Texas

Arbor Hills Nature Preserve is a free, fantastic get-away for a quick dose of the outdoors in the middle of the busy city. Safe and family-friendly, this preserve has a wide variety of visitors doing every type of activity, from jogging to mountain biking to drone flying. The playground sits nex...

Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve is managed as part of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve and consists of 227 acres of beautiful Hill Country woodlands owned jointly by Travis County (164.4 acres) and St. Edwards University (62.6 acres). Wild Basin is open to visitors who can hike the 2.5 miles of t...

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...

Walnut Creek Park has a TON of little side trails that make this a must do if you are in or near the area. This particular trail (1 of 2 major ones) is a 15 mile loop but can be done as a shorter out and back. Once you park in the parking lot head southwest to find the trailhead and you're good t...

You don't have to rent a bike but it's the "Austin" thing to do. With plenty of pick up and drop off locations all throughout the city you can start the trip and end it whenever you feel like it! It's recommended to start the trip on South Congress at the bike rental located near Doc's Motorworks...

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 ...

The Katy Trail cuts through the busy downtown Dallas area and offers the perfect way to get away for a lunch break or afternoon walk. The trail runs from Mockingbird to Houston St and can be traveled in both directions. The best place for parking is at the North end off of Travis and Knox St wher...

Pine Ridge Overlook is one of the longest hikes at McKinney Roughs Nature Area offering 2.7 miles through piney woods that overlook valleys and offer glimpses of the Colorado River. McKinney Roughs is considered a nature and learning park and requires a $5 entrance fee per-person at the Visitor ...

The parking area contains ample parking, bathrooms and covered picnic tables. The clearly marked trail head sits to the south of the circular parking area and welcomes hikers, trail-runners, mountain bikers, and dogs. The trail is a 7 mile loop that consists of 4 smaller trails that are clearly...

If you are looking for expansive views of the Chisos Basin in Big Bend NP, the Lost Mine and South Rim Trails are MUST do's!  The South Rim Trail is a much longer 12+ mile hike (best views in park) which some will overnight or experience in a full day trek.  If you do not have time for the South ...

Just north of 1604, off I10 is Friedrich Wilderness Park. This park, within the city limits of San Antonio, has about 10 miles of hiking trails varying from paved and appropriate for all ages and abilities, to challenging uphills and quick drop offs.This is just for pedestrian, so if you have a b...

The Monahans Sandhills are a surprise. They aren't as big as Great Sand Dunes National Park, but they are still fun for an afternoon or weekend adventure.  The State Park entrance fee is $4 per adult daily. There are sand toboggan/ disks rentals at the park's headquarters. If you are looking to s...

The Chalk Ridge Falls Trail can be found within Chalk Ridge Falls Park just outside of Belton, Texas. The trail features one main waterfall as well as a neat suspension bridge. The hike to the waterfall and the bridge are not but about half a mile from the parking lot. Overall the trail is about ...

Mayfield Nature Preserve is a 21-acre park located just west of downtown Austin, Texas. This nature preserve is unique from all other parks in Austin in that it that features free-roaming peacocks. It's a beautiful park full of beautiful nature and the trail leads down near the lake. The trail is...

The Four Notch Loop is a relaxing ~10 mile hike just north of Houston. The southern half of the loop follows on a 4 mile stretch of the 140 mile Lone Star Hiking Trail while the north part circles back to complete the loop.  From the large dirt and leaf covered Four Notch and Hunter Camp TH hike ...