campermom

It would be interesting to see which State parks everyone hasn't seen yet but would love to go visit.

My list includes
1. Davis Mountains/Indian Lodge
2. Balmorhea
3. Palo Duro Canyon
4. Bonham
5. Rusk/Palestine

If you've been to any on these, which should I see first ( which would be the most interesting and fun for a 6 year old boy?)

DayTripper

I've been to all on your list except Bonham. For a 6 year old boy, I would think Rusk/Palestine (for the railroad) and Balmorhea (for the giant pool) would be fun.

My list of places I hope to visit soon include:

1) Devil's River SNA
2) Caprock Canyons
3) Hueco Tanks
4) Big Bend Ranch

__________________
DayTripper

happybooker1

OH, so many parks -- so little time! I have just started (last March) but am steadily working my way through Texas.

The parks on my 'must-see' list right now are:

1. Enchanted Rock
2. Sea Rim
3. Perdanales Falls
4. any park in the Big Bend area

I've been to Balmorhea SP & stayed in the motel there. A HUGE thunderstorm/cold front blew during the night when we got there so we never did get to swim (this was July 25, 2005). I would love to go back & 'do' the whole Big Bend area again since so much of our activities were knocked out by the freaky weather!

DALEoutside

We're still new to camping in TX since the kids are old enough to enjoy taking with, so there's lots for us to still see. The next ones on our list:

Garner
Big Bend
Lost Maples
Dinosaur Valley (the kids would love it)
Padre (we've never beach camped before)

Motorman355

I'm trying to hit all of Texas' state parks. Still have quite a few to go, but I'm making progress.

My must see list includes:

1. Palo Duro Canyon
2. Franklin Mountains
3. Caprock Canyons
4. Matagorda Island
5. Big Bend Ranch

toejam

I really like this list. Although I've been to Big Bend Ranch a couple of times I haven't seen enough of it. Devil's River & Balmorhea are high on my list as well.

Bateauxdriver

Hello Texas neighbors Bateauxdriver here from Louisiana. Toejam left a link on another forum and I decided to check you guys out. Some folks here in Louisiana look at Texas as an obstacle to good hiking and I've felt that way as well. It is time I take another look and start looking at Texas as a destination.



The only mountain hiking I've done in Texas was in the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park. Did a week of dayhiking most of the major trails back in college. We camped at Cottonwood campground and had a great time in Boquillas, Mexico. We floated across in flat boats and paid for a donkey ride into town. Filled our backpacks up with cheap mezcal and other fire water. The kids sold us rocks, arrowheads, etc. Went back across and had one heck of a night. I woke up on top of a trailer. I guess I was star gazing.

Any hoot I'd like to start with these. All are over 1 mile above sea level.

Guadalupe Peak 8,749
Bush Mountain 8,631
Shumard Peak 8,615
Bartlett Peak 8,508
Mount Livermore 8,378
Hunter Peak 8,368
El Capitan 8,085
Blue Mountain 7,835
Emory Peak 7,825
Lost Mine Peak 7,550
Sawtooth Mountain 7,748
Mount Locke 6,781
Chinati Peak 7,730
San Antonio Mountain 7,031
Sierra Blanca 6,894
Cathedral Mountain 6,860
Mount Ord 6,814
Goat Mountain 6,725
Cerro Alto Mountain 6,717
Newman Peak 6,650
Cienega Mountain 6,580
Santiago Peak 6,521
Victoria Peak 6,432
Gomez Peak 6,398
Star Mountain 6,350
Old Blue Mountain 6,286
Elephant Mountain 6,230
Capote Peak 6,185
Casket Mountain 6,180
Cathedral Mountain 6,122
Mitre 6,100
Major Peak 5,882
Leonard Mountain 5,860
Sue Peaks 5,857
Borachio Peak 5,661
Ranger Peak 5,653
Dome Peak 5,360

MissionCamper

Not in any order:

1. Palo Duro Canyon
2. Dinosaur Valley
3. Davis Mountains
4. Big Bend
5. Davey Crockett NF

BigBendHiker

1. Big Bend National Park (you said state parks, but Big Bend is my # 1)
2. Big Bend Ranch State Park
3. Enchanted Rock
4. Pedernales Falls State Park
5. Lost Maples State Park

srds

1.Garner
2.Brownwood
3.Huntsville
4.Lake Mathis
5.Pedernales

riverrat

1)Guadalupe Mountains
2) Palo Duro (stopped by for a quick look see on way home from Colorado but no time to explore)
3) Hueco Tanks
4) Colorado Bend State Park (another quickie but not explored fully)
5) Big Bend (stayed for 5 days but still did not see it all!)

We've camped Lost Maples several times (our family favorite by a long shot!), Pedernales Falls (where I introduced my hubbie to the wonders of the Hill Country), day tripped Enchanted Rock a couple of times, several day trips to Sea Rim since we're about an hour away (Hurricane Rita may have succeeded in closing it down for good with funding cuts and all), Brazos Bend (day trip), Stephen F Austin (picnic stop on way to Hill Country), Daingerfield and Cedar Hill near Dallas was fun but not what we like in a camping spot. Inks Lake was crowded but a storm came thru that literally ran everyone off but us (tent camping) and one RV, turned out to be one of the most memorable camping trips we ever took!

We've seen a lot of what Texas has to offer but it will never be enough!

Cajun Camper

I've only been to 2 parks so far in Texas, Cooper Lake and Lake Tawakoni. Cooper was OK, we had the Boston Whaler and cruised the lake last summer. We day-tripped Lake Tawakoni, but the park officials snuck out of the woods to make sure we weren't picking up arrow-heads on the dried lake bottom (we were looking at clams and old fishing lures). We found this manuever a bit sneaky and we felt like we were being spied on, so I don't think we'll return there.

My list includes will-do and want-to-do:
will-do shortly:
Lake Mineral Wells
Inks

Want-to-do:
Garner
Big Bend
Possum Kingdom
Enchanted Rock
?????

Bateauxdriver, nice to see a Louisiana person here. I transplanted to TX and love what it has to offer, but this HOT and DRY weather is something else. Rain, send some rain! LOL

__________________
and that's when I first saw the bear..."
Jimmy Buffett

If I ever see the hairy, scary bear, the Kodiak lookin' fella 'bout 19 feet tall with island size paws...please let him be a drinking bear and me God's own drunk and a fearless man!" -- Jamie

PaulR

1. Palo Duro
2. Big Bend
3. Davis Mountains
4. Pedernales Falls
5. undecided


Favorites that I have visited:

Devil's River SNA
Lost Maples
Palestine/Rusk (memorable trip with my son and my dad)
Enchanted Rock

Alchemist2000

Is it against some regulation or law to pick up arrowheads in a state park? I know it is not allowed in national parks, but never thought about it in other locations.

MissionCamper

I think it's pretty common in any public park system. Look at it this way, if everyone took something, what would be left?