Topic · Page 6
The Great Outdoors
Local Notes
The Great Outdoors notes
Guadalupe County · City Parks
Cibolo's Park System Is Small but Very Local
Cibolo maintains about 200 acres of parkland across four city parks, with sports, picnic, pavilion, and play amenities.
Guadalupe County · Nature Park
Crescent Bend Nature Park Puts Schertz on Cibolo Creek
Crescent Bend Nature Park is a 180-acre Schertz park with trails, two bird blinds, picnic areas, scout camping, and Cibolo Creek fishing access.
Guadalupe County · Hunting
Deer Hunting Rules for Guadalupe County
Guadalupe County has specific deer bag limits and season dates that hunters need to know before heading out.
Guadalupe County · Upland Bird Hunting
Dove and Quail Hunting in Guadalupe County
Guadalupe County sits near the boundary between dove hunting zones, and quail season runs from November through February.
Guadalupe County · State Park
Guadalupe River State Park: Swimming and Camping Near the Hill Country
Guadalupe River State Park offers four miles of river frontage for swimming, tubing, fishing, and camping about 30 miles from San Antonio.
Guadalupe County · Paddling
Lake Seguin Has a Beginner-Friendly Paddling Trail
The Lake Seguin paddling trail starts at Max Starcke Park West and is a four-mile route built for beginning or novice paddlers.
Guadalupe County · River Park
Max Starcke Park Keeps Seguin Close to the Guadalupe River
Seguin's Max Starcke Park is a 227-acre Guadalupe River park with trails, fishing, paddling access, an 18-hole golf course, a dog park, and picnic space on both banks.
Guadalupe County · Active Park
Park West Gives Seguin a Big Active-Play Park
Park West is Seguin's 48-acre active park with a splashpad, skatepark, trail, bike features, fields, and accessible play space.
Guadalupe County · Fishing
Rainbow Trout Are Stocked in the Guadalupe River in Winter
TPWD stocks rainbow trout in the Guadalupe River during cooler months, giving local anglers a rare cold-water fishing option.
Guadalupe County · Cibolo Park
Schlather Park Mixes Cibolo Family History With Trails
Schlather Park in Cibolo combines walking trails, picnic areas, nature observation points, and an 18-hole disc golf course.
Guadalupe County · Memorial Park
Veterans Memorial Park Is Both Playground and Civic Memory
Cibolo's Veterans Memorial Park pairs active park amenities with memorial features for local military service members.
Guadalupe County · Springs
Walnut Springs Park Explains Seguin's Old Name
Walnut Springs Park ties downtown Seguin to the cold springs that gave the town its first name, and to a piece of San Antonio River Walk history.
Hall County · Hunting
What You Can Hunt in Hall County
Hall County offers a wide range of hunting seasons, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, pheasant, quail, dove, and waterfowl.
Hamilton County · Hunting Regulations
Deer Hunting Rules for Hamilton County
Hamilton County is in the North Zone and allows up to five deer per season, with specific rules on how many bucks you can take.
Hardeman County · State Park
Copper Breaks State Park: Camping, Fishing, and Dark Skies
Copper Breaks State Park near Quanah offers camping, hiking, fishing, and one of Texas's certified dark-sky sites.
Hardin County · National Preserve
Big Thicket National Preserve is free to enter and spans 113,000 acres
Big Thicket National Preserve covers more than 113,000 acres across seven Southeast Texas counties and is free to visit, with over 30 miles of trails.
Hardin County · Hunting
Hunting in Big Thicket requires a free preserve permit plus a Texas license
You can hunt white-tailed deer, feral hogs, squirrels, and waterfowl inside Big Thicket National Preserve, but you need both a Texas hunting license and a free NPS permit.
Hardin County · State Park
Village Creek State Park is a paddling and hiking destination near Lumberton
Village Creek State Park gives Lumberton a real outdoors anchor: trails, camping, paddling, and one of the few free-flowing creeks in Texas.
Hardin County · Fishing
You can fish Big Thicket waterways, but check consumption advisories first
Fishing is allowed in all Big Thicket waterways with a Texas license, but mercury and dioxin advisories apply to certain fish in the Neches River and Village Creek.
Harris County · Bay Nature
Baytown Nature Center Sits on a Peninsula Between Three Bays
Baytown Nature Center is a 500-acre peninsula wrapped by three bays, with marshes, birding, fishing piers, and shoreline on the east side of Harris County.
