Topic · Page 2
The Great Outdoors
Local Notes
The Great Outdoors notes
Bexar County · River Trails
Medina River Natural Area Adds a Quieter Southside Trail Landscape
Medina River Natural Area is a 511-acre southside river park with seven miles of trails and stops marking the old El Camino Real wagon route.
Bexar County · River Trail
Mission Reach Makes the San Antonio River Feel Like a Southside Park
Mission Reach turns eight miles of the San Antonio River into trails, paddling water, native plantings, and art gateways to the World Heritage mission sites.
Bexar County · Southside Park
Pearsall Park Shows How Big the Southside Park System Can Feel
Pearsall Park covers 505 acres on San Antonio's south side, with trails, disc golf, dog space, a skate park, splash pads, and public art with views toward Lackland.
Bexar County · Land Bridge
Phil Hardberger Park Uses a Land Bridge to Reconnect Its Two Sides
Phil Hardberger Park's land bridge carries trails, soil, and habitat over Wurzbach Parkway, reconnecting a park that the road divided.
Bexar County · Creek Trail
Salado Creek Greenway Lets Trails Follow Oaks and Limestone
Salado Creek Greenway has paved north and south sections in San Antonio's Howard W. Peak system, with trailheads at major public parks.
Bexar County · Springs Park
San Pedro Springs Park Is One of San Antonio's Deepest Civic Landmarks
San Pedro Springs Park is the oldest park in San Antonio, set aside for public use by the Spanish government in the 1700s and still working as a neighborhood pool-and-trails park.
Bexar County · Water / Environment
The Edwards Aquifer recharge zone runs through Bexar County and is protected by state law
Rain falling on the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone in Bexar County seeps into the limestone to refill the region's drinking water supply, and state and local rules restrict development over the most sensitive areas.
Bexar County · Garden
The Japanese Tea Garden Grew From an Old Quarry
San Antonio turned an old cement quarry into a garden, then trusted the Jingu family to care for it. Their story still gives the place much of its meaning.
Bexar County · Greenway
The Medina River Greenway Links South Bexar Trailheads
The Medina River Greenway runs 17 miles through south Bexar County, from the Medina River Natural Area to near Mission Espada, past cypress, lakes, and migratory-bird wetlands.
Bexar County · Flood control / Water
The River Authority is Bexar County's flood-data partner
The San Antonio River Authority maintains flood-control structures, develops floodplain data, and shares live low-water-crossing conditions with local governments.
Bexar County · Lake Park
Woodlawn Lake Park Still Works as a West Side Gathering Place
Woodlawn Lake Park gives central-west San Antonio a lake, a 1.48-mile loop trail, a pool, courts, public art, and a gathering place more than a century old.
Blanco County · State park / Recreation
Blanco State Park Offers Swimming and Camping on the Blanco River
Blanco State Park sits on a spring-fed stretch of the Blanco River in the town of Blanco, giving residents and visitors affordable access to swimming, fishing, tubing, and camping.
Borden County · Hunting / TPWD
Borden County Has Good Hunting Including Mule Deer and Pronghorn
Borden County sits in a zone where both white-tailed deer and mule deer can be hunted, and pronghorn antelope permits are available by application for qualifying areas.
Borden County · Weather / Wildfire / Drought
Drought and Wildfire Are Routine Hazards in Borden County
Dry years can make Borden County's grass and mesquite country burn fast, so outdoor-burning rules are worth checking before you light anything.
Borden County · Fishing / Recreation
Lake J.B. Thomas Offers Fishing and Camping in Borden County
Lake J.B. Thomas, a reservoir on the Colorado River straddling Borden and Scurry counties, provides the main public outdoor recreation opportunity in this otherwise remote area.
Bosque County · Outdoors / Fishing
Lake Whitney gives Bosque County residents access to one of Texas's larger reservoirs
Lake Whitney on the Brazos River touches the southeastern edge of Bosque County and is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, offering camping, fishing, and boating at multiple public access points.
Bosque County · State park / Outdoors
Meridian State Park offers camping, fishing, and trails near the county seat
Meridian State Park sits just outside the county seat and offers 72-acre Lake Meridian for fishing and paddling, five miles of trails, and overnight camping in historic CCC-built facilities.
Bowie County · Nature area
A 144-acre woods and a two-mile trail hide behind Bringle Lake
Behind the developed Bringle Lake parks sits about 144 acres set aside as a nature area, threaded by a ten-foot-wide trail that runs two miles from the east park to the Waterworks Spillway.
Bowie County · Lake park
Texarkana's lake park sits right at the edge of the A&M campus
Bringle Lake gives Texarkana a working lakefront inside the city. A seven-acre west park and an eight-acre east park are stitched together by a boardwalk, all a short walk from the Texas A&M-Texarkana campus.
