See Bald Eagles This Winter at the Hill Country’s Canyon of the Eagles
The annual pilgrimage became so popular that a resort called Canyon of the Eagles was built around the experience. This month, the eco-lodge—located 60 miles northwest of Austin, and about 19 miles from Burnet—celebrates its 20th anniversary. Read More »
How Communities are Joining the Fight to Keep Texas’ Night Skies Big and Bright
The Stars at Night As Texas grows, communities work to curb the light ... Read More »
Commune with Nature at These Treehouses in the Texas Hill Country
There is something about being suspended high in an ancient tree that ... Read More »
Photo: Monahans Sandhills State Park
West Texas winds transform an ever-changing landscape of sand dunes at the 3,840-acre Monahans Sandhills State Park. The field of dunes begins south of Monahans and stretches north into New Mexico. Opened in 1957, the state park harbors a peaceful Chihuahuan Desert playground where people can explore the rolling landscape, slide down the hills, picnic, camp, and take in extraordinary sunrises and sunsets. Read More »
The Daytripper’s Top 5 in the Davis Mountains
When it’s time to ditch the phone, the Netflix queue, and civilization in general, then it’s time to head west to the Davis Mountains. One of Texas’ three sky islands, this majestic range rises from the desert floor, creating a postcard-worthy panorama in every direction. Read More »
Against All Odds, Caddo Lake Prevails
The great cypress swamp is lovely, dark, and deep. There is no debating this. The wildly intricate and critter-infested maze of bayous, lakes, ponds, sloughs, and interconnected channels known as Caddo Lake and Big Cypress Bayou is one of the country’s most spectacular nature shows. It contains arguably the most diverse collection of species in Texas. The place has a mystical feel, too, an impression enhanced by the ghostly Spanish moss that drapes the trees, by the cypress roots known as “knees” that rise from the swirling mists like Excalibur in the Arthurian legend, by the lily pads with lotus flowers that spread everywhere and suggest Celtic fairylands. Read More »
This Wilderness Survival Course Teaches Beginners How to Navigate an Outdoor Emergency
Earth Native founder Dave Scott grew up tagging along with his father and uncle on volunteer search-and-rescue missions in Colorado. After six years in the military, he began studying wilderness survival techniques. In 2011, he launched Earth Native, one of a handful of schools in Texas that meld advanced outdoor skills like backcountry navigation, shelter building, and plant medicine with nature appreciation. Scott says he’s noticed an uptick in people’s interest in these types of skills because of survival-oriented reality TV shows. But the majority of his students tend to be less extreme. They mostly want to get into backpacking or spend more time outside with their kids. Read More »
Trail Race Offers Sneak Peek of Unopened Hill Country State Natural Area Near San Antonio
Spectrum Trail Racing and Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation are presenting the Oct. 10 race, which traverses rugged ranch roads and climbs hills with elevation gains of up to 1,700 feet at the Albert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area. Read More »
Summer for Procrastinators: Splashway Waterpark & Campground
The small community of Sheridan, located between San Antonio and Houston, offers a more relaxed water park experience with Splashway, which opened in 1998. Read More »
Photo: The Milky Way Rises Over Pedernales Falls State Park
In a state where the stars at night are known for being big and bright, summer is the optimal time for viewing the Milky Way, when it is high in the southern sky and viewable through much of the night. State parks—such as Pedernales Falls State Park near Johnson City, where the night sky reflects in the still waters of the Pedernales River—are often far enough from light pollution for decent observation. Some of the best state parks for nighttime viewing are Big Bend Ranch, Enchanted Rock, Copper Breaks, and South Llano River, which are all designated International Dark Sky Parks by the International Dark-Sky Association. Read More »
Texas A&M Forest Service Branches Out by Hosting “Forest Bathing” Events
Based on a Japanese practice, the Texas Forest Service sets out to prove communing with nature can lead to increased happiness. Read More »
Big Bend Fossils Reveal New Dinosaur Species
Recent research reveals that fossils found in Big Bend National Park 35 years ago belong to an entirely new species of duck-billed dinosaur. Read More »
Frio 101: Everything You Need to Know for a Trip to Texas’ Favorite River
If you love Texas outdoors, how could you not know the Frio? Well, maybe you’re one of the millions of newcomers who just got to Texas. Or perhaps you’ve lived in Texas your entire life and, unlike all those people whose families have been vacationing on the Frio for generations, you have no clue what or where they are talking about. Never stepped foot in Garner State Park? Think Concan is in Mexico? Well, pull up a chair and scoot closer. Read More »
Find Summer Bliss with a Spontaneous Trip to One of Texas’ Lesser-Known Destinations
When it comes to iconic Texas summer destinations, the early bird gets the worm, or in this case, the prime Garner State Park campsite. With the population of Texas continuing to grow by 1,000 people a day, some of the state’s most sought-after vacation spots are booked five months to a year in advance. But, luckily, there are plenty of equally enjoyable summer diversions for the more spontaneous-minded travelers. Read More »
Summer for Procrastinators: Lost Maples State Natural Area
Lost Maples is most often touted as a destination for viewing fall foliage, but the shade from the trees make the park a cooler and more comfortable hiking destination in the summer. Read More »
Rent a Kayak for a New Perspective on Austin’s Bat Flight
Each evening between late February and late October, as the sun hits the horizon line, experts estimate that somewhere between 750,000 and 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats leave the nooks and crannies of this downtown bridge’s interior to go a-hunting. And each evening over that same eight-month span, hundreds of people line the bridge’s walkway, as well as any open spaces nearby, to take it all in. Most locals suggest claiming space hours before sunset in order to get a good view. But a few hours in the hot sun with nothing to do but wait? That seemed like a situation that would violate all three of our family getaway hopes fairly quickly. Read More »
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