69
Gorman Falls
Travertine formations and spring-fed water create an unexpectedly lush waterfall inside Colorado Bend State Park.
The Texas landscape
Natural Wonders & Parks
Texas changes from desert mountains to cypress swamp, limestone springs, barrier islands, canyon country and High Plains in the space of one state.
35 entries in this chapter
56
Big Bend National Park
Desert basins, the Chisos Mountains and Rio Grande canyons create one of the most dramatic landscapes in Texas.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
57
Hamilton Pool Preserve
A collapsed limestone grotto and waterfall near Austin made this one of the Hill Country's best-known swimming landscapes.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
58
Palo Duro Canyon
Layered walls, caprock geology and huge Panhandle skies explain the 'Grand Canyon of Texas' nickname.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
59
Enchanted Rock
The giant pink-granite dome rises above the Hill Country and carries both geologic and cultural significance.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
60
Caddo Lake
Bald cypress, Spanish moss, bayous and wetlands make the Texas-Louisiana border lake unlike almost anywhere else in the state.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
61
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Texas's highest point rises from a rugged desert range built from an ancient reef.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
62
Natural Bridge Caverns
A major commercial cave system near San Antonio reveals the limestone world below Central Texas.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
63
Barton Springs Pool
Cold spring water and a downtown Austin setting make the pool equal parts natural feature and civic gathering place.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
64
Jacob's Well
The artesian spring and deep underwater cave system are among Wimberley's most recognizable natural landmarks.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
65
Seminole Canyon
Canyon walls shelter some of Texas's most important ancient rock-art sites.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
66
Padre Island National Seashore
Long undeveloped barrier-island beaches provide habitat for sea turtles, birds and coastal wildlife.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
67
Lost Maples State Natural Area
Bigtooth maples turn a Hill Country canyon into one of Texas's most sought-after fall-color destinations.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
68
Inner Space Cavern
A highway-construction discovery opened a hidden Georgetown cave system to generations of visitors.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
70
Matagorda Island
Barrier-island marsh, beaches and wildlife habitat preserve a wilder side of the middle Texas coast.
71
Hueco Tanks
Rock basins, pictographs and world-class bouldering make this desert site outside El Paso globally significant.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
72
Monahans Sandhills State Park
Wind-shaped dunes invite sand disks, sunset walks and a very different kind of West Texas landscape.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
73
Dolan Falls
The Devils River drops over broad limestone ledges in one of the state's most protected river landscapes.
74
Caprock Canyons State Park
Red-rock canyon country is also home to the Texas State Bison Herd.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
75
Ennis Bluebonnet Trails
Spring turns roads around Ennis into one of the state's best-known bluebonnet drives.
76
Devils River
Clear spring-fed water cuts through remote limestone country in southwest Texas.
77
Balmorhea State Park
A huge spring-fed pool creates a swimming oasis in the Chihuahuan Desert.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
78
Canyon Lake
Clear water and pale limestone shorelines make this Hill Country reservoir a major recreation hub.
79
Pedernales Falls
The river spreads and rushes across broad limestone shelves west of Austin.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
80
Rio Grande canyons
The international river carves Santa Elena, Boquillas and other deep canyons through Big Bend country.
81
South Padre Island
Warm Gulf water, wide beaches and subtropical wildlife give the island a distinct South Texas identity.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
82
Franklin Mountains State Park
A mountain range rises directly through El Paso, giving the city an extraordinary urban wilderness.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
83
Matagorda Bay
Shallow bays, marshes and flats make the area important for fishing, birds and coastal ecology.
84
Galveston beaches and seawall
The Gulf, seawall and historic island city combine natural exposure with more than a century of coastal adaptation.
85
Lake Travis
A winding Highland Lakes reservoir known for limestone cliffs, marinas and dramatic water-level swings.
86
Possum Kingdom Lake and Hell's Gate
Twin cliffs mark a famous cove entrance on one of North Texas's most scenic reservoirs.
87
Mustang Island
Barrier-island dunes and beach camping keep Corpus Christi close to a wilder Gulf shoreline.
88
Caddo Mounds
An important East Texas archaeological landscape preserves the story of the Caddo people and their ceremonial center.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →
89
Davis Mountains
High elevation brings cooler air, dark skies and pine-oak mountain scenery to far West Texas.
90
San Antonio River Walk
The landscaped urban river corridor turns downtown San Antonio into one of the state's most distinctive pedestrian environments.
Explore the deeper TexasDefined guide →