There are over 80 state parks and state natural areas in Texas, the majority not particularly interesting as regards scenery or natural landscapes - most are based around a lake or river, and are popular more for recreation, especially boating, fishing and camping, rather than hiking or photography. The best parks are found in the swamps and pine forests in the southeast, the wooded land of the Texas Hill Country, and the deserts of the far west.

Other Texas listings: national parks, monuments, recreation areas and historic sites.

Park	Features	Location
Atlanta State Park	Small section of the tree-lined shore of Wright Patman Lake	Northeast Texas, near Texarkana
Balmorhea State Park	Outdoor, spring-fed swimming pool, up to 25 feet deep, plus an area of desert wetland	Balmorhea, near the I-10/I-20 intersection in west Texas
Barrington Living History Farm	Historical farm with period exhibits and interpretive demonstrations	Washington, 80 miles northwest of Houston
Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center	Gardens and historical exhibits about Big Bend country and the Chihuahuan Desert	Terlingua, near the east entrance to Big Bend Ranch SP
Bastrop State Park	Lake and forest, including groves of the loblolly pine, a species more common further east. 12 miles of trails	30 miles southeast of Austin
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park	Riparian land next to the Rio Grande - popular for birding	South Texas, near McAllen
Big Bend Ranch State Park	Largest state park in Texas - rugged desert wilderness bordering the Rio Grande	West of Big Bend National Park
Big Spring State Park	Urban park on a hill near the center of Big Spring - short trails and views of the city	FM 700, Big Spring
Blanco State Park	Riverside park in downtown Blanco	South side of Blanco, along the Blanco River
Bonham State Park	Lake with small areas of grassland and woods	70 miles northeast of Dallas
Brazos Bend State Park	Prairie, forest, swamps and wetlands along the Brazos River - many different plants and animals	40 miles south of Houston
Buescher State Park	Small lake and a wooded, hilly area crossed by an 8 mile trail	40 miles southeast of Austin
Caddo Lake State Park	Swampy, wooded land on the west side of Caddo Lake - good for fishing and wildlife watching	Hwy 43, 16 miles from Marshall in east Texas
Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway	Scenic red rock canyons and buttes at the edge of the High Plains, plus a 64 mile section of disused railroad	100 miles southeast of Amarillo
Cedar Hill State Park	Lake in the Dallas suburbs, surrounded by wooded hills, popular for cycling	Southwest Dallas, near Grand Prairie
Choke Canyon State Park	Two sections along the south shore of Yarbrough Lake - boating and fishing are the main activities	Half way between San Antonio and Corpus Christi, near I-37
Cleburne State Park	Small, spring-fed lake with scenic, wooded surroundings	12 miles from Cleburne, south of Fort Worth
Colorado Bend State Park	Hill Country park on the Colorado River - woods and creeks, caves and travertine formations, and a 65 foot waterfall	28 miles west of Lampasas
Cooper Lake State Park	Typical countryside lake - fishing, camping and boating available	80 miles northwest of Dallas
Copper Breaks State Park	Lakes and mesquite/juniper-covered mesas of richly colored sandstone, crossed by various trails	Along Hwy 6 south of Quanah - 90 miles from Wichita Falls
Daingerfield State Park	Lake enclosed by forest of tall pine, oak and maple trees	Northeast Texas, 2 miles from Daingerfield
Davis Mountains State Park	Rugged mountain range in the Chihuahuan Desert - park occupies a small area adjacent to Fort Davis NHS	Fort Davis, along Hwy 17 & 118
Devils River State Natural Area	Remote, undeveloped park on desert land bordering the Devils River - accessed by unpaved roads	22 miles from US 277, north of Del Rio
Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area	Circular cavern on the Edwards Plateau up to 400 feet deep, open by advance reservation only	East of Rock Springs
Dinosaur Valley State Park	Popular park featuring dinosaur footprints alongside the Paluxy River	80 miles southwest of Dallas
Eisenhower State Park	Section of the extensive shoreline of Lake Texoma, along the Oklahoma border	Near Denison, on US 69/75
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area	Huge block of pinkish granite rising above the Texas Hill Country	FM 965, between Fredericksburg and Llano