Bowie County · Lake trails
Wright Patman is more than boat ramps: there's hiking in the pines
The campgrounds at Wright Patman Lake double as trailheads. Clear Springs, Rocky Point, Piney Point, and Malden Lake parks hold developed trails through the Piney Woods around the reservoir.
Bowie County · Outdoors / Lake
Wright Patman Lake offers camping, fishing, and boating near Texarkana
Wright Patman Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Sulphur River in Bowie and Cass counties, about 10 miles southwest of Texarkana, with camping, fishing, boating, and wildlife viewing.
Brazoria County · Parks / Beach
Brazoria County Parks Offer 14 Miles of Public Beach and Boat Ramp Access
Brazoria County manages 11 parks, 14 miles of beach, 20 boat ramps, and two RV campgrounds, with Surfside Jetty County Park serving as one easy day-use stop.
Brazoria County · Wildlife refuge / Birding
Brazoria Refuge Holds More Than 45,000 Acres of Coastal Habitat
Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge protects more than 45,000 acres near Freeport, while its free Big Slough public-use area gives visitors an auto tour, boardwalk, trails, and birding access.
Brazoria County · Paddling Trail
Christmas Bay Has a Marked Coastal Paddling Trail
TPWD's Christmas Bay Paddling Trail gives kayakers and canoeists a marked route through a shallow, oyster-reef bay near San Luis Pass.
Brazoria County · Wildlife Area
Justin Hurst WMA Protects Coastal Prairie Near Freeport
Justin Hurst Wildlife Management Area west of Freeport is one of Brazoria County's largest tracts of public coastal prairie, wetland, and marsh — and it just got bigger.
Brazoria County · Birding
Quintana Has a Bird Sanctuary by the Gulf
The little Gulf-side village of Quintana holds a neotropical bird sanctuary that draws birders during spring and fall migration.
Brazoria County · Wildlife refuge
San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge Adds More Coastal Public Land in Brazoria County
San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge spans parts of Brazoria and Matagorda counties, with free recreation areas for trails, birding, fishing, and unit-specific seasonal hunting.
Brazoria County · Wildlife Area
Stringfellow WMA Is Bottomland Forest on the San Bernard
The Nannie M. Stringfellow WMA near Brazoria preserves about 3,666 acres of bottomland hardwood forest in the San Bernard River floodplain, a different side of the county than the surf.
Brazoria County · Brazos River
The Stephen F. Austin Paddling Trail Follows the Brazos
TPWD's Stephen F. Austin Paddling Trail runs the Brazos River through Columbia Bottomland forest, the wooded inland counterpart to the county's coast.
Brazos County · City park
Austin's Colony Park: the Bryan park with an archery range
Tucked behind an elementary school on Bryan's east side, Austin's Colony Park is the one with an archery range, a nine-hole disc golf course, and a 1.5-mile trail, most of which sits quiet until the school bell rings.
Brazos County · Birding
College Station is a certified Bird City
On January 9, 2025, College Station joined a short list of Texas towns certified as a Bird City, recognition that birds, and the trouble city lights cause them, are part of how the city plans its parks.
Brazos County · Fishing / Outdoors
Fishing at Lake Bryan
Lake Bryan is a roughly 800-acre city-owned reservoir west of Bryan with public bank access and a two-lane boat ramp.
Brazos County · Inclusive play
Fun for All Playground makes Central Park more inclusive
Fun for All Playground in College Station's Central Park is built so children and adults of all ability levels can play together.
Brazos County · Nature park
Lick Creek Park is College Station's big nature park
Lick Creek Park gives College Station a 523-acre nature preserve with trails, birding, and rare native habitat.
Brazos County · Flood / River
The Brazos River and flooding in Brazos County
The 1991 Christmas flood spread the Brazos roughly five miles wide west of Bryan and College Station, and today's SH 21 gauge keeps the river visible in near-real time.
Brazos County · Campus garden
The Gardens at Texas A&M are a public garden classroom
The Gardens at Texas A&M are a 27-acre public teaching garden along White Creek, free for anyone to walk.
Brazos County · Greenway trail
The Lick Creek Greenway links neighborhoods to the park
The Lick Creek Greenway gives south College Station a paved route from Westfield Park to Lick Creek Park, past homes and schools.
Brazos County · City park
Travis Bryan Midtown Park remakes an old golf course
Travis Bryan Midtown Park is Bryan's 150-acre remake of a former municipal golf course and lake into a sports and entertainment district.
Brazos County · Sports park
Veterans Park has fields and a memorial
Veterans Park gives College Station a large athletic complex wrapped around a 12-acre veterans memorial.
Brazos County · Wildlife / Outdoors
Wildlife watching and the Brazos Valley Loop trail
The Brazos Valley Loop links local nature stops, and Lick Creek Park gives College Station 523 acres of Post Oak Savannah with five miles of marked trails.
