Wildlife Watch at Big Bend Ranch State Park
With cooler temps, crisp air and beautiful colors, autumn is a great time to visit Big Bend Ranch State Park. It’s also a great time to watch for wildlife. More than 48 mammal species and more than 300 bird species have been spotted in the park. While some species migrate to the park during the autumn season, others are there year-round. Here, Park Superintendent Nathanael Gold gives us some insider tips on what to watch for in the park, along with some safety tips in case you run into a slightly feistier species. Read More »
4 Must-See Fall Foliage Spots in Texas
Fall color takes the right kind of trees, meaning deciduous hardwoods. These types of trees practice a sort of winter hibernation, turning off production of chlorophylls, a green pigment in the leaves responsible for producing energy for the tree. Without that green, other leaf pigments become visible, including yellow xanthophyll and orange carotenoids, or the leaf turns shades of brown. Some of the best color comes from Texas red oaks and other oaks, flameleaf sumac, cedar elm, cottonwoods, walnut, sycamore, and, of course, maples—all trees found only in certain parts of the state, at least in any significant numbers. Read More »
10 Epic Summer Travel Adventures
Get even more summertime adventure ideas. Hello summertime! We know it can get hot out there, but that’s no ... Read More »
The Sweet Side of Texas Summers? Swimming-Hole Satisfaction
In Texas, we love our swimming holes as much as we love barbecue and country music. We’ve got plenty of them worth bragging about, too. From east to west and north to south, shimmering natural ponds and river respites abound, beckoning us to kick off our sandals and take a flying leap. Our advice? Give in to the temptation. To help you plot your adventure, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorites. Read More »
Hail to the Boys of the CCC
When I was a child, Texas’ state parks were beloved vacation destinations. I became intimately familiar with ... Read More »
Daytripper: Balmorhea
Amid the prickly-pear cacti and rocky hills of West Texas lies a literal oasis in the desert. It’s a place where ... Read More »
A Desert Diverse
Resting in the shade next to a pool of clear water, I could almost forget that miles and miles of West Texas desert surround me. But in fact I was in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert, one of the most biologically diverse arid regions in the world. Read More »
A New Dawn in the Davis Mountains
Dawn has just broken above the new Davis Mountains State Park wildlife-viewing station, an L-shaped timber and ... Read More »
Davis Mountains Scenic Loop
From a distance, West Texas’ Davis Mountains float above the Chihuahuan Desert like a smoky mirage. Formed ... Read More »
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