Estero Llano Grande State Park	Birding area along a narrow lake in far south Texas	4 miles from Westlaco on US 83
Fairfield Lake State Park	Rural lake with wooded surroundings	Near Fairfield, 100 miles south of Dallas
Falcon State Park	Part of the east shore of Falcon International Reservoir along the Rio Grande - near the Mexican border	Just off US 83, south of Zapata
Fort Boggy State Park	Wetlands, wooded hills and a small lake	Next to I-45, half way between Dallas and Houston
Fort Leaton State Historic Site	Adobe fort built 1848, used for trading and occasional military expeditions	East edge of Presidio along FM 170
Fort Parker State Park	700 acre lake surrounded by low, wooded hills	Hwy 14, 40 miles east of Waco
Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir Trailway	Restored fort (established 1867), grassland, woods, reservoir and multi-use creekside trail	South side of Jacksboro, along US 281/380
Franklin Mountains State Park	Dramatic mountain range rising above El Paso - hiking and excellent vistas. Largest urban park in the USA	North edge of El Paso
Galveston Island State Park	Dunes, beach and marshland along the west side of the barrier island protecting Galveston from the Gulf of Mexico	Ten miles southwest of Galveston city center
Garner State Park	Forested land either side of the Frio River - good for swimming, and walking along nature trails through the woods	US 83, north of Uvalde
Goliad State Park and Historic Site	Several historic buildings on wooded land in a bend on the San Antonio River	South side of Goliad, along US 77/183
Goose Island State Park	Small barrier island on Arkansas Bay; popular camping location. Includes a famous 1000 year old oak tree	40 miles northeast of Corpus Christi along Hwy 35
Government Canyon State Natural Area	Hiking and nature study in the wooded hills just outside San Antonio. Park open 2005; still being developed	West side of San Antonio, close to Loop 1604
Guadalupe River State Park	Forested limestone bluffs adjoining the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country	40 miles north of San Antonio
Hill Country State Natural Area	Valleys, hills, grassland and streams on the Edwards Plateau; hiking is the main activity	Ten miles southwest of Bandera
Honey Creek State Natural Area	Diverse plantlife along a small stream - an undeveloped park, open to guided tours only	40 miles north of San Antonio - next to Guadalupe River SP
Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site	Large boulders, good for climbing, and covered by many ancient pictographs. Entry restrictions apply	25 miles east of El Paso
Huntsville State Park	Small, branched lake (Lake Raven) surrounded by thick pine woods - fishing, hiking and camping available	8 miles south of Huntsville, near I-45
Indian Lodge	Historic inn with expansive views, at the foot of the Davis Mountains	Fort Davis, west Texas

Inks Lake State Park	Scenic lake enclosed by granite hills, cedar/oak woods and grassland	9 miles west of Burnet
Kickapoo Cavern State Park	Impressive formations in a quarter mile long cave - open by guided tours only	FM 674, 55 miles from Del Rio
Lake Arrowhead State Park	Developed, recreation-based park on the west shore of Lake Arrowhead	14 miles southeast of Wichita Falls
Lake Bob Sandlin State Park	Wooded area adjoining a large lake - especially colorful in the fall	11 miles southwest of Mt Pleasant
Lake Brownwood State Park	Camping, nature trails, fishing and boating on a 7,300 acre lake	16 miles northwest of Brownwood, central Texas
Lake Casa Blanca International State Park	Urban park in Laredo, on the south shore of Lake Casa Blanca	East side of Laredo off US 59
Lake Colorado City State Park	5 miles of shoreline; park popular for camping and the usual water-based activities	Near Colorado City along I-20, half way between Abilene and Midland
Lake Corpus Christi State Park	Bays and inlets on the east side of a large lake	4 miles from Mathis and 35 miles from Corpus Christi
Lake Livingston State Park	Wooded land adjoining Lake Livingston; developed shoreline with picnic areas, nature trails and boat ramps	FM 3126, 7 miles from Livingston
Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway	Smallish lake with forested surroundings; campsites and trails, including a 19 mile trailway	East side of Mineral Wells, along US 180
Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway	Several sections of the shoreline of Somerville Lake; 20 miles of trails through woods and grassland, and many recreation opportunities on the water	80 miles northwest of Houston