Harris County · Bayou Park
Buffalo Bayou Park Mixes Trails, Public Art, and Bayou Views
Buffalo Bayou Park is a downtown-adjacent stretch of bayou with 4.5 miles of trail, public art, and skyline views.
Harris County · Bay Fishing
Galveston Bay Is One of the Top Fishing Spots Near Houston
Galveston Bay borders the southeast edge of Harris County and offers saltwater fishing for speckled trout, redfish, and flounder.
Harris County · State Park
Galveston Island State Park Lets Houston Trade Bayou Banks for Dunes
The park crosses a barrier island from Gulf beach to bay marsh, giving the Houston area a nearby look at two sides of the coast.
Harris County · Reservoir Park
George Bush Park Puts Big Recreation Inside Barker Reservoir
George Bush Park is a 7,800-acre west Harris County park sitting inside Barker Reservoir, with trails, fields, dog parks, and miles of bayou-side paths.
Harris County · Bayous / Waterways
Harris County Reads Like a Map of Bayous
Buffalo, Brays, White Oak, Greens, and dozens of smaller channels give Harris County both its geography and much of its everyday outdoor landscape.
Harris County · Birding / Wildlife
Harris County Sits on a Major Bird Migration Route
The Houston area lies along the Central Flyway, one of the main bird migration routes in North America, making Harris County a strong birding destination in spring and fall.
Harris County · Museum District Park
Hermann Park Is a Civic Green Space Beside Major Houston Institutions
Hermann Park bundles trails, gardens, McGovern Lake, the Houston Zoo, Miller Outdoor Theatre, and a natural science museum into one green space at the heart of the city.
Harris County · Nature Preserve
Jesse H. Jones Park Protects Spring Creek Woods and Swamps
Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Center is a Harris County preserve on Spring Creek, mixing woods, swamps, and living-history sites.
Harris County · Urban Park
Memorial Park Carries Camp Logan History in a Huge Urban Park
Memorial Park, one of Houston's largest city parks at 1,503 acres, sits on the old grounds of Camp Logan and is named for the soldiers who trained there.
Harris County · Botanic Garden
Mercer Arboretum Adds Gardens and Creekside Trails in Humble
Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens is a 393-acre Harris County park in Humble, split between themed gardens and wilder creekside trails.
Harris County · State Park
Sheldon Lake State Park Is a Northeast Harris County Wildlife and Fishing Place
Sheldon Lake State Park is a 2,800-acre, state-run outdoor education and recreation spot in northeast Harris County, built around a lake, marsh, and woods.
Harris County · Bayfront Park
Sylvan Beach Park Gives Harris County a Galveston Bay Shoreline Stop
Sylvan Beach Park in La Porte is a Harris County waterfront park on Galveston Bay, with a boat launch, fishing, a pavilion, and a long local history.
Harris County · Bayou Trail
Terry Hershey Park Follows Buffalo Bayou Through West Houston
Terry Hershey Park is a 496-acre west Harris County park with more than 11 miles of trail running alongside Buffalo Bayou.
Harris County · Wildlife Trail
The Clear Lake Loop Is a Wildlife Viewing Drive Near Harris County
TPWD's Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail includes a Clear Lake Loop that passes through the Harris County area, offering access to Galveston Bay's bird life.
Harris County · Fishing Reports
TPWD Posts Weekly Fishing Reports for the Galveston Bay Area
Texas Parks and Wildlife publishes free weekly fishing reports for Galveston Bay and the Gulf Coast, showing what fish are biting and where.
Harris County · Fishing License
Which Fishing License You Need in Harris County
Galveston Bay calls for a saltwater endorsement, while Harris County's inland public waters call for freshwater coverage unless an exemption applies.
Harrison County · State Park
Caddo Lake State Park: Fishing, Paddling, and Cabins
Caddo Lake State Park, near Karnack in Harrison County, offers camping, historic cabins, boat rentals, and access to a 26,810-acre lake known for largemouth bass and crappie.
Harrison County · Wildlife Management Area
Caddo Lake WMA: Public Hunting in the Cypress Swamp
The Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area covers 8,124 acres across Harrison and Marion counties. It is open to licensed hunters who have the right permits.
Harrison County · Freshwater Fishing
Fishing Caddo Lake: Species, Rules, and a Mercury Advisory
Caddo Lake offers good fishing for bass, crappie, and catfish, but a health advisory says limit how much largemouth bass you eat because of mercury.
Harrison County · Lake Health
Invasive Plants Threaten Caddo Lake
Caddo Lake faces ongoing threats from invasive aquatic plants, including giant salvinia and water hyacinth, that can block boat access and harm the ecosystem.
