Before you drive out, you want to know what it costs, whether you can swim, whether the dog can come, and how long the drive is. This guide puts those answers at the top of every park page, with a link to where each fact came from and the date it was last checked.
It covers state parks, natural areas and historic sites run by Texas Parks and Wildlife. It's independent: not affiliated with TPWD, so always check the official park page for alerts and closures.
Enchanted Rock is a pink granite dome that rises 425 feet above the surrounding Hill Country, 18 miles north of Fredericksburg. Most people come to walk up it: the Summit Trail is 0.8 mile and steep.
$8 per adult, kids 12 and under free, no swimming, dogs in some areas.
$8 per adult, kids 12 and under free, dogs on leash.
$6 per adult, kids 12 and under free, swimming allowed, dogs on leash.
Day-use entry is free at more than 85 Texas state parks on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. Reserve a free Save the Day pass to make sure you get in.
Gov. Greg Abbott says a sale of Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX won't come up for a vote anytime soon. Here's where things stand for visitors.
Texas Monthly reports the Parks and Wildlife Commission discussed selling Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX. TPWD says it's not on the November agenda.
TPWD is adding 1,200 acres to Devil's Sinkhole near Rocksprings, with about 10 miles of trails planned over the next few years.
Approximate drive times from each city, using OpenStreetMap routing. Traffic not included.
Fees, hours, campsites, trails and pet rules come from each park's official TPWD pages. Park locations and boundaries come from TPWD's public map data. Drive times are estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, and photos come from Wikimedia Commons under open licenses, credited under each image.
If a source doesn't say it, we don't print it. That's why some trails show no surface and some parks have no "best time to go" notes yet.