Lake Tawakoni State Park	Small area of woodland and shoreline along Lake Tawakoni	50 miles east of Dallas
Lake Texana State Park	Patch of oak woods on the west side of Lake Texana, surrounded by farmland	Hwy 111, 95 miles southwest of Houston
Lake Whitney State Park	Grassy land bordering Lake Whitney; activities concentrated on or beside the water	FM 1244, 15 miles from Hillsboro
Lockhart State Park	Stream, woodland and a 9-hole golf course	On the southwest edge of Lockhart
Longhorn Cavern State Park	Unusual, water-carved cave in the Texas Hill Country	Ten miles southwest of Burnet
Lost Maples State Natural Area	Steep limestone canyons and unusual trees - especially colorful during fall	Ranch Road 187, 50 miles from Kerrville
Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site	Grasslands beside the Pedernales River with living history farm and several old buildings, plus visitor center with LBJ memorabilia	US 290, 16 miles east of Fredericksburg
Martin Creek Lake State Park	Fishing, camping and boating on the north shore of an artificial lake	Northeast Texas, near Longview
Martin Dies, Jr. State Park	Small park containing wooded swampland on the shores of an east Texas lake; abundant wildlife	US 190, half way between Jasper and Woodville
McKinney Falls State Park	Wide but shallow limestone falls along Onion Creek, in a fairly developed area	Ten miles south of Austin
Meridian State Park	72 acre lake enclosed by low, wooded hills	48 miles northwest of Waco
Mission Tejas State Park	Section of the east Texas pineywoods, with trails, campsites, fishing and two historic structures	Surrounded by the Davy Crockett National Forest, along Hwy 21
Monahans Sandhills State Park	Whitish sand dunes, up to 70 feet high	Near I-20, a few miles from Monahans in west Texas
Mother Neff State Park	Thickly wooded land bordering the Leon River - base for camping, fishing and short hikes	Hwy 236, 30 miles from Waco
Mustang Island State Park	Beaches and sand dunes close to North Padre Island	Hwy 361, 20 miles from Corpus Christi
Palmetto State Park	Swampy environment along the San Marcos River, home to exotic plants and wildlife	4 miles from I-10 between San Antonio and Houston
Palo Duro Canyon State Park	The largest canyon system in Texas, on the border between the High Plains and the Rolling Plains	36 miles by road from Amarillo
Pedernales Falls State Park	Wide waterfall along a clear river in a scenic limestone canyon	35 miles west of Austin
Possum Kingdom State Park	Wooded promontory on the west edge of a large, branched lake	17 miles north of Caddo, 100 miles from Fort Worth
Purtis Creek State Park	Small lake with wooded surroundings	60 miles southeast of Dallas
Ray Roberts Lake State Park	Several sites along the mostly undeveloped shoreline of a large, branched reservoir	50 miles north of Dallas
Resaca de la Palma State Park	Birding location in far south Texas - tropical environment near the Rio Grande	Ten miles from Brownsville via US 281
San Angelo State Park	Grassy land on the west side of OC Fisher Lake - park offers camping and water-based activities	Northwest edge of San Angelo
Sea Rim State Park	Marshland and beaches on the Gulf of Mexico, slowly recovering from hurricane damage	Southeast corner of Texas, adjoining the Louisiana border
Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site	Desert canyon beside the Rio Grande, with well preserved Indian pictographs (viewable only if accompanied by a guide)	Along US 90, 40 miles northwest of Del Rio
Sheldon Lake State Park	Marshland bordering a small reservoir - good for fishing and wildlife observation	15 miles northeast of Houston
South Llano River State Park	Partly wooded land next to the South Llano River; park has quite varied wildlife, and offers recreation along the river.	7 miles south of Junction and I-70.
Stephen F. Austin State Park	Peaceful, forested park on the west side of the Brazos River	Near Sealy, 50 miles west of Houston
Tyler State Park	Wooded, hilly area containing a small lake	90 miles east of Dallas
Village Creek State Park	Swampy forest next to a meandering stream	15 miles north of Beaumont, near the Louisiana border
Walter Umphrey State Park	Developed area at the south end of Pleasure Island, surrounded by Sabine Lake	A few miles south of Port Arthur
Wyler Aerial Tramway	Cable car tramway up the east side of the Franklin Mountains	El Paso