COVID-19 Makes it Harder to Track Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles on Padre Island
Every day, from April through mid-July, the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at the Padre Island National Seashore combs 80 miles of Padre Island’s beaches in search of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles–the most critically endangered sea turtle in the world–coming ashore. It’s nesting season, but things are a bit unusual this year due to COVID-19. Read More »
Sightseers have been marveling at Big Bend’s signature canyon for more than 100 years
When daily life gets too crazy, Texans often head to the Big Bend to commune with coyotes and dance in the ... Read More »
Let It Flow: The Return of Comanche Springs
The return of Comanche Springs in Fort Stockton, the "Spring City of Texas," is prompting conservationists to incentivize landowners to curb their irrigation practices in hopes of restoring the springs to a year-round flow. Read More »
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 »
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 »
Rockport-Fulton’s HummerBird Celebration Welcomes Migrating Hummingbirds
Coinciding with the hummingbirds' southward migration, the festival features birding lectures, tours, banding demonstrations, workshops, and photography clinics—as well as the opportunity to visit the yards of Rockport-Fulton homes where the owners hang feeders to attract the birds. 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 »
Summer for Procrastinators: Medina River
If you didn’t start thinking about your summer plans in February, don’t fret. 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 »
5 Hidden Gem Texas Lakes
Spend some time in and on the waters of these five lesser-known lakes, then visit the charming towns that surround them for a refreshing, slow-paced getaway. 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 »
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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