# Road trips in Texas

> 16 road trips and 48 hand-picked places in Texas, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/roadtrips/texas/

16 road trips and 48 hand-picked places in Texas, with routes, stops and practical tips for driving and camping.

## Road trips through Texas

- [Swimming holes and granite domes in the Texas Hill Country](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/hill-country/): A grotto pool, a granite dome and German bakeries in Fredericksburg.
- [Texas Gulf Coast](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/texas-gulf/): Galveston’s Victorian Strand, island ferries and the wild beaches of Padre Island.
- [Texas Panhandle canyons](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/panhandle-canyons/): Cadillac Ranch, Palo Duro Canyon and the bison of Caprock Canyons.
- [Big Thicket: East Texas pines and bayous](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b9-big-thicket/): North of Houston into the piney woods, then south through the Big Thicket National Preserve to a canoe creek near Beaumont.
- [Davis Mountains: forts, stars and a desert spring](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b9-davis-mountains/): A cool sky-island loop above the West Texas desert, from Marfa to a frontier fort, a world-class observatory and the spring pool at Balmorhea.
- [Down the Guadalupe: maples, cypress and dance halls](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b9-guadalupe-river/): A quieter Hill Country route following the Guadalupe River from a maple canyon past Kerrville and Comfort to the tubing towns of New Braunfels.
- [Guadalupe Mountains: from El Paso to the top of Texas](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b19-guadalupe-mountains/): Rock art at Hueco Tanks, the highest summit in Texas and a maple canyon, then south to the Balmorhea spring and Fort Davis.
- [The River Road to Big Bend: Presidio, Terlingua and Santa Elena](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b19-big-bend-river-road/): Follow FM 170 along the Rio Grande from Presidio to Terlingua, then into Big Bend National Park for Santa Elena Canyon and the hot springs.
- [Texas Hill Country on US-290: LBJ country, Luckenbach and wildflowers](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b19-hill-country-290/): Waterfalls on the Pedernales, the LBJ Ranch, Luckenbach and the Willow City Loop, with a Highland Lakes cave to finish.
- [Spanish missions and the Frio River canyonlands](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b19-frio-canyon/): From San Antonio’s missions to the Alsatian town of Castroville, the cypress-lined Frio at Garner and the ranch roads of Lost Maples and Bandera.
- [Cowtown, dinosaur tracks and mammoths: Fort Worth to Waco](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b19-fort-worth-waco/): Longhorn cattle drives in Fort Worth, dinosaur prints in the Paluxy River and ice-age mammoths in Waco, on the way from Dallas to Austin.
- [The Rio Grande Valley: South Padre Island and subtropical refuges](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b19-rio-grande-valley/): Ocelot country at Laguna Atascosa, the Port Isabel lighthouse, the beaches of South Padre Island, a Mexican War battlefield and birding at Santa Ana.
- [Piney Woods and Caddo Lake: Tyler to Shreveport](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b19-caddo-piney-woods/): Roses and pine forest around Tyler, riverboat-era Jefferson and the cypress swamp of Caddo Lake on the Texas–Louisiana line.
- [West Texas and southern New Mexico: dunes, caves and Big Bend](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/west-texas/): White gypsum dunes, a famous bat cave, a fake boutique and one of the emptiest parks in the country.
- [Chihuahuan Desert parks](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/chihuahuan/): Carlsbad Caverns and the white gypsum dunes of White Sands between El Paso and Roswell.
- [Route 66, part two: Oklahoma City to the Pacific](https://camping-spirit.com/guides/route66-west/): The Texas Panhandle, the Painted Desert and the Mojave, ending on the Santa Monica Pier.

