San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in Texas preserves four of the five Spanish colonial missions established along the San Antonio River in the early 18th century.
Honey Creek State Natural Area is a pristine 2,293-acre nature preserve in western Comal County, Texas, near Bulverde and Spring Branch, managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department since acquisitions in 1985 and 1988, with recent expansion by 515 acres.
Padre Island National Seashore in Texas protects the world's longest undeveloped barrier island, offering 70 miles of pristine sandy beaches, dunes, grasslands, and tidal flats rich with wildlife.
Lockhart State Park spans 263.7 acres along Clear Fork of Plum Creek in Caldwell County, Texas, about 4 miles south of Lockhart via U.S. Highway 183 and Park Road 10, acquired by the state in 1934 and developed by Civilian Conservation Corps Company 3803 from 1935-1938 before officially opening in 1948.
The Spanish Governor's Palace in San Antonio, Texas, is a historic 18th-century colonial building completed in 1749, originally serving as the residence and office for the captain of Presidio San Antonio de Béxar.
Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site spans 860 acres of dramatic syenite boulder mountains in El Paso County, Texas, about 32 miles northeast of El Paso via U.S. Route 62, named for the Spanish word hueco meaning hollows that trap rainwater in natural basins, sustaining life for over 10,000 years.
Mother Neff State Park covers 259 acres along the Leon River in Coryell County, Texas, west of Moody and about 20 miles south of Waco, established as Texas's first state park in 1936 after Isabella Neff (mother of former Governor Pat M. Neff) donated the original 16 acres in 1916.
Pedernales Falls State Park spans over 5,200 acres along the Pedernales River in Texas Hill Country, near Johnson City, featuring stunning limestone falls, scenic pools, and rugged river-carved rock formations.
Copper Breaks State Park is a 1,900‑acre Texas state park located in the Panhandle Plains of Hardeman County, about 10 miles south of the town of Quanah near the Red River.
Hill Country State Natural Area encompasses 5,369 acres of rugged Texas Hill Country terrain in Bandera County, about 11 miles southwest of Bandera near Farm Road 1107, donated starting in 1976 by rancher Louise Lindsey Merrick and opened to the public in 1984 with priority on preserving its natural state over development.
Village Creek State Park in Lumberton, Texas, spans 2,466 heavily forested acres in the Big Thicket region, opened in 1994 along the free-flowing, sand-bottomed Village Creek, a tributary of the Neches River.
Martin Dies, Jr. State Park is a 705-acre park straddling Jasper and Tyler counties in East Texas, located along U.S. Highway 190 and Park Road 48 south of Jasper on the shores of B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir where the Angelina and Neches rivers converge.
Stewart Beach in Galveston, Texas, is a family-friendly public beach located where Broadway Avenue meets the Seawall, known for its clean, soft white sand and safe swimming environment with lifeguards on duty.
Lake Somerville State Park and Trailway encompasses 8,700 acres across Lee and Burleson counties in Texas, about 30 miles southwest of Bryan near Somerville on an 11,630-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir built in 1967 for flood control and recreation.
Fredericksburg, Texas, was founded on May 8, 1846, by German immigrants led by John O. Meusebach under the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas.
Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site in Val Verde County, Texas, near Comstock, covers 2,172 acres of rugged desert canyons off U.S. Route 90, opened in 1980 and famed for ancient pictographs over 4,000 years old in sites like Fate Bell Shelter and Panther Cave, accessible only by guided tours.
Natural Bridge Caverns, located near San Antonio, Texas, in the Texas Hill Country, is the largest commercial cavern in the state and named for a 60-foot natural limestone slab that forms a bridge over the cavern's entrance.