Haskell County · Fishing
Lake Stamford: Haskell County's main public water body
Lake Stamford is the main reservoir in Haskell County, offering fishing for bass, catfish, and crappie, though public shoreline access is limited to two marina areas.
Hays County · Rivers & Ecology
A short spring run carries species found nowhere else
The San Marcos River begins in the middle of town, where steady spring water supports one of the county's most unusual living neighborhoods.
Hays County · Wimberley
Blue Hole is the cypress-shaded heart of Wimberley
Generations of Wimberley kids learned to swim in the cold green water under the cypress at Blue Hole, and the rope swings are still there.
Hays County · Preserve
Dahlstrom Preserve opens a working ranch on Onion Creek to the public
Tucked along Onion Creek south of Buda, the Gay Ruby Dahlstrom Nature Preserve lets the public walk a corner of a 2,254-acre family ranch that's still privately owned.
Hays County · Upland Game
Hays County has a quail season running into late February
Quail hunters in Hays County can take up to 15 birds per day during a season that runs from November 1 through February 28.
Hays County · County Park
Jacob's Well is a spring, a cave, and a county park
The opening in Cypress Creek is the visible mouth of a Trinity Aquifer cave system, surrounded by an 81-acre natural area near Wimberley.
Hays County · Trails
Purgatory Creek hides a thousand acres of rocky trail inside San Marcos
A few minutes from the IH-35 strip malls, Purgatory Creek Natural Area opens into more than a thousand acres of cedar, caliche, and single-track that ask something of your ankles.
Hays County · Natural area
Spring Lake Natural Area is the wild backside of the San Marcos springs
Most people meet Spring Lake from a glass-bottom boat at Meadows Center; up the hill behind it sits 252 acres of quiet trails almost nobody talks about.
Hays County · Rivers & Recreation
The Blanco River slips above and below the Hill Country limestone
The Blanco trades water with the rock below it. Some reaches gain spring water, while others lose flow into limestone.
Hays County · Wildlife Trail
The Wimberley Loop is a scenic driving and wildlife trail in Hays County
TPWD includes the Wimberley area in a wildlife trail that highlights Hill Country birds, deer, and native habitat along scenic ranch roads.
Hemphill County · Public Hunting & Fishing
Gene Howe WMA Gives the Public 5,394 Acres to Hunt and Fish
Gene Howe Wildlife Management Area on the Canadian River is one of the few places in the Panhandle where the public can hunt, fish, hike, and camp.
Henderson County · Fishing
Cedar Creek Reservoir offers big-lake fishing near Athens
Cedar Creek Reservoir is a 32,000-acre lake about 15 miles west of Athens with good bass, catfish, and striper fishing.
Henderson County · State Park / Fishing
Purtis Creek's Old Bass Reputation Needs an Update
Purtis Creek remains a bass-focused fishing lake, but its current rule allows anglers to keep largemouth bass measuring 16 inches or shorter.
Henderson County · Wildlife Management Area
Three Cedar Creek islands turn into a rookery each spring
The 160-acre Cedar Creek Islands WMA protects nesting waterbirds on three islands that visitors watch from boats rather than entering.
Hidalgo County · Public Hunting Access
A TPWD Annual Public Hunting Permit Opens State Lands
Hunters who want access to state-managed public lands in Texas can buy a TPWD Annual Public Hunting permit for a set yearly fee.
Hidalgo County · Hunting
Alligators Have a Short Spring Hunting Season Here
Hidalgo County is in the non-core zone for alligator hunting, with a season from April 1 through June 30 and a limit of one per person per year.
Hidalgo County · State park
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park Is Hidalgo County's Birding Anchor
Texas Parks and Wildlife says Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park records about 360 bird species and hosts the World Birding Center headquarters.
Hidalgo County · Hunting
Deer Hunting Has a Set Bag Limit for Hidalgo County
White-tailed deer hunting in Hidalgo County is governed by South Zone rules, with a bag limit of 5 deer and no more than 3 bucks per season.
Hidalgo County · State park
Estero Llano Grande Puts Wetlands and Thorn Scrub Near Weslaco
Estero Llano Grande State Park near Weslaco is a World Birding Center site with wetlands, ponds, woodlands, thorn scrub, and trails.
Hidalgo County · Hunting
Javelina Can Be Hunted Year-Round in the Southern Region
Hidalgo County is in the Southern Region for javelina, where the season is open year-round with a limit of 2 per license year.