## Places worth the detour in Texas

- [Cadillac Ranch](https://camping-spirit.com/places/cadillac-ranch/): Ten Cadillacs buried nose-first in a wheat field and layered with decades of spray paint. Bring a can and add your own coat.
- [Big Bend National Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/big-bend/): Desert, mountains and the Rio Grande in one remote park. Santa Elena Canyon is the easiest walk into the gorge.
- [Palo Duro Canyon](https://camping-spirit.com/places/palo-duro/): The second-largest canyon in the country, cut into the flat Texas Panhandle.
- [Big Thicket National Preserve](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b9-big-thicket-visitor-center/): A patchwork of pine forest, cypress slough and bog where eastern woods meet southern swamp. Start at the visitor center north of Kountze for trail maps; the short Kirby Nature Trail is close by.
- [McDonald Observatory](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b9-mcdonald-observatory/): Research telescopes on Mount Locke under some of the darkest skies in the continental US. Book the evening star party well ahead and bring warm layers, even in summer.
- [Balmorhea State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b9-balmorhea-sp/): A huge spring-fed pool in the desert, clear and cool all year, with small fish swimming around the divers. Day passes are limited, so reserve online before you drive out.
- [Lost Maples State Natural Area](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b9-lost-maples/): A limestone canyon sheltering a relict stand of bigtooth maples that turn red and gold in autumn. Peak color usually falls in late October to mid-November; arrive early on weekends.
- [Guadalupe Peak Trail (Pine Springs)](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-guadalupe-peak/): The trail to the highest point in Texas (2,667 m) starts at the Pine Springs campground in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Allow 6–8 hours for the 13.5 km round trip and start early; wind on the summit ridge can be fierce.
- [Santa Elena Canyon](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-santa-elena-canyon/): The Rio Grande leaves a 450 m deep limestone gorge at the end of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive in Big Bend National Park. A 2.5 km trail leads into the canyon; wading Terlingua Creek is needed after rain.
- [Willow City Loop](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-willow-city-loop/): A 21 km narrow ranch road through private land, famous for bluebonnets and other wildflowers from late March to mid April. Stay in your car or on the roadside; fences mark private property, and weekends are crowded.
- [Mission San José](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-mission-san-jose/): The largest of San Antonio’s Spanish missions, completed in 1782, with rebuilt walls, Indigenous living quarters and the carved Rose Window. It is part of a World Heritage Site; entry and parking are free.
- [Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-santa-ana-nwr/): Subtropical river forest on the Rio Grande where green jays, plain chachalacas and great kiskadees are easy to find. Walk the trails and the hanging bridge from the visitor center; the refuge’s interior road is closed to private cars.
- [Caddo Lake State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-caddo-lake-sp/): A maze of bayous and sloughs under bald cypress hung with Spanish moss on Big Cypress Bayou. Rent a canoe to follow the marked paddling trails, or take a guided boat tour from nearby Uncertain.
- [The Big Texan Steak Ranch](https://camping-spirit.com/places/big-texan/): Home of the 72-ounce steak challenge, finish it with the sides in an hour and it is free. Most people just watch.
- [MidPoint Café](https://camping-spirit.com/places/midpoint-cafe/): Sits at the halfway mark of Route 66, 1,139 miles from both Chicago and Santa Monica. Known for its "ugly crust" pies.
- [Prada Marfa](https://camping-spirit.com/places/prada-marfa/): A permanent sculpture of a luxury boutique standing alone beside US-90. The door never opens.
- [The Alamo](https://camping-spirit.com/places/alamo/): The 1718 mission church at the center of Texas history. The River Walk is a few blocks away.
- [Enchanted Rock](https://camping-spirit.com/places/enchanted-rock/): A huge pink granite dome in the Hill Country. The summit trail is short and steep, and day passes sell out on weekends.
- [Hamilton Pool Preserve](https://camping-spirit.com/places/hamilton-pool/): A jade-green pool under a collapsed limestone grotto with a waterfall. You need a reservation.
- [Chisos Basin Campground](https://camping-spirit.com/places/cg-chisos/): A mountain bowl with a view of the Window at sunset. Trailers over 20 feet are not recommended on the road in.
- [Padre Island National Seashore](https://camping-spirit.com/places/padre-island/): The world’s longest undeveloped barrier island, where sea turtle hatchlings are released in summer.
- [Village Creek State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b9-village-creek-sp/): A quiet, sandy-banked creek under cypress and tupelo that is ideal for a first paddle. Rent or bring a canoe and look for white sandbars to stop on.
- [Lake Livingston State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b9-lake-livingston-sp/): Wooded campsites and trails on the shore of a large reservoir on the Trinity River. An easy first night out of Houston, with lakeside sites that book up on spring weekends.
