climbing crag in Dripping Springs, Texas near Austin, Texas with hundreds of routes. The park is divided into two main sections--Reimer's and North Shore, each with their own parking lot. Approaches are quite easy and well marked. The original Reimer's a...

Nugent Mountain is a very handsome butte and Big Bend is a great place to go get some splendid desert solitude and recharge your good vibes. This campsite, NM1, is the perfect spot to relax and get a great practice in.NM1 is one of the park's many backcountry, car camp sites. You will need to get...

Boasting 160 acres, Buffalo Bayou is a common go-to destination for some relaxation and recreation for local Houstonians. At any given time you will find people here enjoying a picnic, playing pick-up volleyball or basketball games, walking their dog, biking, or simply just enjoying the views of ...

Pace Bend is a favorite camping and day use destination near Austin, Texas. The park is approximately 45 minutes West of Austin located off of Hwy 71 and offers visitors a wide range of recreational activities. There is an entrance fee of $10 per vehicle for Day Use only and $15 per vehicle for p...

McKinney Falls is separated into the Upper and Lower Falls along Onion Creek just 15 miles outside of Austin. The pin I dropped on the map gets you to the parking lot at the Upper Falls. From there it is a very short walk past the Smith Visitor Center to the falls. The upper falls offers some sha...