Camping Gems - Places to Go in Texas

Big Bend National Park
Sometimes considered three parks in one, Big Bend includes mountain, desert, and river environments. An hour’s drive can take you from the banks of the Rio Grande to a mountain basin nearly a mile high. Here, you can explore one of the last remaining wild corners of the United States, and experience unmatched sights, sounds, and solitude.

The Alamo
Stories of the historic Battle of the Alamo are filled with famous names: Davie Crockett, Jim Bowie, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, and William Travis. On this site in 1836, a small number of Texan troops -- who had taken the mission from Mexican troops just months before -- held their ground against a massive onslaught from General Santa Anna's Mexican forces.

Lake Texoma
Head to this 74,000-acre lake for some of the best fishing in Texas.  From large and smallmouth bass to crappie, catfish, and bluegill, something's always biting at this North Texas lake.  Set on the border with Oklahoma, north of Dallas and Fort Worth, Lake Texoma is a boater's paradise.  Hikers shouldn't miss the Cross Timers Trail.

Padre Island National Seashore
Padre Island National Seashore, encompassing 130,434 acres, is the longest remaining undeveloped stretch of barrier island in the world. It's also a prized nursery spot for endangered sea turtles and for thousands of migratory birds.  Come for the fishing, hiking, biking, four-wheeling, and wildlife viewing.

Space Center Houston
Learn about the history and future of manned space flight at NASA's center in Texas, the Houston Space Center.  Also known as the Johnson Space Center, this facility was established in 1961 as NASA's premier design, development, and testing center.  You can watch astronauts train for missions, touch a real moon rock, land a shuttle, and look behind the scenes at NASA.

World Birding Center of Texas, Visitor Center
Nine different sites make up the World Birding Center.  Begin your visit at the Roma Visitor Center, then head out to watch for spoonbills, ibises, and egrets all across Texas's Rio Grande Valley and Padre Island. (Visitor Center, 71 Convent St, Roma, TX, 956-849.4930)

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Research Center
Enjoy 42 acres of beauty as you stroll the grounds.  You'll discover a fragrance garden, a native plant garden, a wildflower meadow, a butterfly garden, a seed court garden, display garden, and a research library. (I-35 south exit 226-B, 4801 La Crosse Ave, 512-292-4100)

Missions of San Antonio
In 1718 Franciscans and Spanish representatives established the first mission in San Antonio. Within 13 years, five were located along the San Antonio River. The missions (Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission Espada, and Mission San Juan Cappistrano) can all be found by following the blue and white Mission Trail Signs. If you only have time to see one, head to the Mission San Jose, which is know as the "Queen of the Mission."

Austin
This hip and trendy Texas city thrives on a blend of influences -- music, commerce, and history.  This is the home of the state capitol, a stunning building that's well worth the tour.  In Austin you'll also find a booming live music scene, a vibrant business district, excellent shopping, and all the quirkiness of a college town. 

Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Guadalupe Mountains National Park safeguards the world's finest example of a fossilized reef, a surprisingly complex and unique assemblage of flora and fauna, and West Texas' only legally designated wilderness. As a hikers’ paradise, you will find more than 80 miles of trails that meander through woodland canyons and lush riparian springs, or zigzag up steep switchbacks directly into the park’s rugged wilderness.