Brazos County · City park
Wolf Pen Creek is a trail and event park
Wolf Pen Creek Park mixes a creekside trail, disc golf, and a playground with an amphitheater built for big crowds.
Brewster County · National Park
Big Bend National Park occupies a large part of Brewster County
Big Bend National Park covers 801,163 acres entirely within Brewster County and protects the largest stretch of Chihuahuan Desert in the United States.
Brewster County · State Park
Big Bend Ranch State Park: Texas's largest state park straddles two counties
Big Bend Ranch State Park covers roughly 310,000 acres across southwestern Brewster County and southeastern Presidio County, with 238 miles of trails and International Dark Sky Park status.
Briscoe County · State park / Wildlife
Caprock Canyons State Park: Canyons, Bison, and Dark Skies
Caprock Canyons State Park in Quitaque sits along the eastern edge of the High Plains and is home to the official Texas State Bison Herd, nearly 90 miles of trails, a designated Dark Sky area, and a bat colony in a historic railroad tunnel.
Brooks County · Hunting / Wildlife
Hunting in Brooks County: South Texas Brush Country Rules
Brooks County is prime South Texas hunting land. Seasons for white-tailed deer, turkey, dove, and quail are set by TPWD and should be checked every year.
Brown County · State park
Lake Brownwood State Park: CCC History and Three Ecosystems
Lake Brownwood State Park sits where three Texas ecosystems meet on the shore of a 7,300-acre lake, with cabins and trails built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
Brown County · Paddling
Pecan Bayou Gives Brownwood a Quiet In-Town Paddle
The Pecan Bayou paddling trail starts at Fabis Primitive Park and turns a slow stretch of Brownwood water into a short loop under old pecan trees.
Burleson County · State park / Outdoor recreation
Lake Somerville State Park offers camping, hiking, and birding on two units near Caldwell
Lake Somerville State Park sits on the Burleson County-Washington County border. It offers camping, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails close to home.
Burnet County · State Park
Inks Lake tucks blue water between pink-granite hills
The park pairs nearly 200 campsites and nine trail miles with Devil's Waterhole, CCC work, and direct access to an infested Highland Lake.
Burnet County · State Park
The CCC cleared Longhorn Cavern and built the road into the hill
The day-use park pairs a guided limestone cavern with hand-built 1930s stairs, walls, buildings, and a scenic approach.
Caldwell County · Hunting Regulations
Caldwell deer rules change with the license year
Caldwell County uses county-specific deer limits, antler rules, antlerless dates, and reporting requirements that must be checked for the current license year.
Caldwell County · State Park
Lockhart State Park offers camping, fishing, and a nine-hole golf course
Lockhart State Park pairs creekside camping and trails with the last remaining golf course in the Texas State Parks system.
Calhoun County · Public lands / Fishing / Hunting
Matagorda Island WMA: Fishing, Hunting, and Camping by Boat Only
Matagorda Island Wildlife Management Area, accessible only by boat from Port O'Connor, offers 56,688 acres of barrier island for fishing, hunting, camping, and wildlife watching with no motorized vehicles allowed.
Calhoun County · Wildlife area
Powderhorn Keeps a Big Piece of Coastal Prairie in Public Hands
Powderhorn Wildlife Management Area protects coastal prairie, wetlands, oak mottes, and bayfront habitat near Port O'Connor.
Calhoun County · Birding trail
The Calhoun Birding Loop Turns Bay Stops Into a County Tour
The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail links Calhoun County stops from Port Lavaca and Magnolia Beach to Seadrift and Port O'Connor.
Calhoun County · Delta wildlife
The Guadalupe Delta Spreads Into Calhoun's Marsh Country
The Guadalupe Delta WMA reaches into Calhoun, Victoria, and Refugio counties where the Guadalupe River fans toward San Antonio Bay.
Calhoun County · Paddling
The Powderhorn Paddling Trail Puts You at Water Level
The Powderhorn Paddling Trails trace shoreline and marsh routes around Powderhorn Lake, Matagorda Bay, Boggy Bayou, and Coloma Creek.
Calhoun County · Bay marsh
Welder Flats Is Marsh, Water, and Boat Sense
Welder Flats WMA sits on the San Antonio Bay system, where much of the public-land experience happens by boat.
Callahan County · Hunting
Deer and turkey hunting seasons in Callahan County
This is North Zone country. The rolling mesquite and oak around Baird and Cross Plains holds whitetail and Rio Grande turkey, but nearly all of it is private.
Callahan County · Lake Clyde
Lake Clyde carries town water and drought memory
South of Clyde, a 449-acre city reservoir supplies water, makes room for camping and boating, and carries a clear record of long dry spells.