To get to the Hawk Tower and Rio Grande Trail you must walk about two miles from the Park Headquarters or take the tram or ride a bike. Hawk Tower is an elevated walkway with panoramic views of the surrounding brush country and the adjacent resaca and at the right time of the year you'll likely see many species of hawks that migrate through this area - best time for hawk viewing is between the last week of March and first week in April. This is a moderate two mile trail on a wide walkway through thick colima, mesquite and tepeguaje brush. The observation deck surrounded by river cane overlooks the Rio Grande and into Mexico.
Big Bend Ranch State Park
Big Bend Ranch State Park
The ultimate hikers paradise that is fascinating and different each time you visit. The Closed Canyon Trail is one of the few slot canyons in Texas and follows a dry creek bed from the head of the canyon to the Rio Grande. The trail is about a mile and a half, easy going for the first quarter mile, and then gets steeper with rocky drops. The scenery is breathtaking - steep sheer tall cliffs that seem to close in on you, large veins of calcite on the cliff faces, cactus growing sideways from solid rock, and lots more.
Brazos Bend State Park
Brazos Bend State Park
The 40 acre lake trail offers plenty of opportunities to spot many types of wildlife, lots of birds, and large nasty looking alligators. The 1.25 mile trail is excellent for a family hike with kids and they shouldn't get bored on this hike. As you hike around the shallow marshy lake you'll encounter different aquatic habitats, an observation deck, a four story observation tower that juts out over the lake, and lots of wildlife - ducks, egrets, bobcats, alligators, and more. Morning hikes are the best time to view the gators.
Caprock Canyon State Park
Caprock Canyon State Park
The 90 miles of trails range from easy to difficult. Some of which is rugged terrain. The lengths range from 1 to 15 miles. A favorite is Upper Canyon Trail which has a Fern Cave on the way up.
Colorado Bend State Park
Colorado Bend State Park
You won't believe it - along the Gorman Falls Trail is a spectacular 60 foot travertine waterfall surrounded by lush vegetation! It's got to be one of the prettiest spots in the Hill Country. Also on the three mile round trip you might spot several endangered bird species like the black-capped vireo or golden-cheeked warbler or a bald eagle soaring above the trees. The gravel trail can be rocky in spots as it meanders up and down the hills and is an easy walk down to the falls. The return can be hot and somewhat strenuous.
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Dinosaur Valley State Park
The River Ecology Trail and Track Sites 2 and 3 are the best places to see dinosaur tracks left in the mud over 113 million years ago. The trail follows along the banks of the Paluxy River and you'll find several places that are excellent for enjoying the river. Within the park are a couple fiberglass replicas of a 70 foot apatosaurus and a 45 foot tyrannosaurus rex. Dinosaur Valley State Park has some great campsites, a huge picnic area, and lots of other hiking and biking trails - one of our favorite parks. Read our review of Dinosaur Valley State Park.
Enchanted Rock State Park
Enchanted Rock State Park
Enchanted Rock is a 425 foot high pink granite dome that is fun and scenic to hike and there is a trail that goes straight up the face of it. At the top, catch your breath and the panoramic view of the hill country. For a more relaxed and more scenic hike, take the Loop Trail that passes through a couple different ecosystems, through the woods and brush, by a pond, and over exposed rock and past several unusual rock formations. On the back side of the main dome you can catch the Echo Canyon Trail that is a short but steep hike to the top of the dome.
Fort Richardson State Park
Fort Richardson State Park
Fort Richardson isn't like most of the Panhandle, it is gorgeous with thick strands of oak, carefully carved stone steps, prickly pear cactus, and follows a small creek. This is an easy half-mile trail with a loop along the more rustic Rumbling Spring Path that adds another half mile as it follows the opposite shore of the creek.
Franklin Mountains State Park
Franklin Mountains State Park
Can you image one hundred miles of rugged desert trails within El Paso's city limits? If you enjoy a difficult hike, Ron Coleman Trail along the ridgeline has a beautiful view of El Paso and the Chihuahuan Desert.
Garner State Park
Garner State Park
With over 11 miles of trails this popular park has two of Texas' moste popular hikes - the Old Baldy Trail and the Crystal Cave Trail. If you don't mind a steep climb, the view of the Frio River is worth the hike. Read our review of Garner State Park
Huntsville State Park
Huntsville State Park
The towering Eastt Texas pines shade the trails around the lake with a view of the water at times. The park has 21 miles of trails which you will share with bikers, dogs on leashes, and the occasional horseback rider.
Lost Maples State Natural Area
Lost Maples State Park
Lost Maples State Natural Area is unbelievable in the fall with the colorful maples. The Maple Trail follows along one bank of the Sabinal River and cuts through thick strands of maples and it's secluded with varied terrain, large boulders, and hand hewn rustic steps and railings. The East Trail follows the other side of the bank and offers a two mile leisurely hike or you can continue on for a five mile strenuous exercise.
Mother Neff State Park
Mother Neff State Park
The Cave Trail at Mother Neff State Park is a moderately strenuous two mile hike that is very secluded and meanders through a thick forest and negotiates steep ravines. In a 40 foot ravine you'll encounter the Tonkawa Indian cave that once provided shelter and was a burial site. A pond, a sign that this area was used for hundreds of years by pioneer women to wash clothes and by the Neff family for swimming in the 19th century.