Texas: Hiking, Landscapes and Cultural Heritage

Discover Texas through its distinctive landscapes, outdoor activities and historic places. Along the Pedernales River, tiers of layered limestone form Pedernales Falls. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is located in the second-largest canyon in the country. These places offer different nature experiences, so when planning your trip, you can first consider which landscape or activity you want to shape your stay.

Nature and outdoor activities

Pedernales Falls State Park offers camping, hiking, mountain biking, birdwatching and horseback riding. This park therefore offers a range of ways to spend time outdoors. You can explore Palo Duro Canyon State Park on foot, by mountain bike, on horseback or by car. In summer, the TEXAS Outdoor Musical is staged at the Pioneer Amphitheater from Tuesday through Sunday. Check the dates for the relevant season before making your plans.

In Big Thicket National Preserve, the Piney Woods meet the coastal prairie. The preserve encompasses more than 113,000 acres of public land and has more than 30 miles of hiking trails. If you plan to hike there, take trail conditions into account after heavy rain. The combination of a vast preserve and an extensive trail network makes Big Thicket a suitable focus for a trip centered on hiking.

At 8,751 feet above sea level, Guadalupe Peak is the highest natural point in Texas. The maintained Guadalupe Peak Trail is a challenging day hike to the summit, with an elevation gain of 3,000 feet. Make sure you are appropriately prepared for this hike. Hiking, biking and rock climbing are the main activities at Franklin Mountains State Park. The different offerings provide a range of options for outdoor activities, without every park offering the same experience.

History and special places

The San Antonio Missions are the first and only World Heritage Site in Texas. The paved Mission Reach Hike and Bike Trail connects the mission sites. Those who want to explore the sites on foot or by bike will find here a clear example of how a trail links historic destinations.

Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site offers guided and self-guided tours to view rock art. Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, meanwhile, is a prehistoric village and ceremonial center. Visitors can walk 0.4 miles of the Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail there and see a section of the original road. The two sites offer different ways to explore history: one through rock art, the other through a trail section and a historic settlement.

There are also several resources to help plan historical explorations. The Texas Heritage Trails Program covers ten heritage regions. The Texas History Navigator provides access to more than 18,000 historical markers and sites and helps with planning personalized historical trips through Texas. This makes it possible to shape an interest in history around individual places or broader thematic planning.

Regional cuisine

Tex-Mex was originally created by Tejanos when Texas was part of Mexico. Chili was declared the official state dish of Texas in 1977. Traditional Texas barbecue also offers a glimpse into the state's food culture: beef is typical. These dishes and traditions add a culinary perspective to nature and cultural destinations, without requiring you to follow a particular itinerary.

Choose the right base

Choose where to stay based on your own travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Hemphill County, Burnet County, Lynn County, Dawson County, Dickens County, Knox County, Crosby County, Nolan, Montgomery, Gaines County, Presidio County, Victoria, Kendall County, Johnson County, Leon, Angelina County, Palo Pinto County, Orange, Washington County, Kleberg, Culberson, Brown County, Callahan County, Bexar County, Carson County, Donley County, Gillespie County, Randall County, Limestone, Galveston, Clay, Waller, Comanche, Gonzales, Live Oak, Webb, Bell, Rockwall, Tom Green, Guadalupe, Wichita, Jefferson, Hopkins, Sabine County, Anderson, Wilbarger County, Bosque County, Caldwell County, Hamilton, Shelby County, Jackson County, Colorado County, Bee County, Burleson County, Montague, Mcculloch County, Liberty County, Val Verde County, Pecos County, Jasper County, Hidalgo, Cameron, Nueces, Brazoria, Bexar, Fort Bend, Harris, Comal, Hays, Brewster, Travis, Williamson, Sutton, Brazos, Polk, Trinity, Mclennan, El Paso, Smith, Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Collin, Young, Bowie, Lubbock, Potter, Wharton, Chambers, Bandera, Fayette, Bastrop, Nacogdoches, Hale, Fannin County, Medina County, Crane County, Hamilton County, Delta County, Rains County, Hall County, Gregg, Parker, Concho, Grayson, Real County, Hansford County, Castro County, Brooks County, Bailey County, Hockley County, Bowie County, Mitchell County, Mcmullen County, Kenedy County, Armstrong County, Goliad County, Jones County, Upton County, Taylor, Jim Wells, Hunt County, Hood County, Crockett, Maverick County, Medina County, San Patricio County, Falls County, Gillespie County, Matagorda County, Rusk, Howard, Ector County, Wise, Gray, Reeves County, Calhoun County, Harrison County, Navarro County, Somervell County, Robertson County, Deaf Smith County, Uvalde County, Kerr County, Austin County, Lampasas County, Lee County, Zapata County, Milam County, Hutchinson County, Childress County, Eastland County, Hardeman, Willacy County, Scurry County, Freestone County, Haskell County, Hill County, Kimble County, Lamar County, Dallam County, Andrews County, Jim Hogg County, Henderson County, Stonewall County, Starr, Cherokee County, Coryell County, Ward County, Hardin County, Atascosa County, Blanco County, Aransas County, Mills County, Wheeler County, Lamb, Van Zandt, Dimmit, Jeff Davis, Lavaca, Tyler, Zavala, Runnels, Karnes, Oldham, Frio County, Wilson County, Jack County, Duval County, La Salle County, Grimes County, Refugio County, Ellis, Kaufman, Llano, Ochiltree County, Winkler County, Parmer County, Dewitt County, Terry County, Houston County, San Augustine County, Wood County, Swisher County, Motley County, Moore, Erath, Midland, Fisher County, Floyd County.

Go to the main travel overview: USA.