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 »
How the Texas “Moth Man” Identified 900 Species Along the Trinity River
About 10 years ago, Stuart Marcus, refuge manager for the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge, arrived early one morning at his office to find that a tiny visitor had stopped by. Sporting glistening spiked hair and garbed in an exotic dayglo fuchsia/tangerine/black ensemble, this emissary from the order lepidoptera might well have been saying, “I’m here to introduce you to my tribe.” Read More »
Last-Minute Weekend Plans: Milton Reimers Ranch Park
Hill Country summer favorite Hamilton Pool has been reservations-only since 2016 due to the swimming hole’s popularity. But if you’re still looking for a scenic place to cool your heels, there’s a more secluded spot five minutes away. Read More »
I Survived the Texas Water Safari
Today, three days after my finish, I feel feral. I also feel like Wonder Woman filled my lungs with magic air that makes me capable of doing almost anything I set my mind to. Read More »
Visitors from a Distant Sea Bring Tiny Treasures to Texas Beaches
Small quantities of a seaweed called sargassum wash ashore all year long. But every few years, beginning in April, the sargassum arrives en masse—a deluge of amber-colored stems, leaves, and tiny gas bladders that help the plants stay afloat (and pop when squeezed). This relatively unpredictable event seems to occur after huge blooms of sargassum in the Atlantic Ocean, some 2,000 or more miles away. While piles of sargassum might hinder swimming and sunbathing, they also provide opportunities for families and other beachcombers to find seahorses, strange shrimp, and other tiny creatures that hopped a ride to Texas. Read More »
Endangered Turtle Hatchlings Draw Crowds Along the Texas coast
PINS has a list of nest locations and projected hatch-dates— the next predicted hatch date for 2019 is June 12-16, with dates continuing through mid-July. However, hatchlings are unpredictable and emerge when they’re ready, according to the park. Read More »
Escape to the Mother Lagoon for a Quiet Coastal Getaway
There are few places in and around Texas where the visible fish—plus dolphins, peregrine falcons, and brilliant-pink roseate spoonbills—outnumber the people viewing them. The Laguna Madre is one of those places, the only body of water in the state that truly qualifies as extreme. Read More »
A Road Trip to Utopia, Complete with Wildflowers and the Rugged Wonders of the Hill Country
Garner State Park, Lost Maples State Natural Area, and the surrounding Hill Country take you away from it all in the May edition of "A Piece of Texas" video series. Read More »
Battling Snakes, Rapids, Mud, Spiders, and Heat While Training for the Texas Water Safari
I can distinctly remember telling a friend a decade ago that I’d never compete in the Texas Water Safari, a grueling 260-mile paddling race from San Marcos to the coastal Texas town of Seadrift. “Sounds horrible,” I said. Snakes, rapids, mud, spiders, heat, and sitting on a hard plastic canoe seat for two or three days? No thanks. Read More »
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