- [Fort Davis National Historic Site](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b9-fort-davis-nhs/): One of the best-preserved frontier forts in the Southwest, set in a box canyon below volcanic cliffs. Buffalo Soldiers served here; restored barracks and officers’ row are open to walk.
- [Davis Mountains State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b9-davis-mountains-sp/): Grassland and oak canyons in a sky-island range, with a Skyline Drive to a lookout over the plains. The campground is a good base for the observatory’s night programs.
- [Stonehenge II](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b9-stonehenge-ii/): A near-full-size replica of Stonehenge, plus two Easter Island heads, on the grounds of an arts center by the Guadalupe. Free to wander and a fun leg-stretch west of Kerrville.
- [Guadalupe River State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b9-guadalupe-river-sp/): Several miles of river frontage under huge bald cypress trees, with limestone bluffs, swimming and tubing. Summer weekends fill up; come on a weekday or reserve a day pass.
- [Gruene Historic District](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b9-gruene-historic-district/): A preserved German cotton-town center with Gruene Hall, the oldest continuously operating dance hall in Texas. Come in the evening for live music; parking is tight on weekends.
- [Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-hueco-tanks/): Granite hills east of El Paso with rain-filled rock basins and hundreds of painted masks and pictographs. Day visits are capped, so reserve a permit online; much of the site is open only on guided tours.
- [Frijole Ranch](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-frijole-ranch/): A stone ranch house from the 1870s with a small history museum, shaded picnic tables and an easy 4 km loop to Smith and Manzanita springs. A good short stop if you are not hiking the peak.
- [McKittrick Canyon](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-mckittrick-canyon/): A desert canyon with a spring-fed stream and bigtooth maples that turn red in late October and early November. The gate on US-62/180 opens only in daytime hours, and the trail to Pratt Cabin is about 7.6 km round trip.
- [Fort Leaton State Historic Site](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-fort-leaton/): An adobe trading post from 1848 on FM 170 just east of Presidio, with thick mud-brick walls and exhibits on the borderland. It also serves as an information point for Big Bend Ranch State Park.
- [Big Bend Ranch State Park (Barton Warnock Visitor Center)](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-big-bend-ranch/): The eastern gateway to the largest state park in Texas, with a desert garden and exhibits on the Chihuahuan Desert. Pay park entry fees and get trail information here for the River Road’s trailheads, such as Closed Canyon and the Hoodoos.
- [Big Bend Hot Springs](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-boquillas-hot-springs/): A historic stone tub of 40 °C spring water on the bank of the Rio Grande, reached by a short walk past an old post office and motel ruins. The final 3 km of gravel road is narrow and not suitable for RVs or trailers.
- [Pedernales Falls State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-pedernales-falls/): The Pedernales River spills over wide tilted limestone ledges in a series of low falls. Swimming is not allowed at the falls themselves but is at a separate river area downstream; flash floods here rise fast.
- [LBJ Ranch, Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-lbj-ranch/): President Johnson’s “Texas White House” on the Pedernales, with his reconstructed birthplace, family cemetery and the “Air Force One-Half” jet. Get a free driving permit at the state park visitor center on US-290 before driving in.
- [Luckenbach](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-luckenbach/): A tiny 19th-century trading post with a general store, dance hall and oak-shaded yard, made famous by the 1977 country song. Pickers gather most afternoons; it is a short drive south of US-290 on FM 1376.
- [Longhorn Cavern State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-longhorn-cavern/): A river-carved cave used by Comanche people and later as a speakeasy, with a CCC-built stone visitor center from the 1930s. Guided walking tours take about 90 minutes; the cave stays around 20 °C all year.
- [Garner State Park](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-garner-sp/): The Frio River runs clear and cold past cypress trees under limestone hills, with tubing, a summer dance pavilion and the short climb up Old Baldy. One of the busiest parks in Texas: reserve day passes in summer.
- [Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District](https://camping-spirit.com/places/b19-fort-worth-stockyards/): Brick cattle pens, saloons and the old livestock exchange north of downtown. Longhorns are driven down Exchange Avenue twice a day, at 11:30 and 16:00; paid parking lots surround the district.

## FAQs

**What are the best road trips in Texas?**
Popular routes include Swimming holes and granite domes in the Texas Hill Country, Texas Gulf Coast, Texas Panhandle canyons and Big Thicket: East Texas pines and bayous. CampingSpirit has 16 trip guides that pass through Texas, each with a stop-by-stop itinerary and a route map.

**Which places in Texas are worth a detour?**
Our editors recommend Cadillac Ranch, Big Bend National Park, Palo Duro Canyon, Big Thicket National Preserve, McDonald Observatory and Balmorhea State Park.