Parks & Recs
March 12, 2024
Tired of Crowds at Texas State Parks? Try an LCRA Park.
Stroll through a sea of bluebonnets at Muleshoe Bend, stargaze from a luxurious safari tent at Shaffer Bend, or kayak in Matagorda Bay.
52 Articles
Art
January 23, 2024
A Giant Troll Is Coming to Austin’s Pease Park (and the News Brought Out a Few, Uh, Trolls)
“Texas has no cultural tradition of trolls,” wrote one.
Critters
November 15, 2023
Behold the Biggest Beetles in Texas (and Their Creepy Larvae)
Ounce for ounce, rhinoceros beetles are among the strongest animals on earth.
Best Thing in Texas
October 10, 2023
Hats Off to the Arctic Cowboys, Who Just Became the First Paddlers to Cross the Northwest Passage
The Texas-based kayaking team completed the 1,600-mile journey over 83 grueling days.
Travel & Outdoors
August 28, 2023
Sip Wine, Watch Bats, and Paddle the Llano River in Cozy Mason
The home of Old Yeller, this scenic Hill Country getaway also has a beautifully restored courthouse.
Parks & Recs
August 2, 2023
We Found Texas’s Best Beachcombing Spot in Matagorda
The seaside town is also a great place to catch redfish, watch dolphins, and stay in a snazzy new bungalow.
Travel & Outdoors
June 27, 2023
In Hunt, It’s All About the River and the Rodeo
Shady days soaking in the Guadalupe River and a weekly rodeo followed by dancing: this Hill Country hamlet is the perfect summer getaway.
Travel & Outdoors
June 22, 2023
National Parks Urgently Need More Funding, Says Outgoing Big Bend Superintendent
“There’s a tremendous disconnect between the expectations of the American public . . . and the National Park Service’s ability to do those things,” says Bob Krumenaker.
Travel & Outdoors
May 15, 2023
A Wildflower Ramble at Clymer Meadow Preserve
The Nature Conservancy paradise teems with colorful blooms—and on May 20, Texans have a rare chance to see them.
Parks & Recs
May 1, 2023
Get Lost in the Fog at This Swampy, Spooky East Texas Park
Mossy cypresses seem to float in the clouds at Martin Dies Jr. State Park, which offers otherworldly paddling and hiking trails.
Travel & Outdoors
February 7, 2023
Six Great Ski Spots for Texans
Looking for a quick getaway, a kid-friendly resort, or a cozy lodge? We’ve got you covered.
Parks & Recs
January 9, 2023
Welcome to Palo Pinto, Texas’s Next State Park
Set to open later this year, it'll give North Texans 4,871 scenic acres to roam.
Travel & Outdoors
December 7, 2022
Four Strange Days Aboard the Biggest Cruise Ship to Sail From Texas
It's a colossal floating city with an ice rink, a zip line, and even piped-in birdsong.
Travel & Outdoors
November 11, 2022
Two Texans Turned a Colorado Hot Springs Resort Into a Snazzy Soaking Destination
The water at Pagosa Springs’ luxury resort burbles forth from the world’s deepest geothermal spring.
Art
September 8, 2022
Austin’s Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Is Now a Glowing Work of Art
Volunteers spent weeks installing 28,000 solar-powered bulbs for Bruce Munro’s ‘Field of Light,’ which runs through December.
Texas Trip Guides
September 6, 2022
Where to Stay, Shop, Ride, and Two-step in Bandera, the Cowboy Capital of the World
The Hill Country town supplies cowboys—both real and temporary—with a dose of ranch life, complete with hotcakes and trail riding.
Travel & Outdoors
August 9, 2022
These Port Aransas Classics Keep Us Coming Back
Five years after Hurricane Harvey, the beloved beach town continues to recover and evolve. Here are some of our favorite spots.
Travel & Outdoors
July 19, 2022
Paradise Lost: Where You Can’t (or Shouldn’t) Swim Right Now in Texas
The drought is taking a toll on our swimming holes, although a few favorites are still in good enough shape to help us handle the record heat.
Travel & Outdoors
July 5, 2022
You Should Take a Soak in Marlin, the “Hot Mineral Water City of Texas”
Professional baseball teams once traveled here in search of healing waters
Travel & Outdoors
May 23, 2022
Texas’s Craziest Endurance Paddler Is Taking on His Biggest Challenge Yet
West Hansen and his Arctic Cowboys team hope to become the first kayakers to cross the Northwest Passage.
Travel & Outdoors
March 31, 2022
Escape to Indianola, a True Ghost Town on Matagorda Bay
This far-flung spot has a rich history, excellent fishing, free beach camping, and no crowds.
Travel & Outdoors
March 17, 2022
The “Keep Big Bend Wild” Effort Aims to Forever Protect Texas’s First National Park
Designating Big Bend as a federal wilderness area, advocates say, will ensure it stays rugged for decades to come.
Travel & Outdoors
March 14, 2022
Channeling My Inner Cowgirl on a Horse Obstacle Course
At trail challenges across Texas, riders of all levels can get back in the saddle and brush up on the basics.
Travel & Outdoors
February 7, 2022
Set to Become a State Park, Powderhorn Ranch Is an Unspoiled Coastal Paradise
One of the biggest conservation projects in Texas history, the vast parkland encompasses some 17,000 acres along Matagorda Bay.
Style & Design
February 2, 2022
How Howler Brothers Turned Surf Punk Western Into a Style
The outdoor apparel company sells its gear to surfers, bluegrass musicians, fly fishermen, and Jimmy Kimmel.
Travel & Outdoors
January 21, 2022
Explore an Old Zoo in the North Texas Town of Cisco
Rocky paths wend their way past the crumbling ruins of animal dens, making for a one-of-a-kind nature walk.
Texas History
January 17, 2022
The Secrets of Bonfire Shelter
Archaeologists are uncovering new clues at a canyon where ancient Texans once hunted bison en masse.
Libations
January 5, 2022
Troy Aikman’s Light Beer, Eight, Is Available Only in Texas
We cracked open a cold one with the former Cowboy to learn about his latest business venture, a beer aimed at the calorie conscious.
Critters
October 21, 2021
Squirrels Gone Wild!
Why the fluffy-tailed rodents are making Texans nutty this year.
Food & Drink
August 12, 2021
Traditional Italian Gelato Has Arrived in Blanco, With One Crucial Ingredient
The milk from a herd of 251 water buffalo powers Orobianco Italian Creamery, which serves locally inspired flavors and, soon, fresh mozzarella.
Travel & Outdoors
July 1, 2021
In Rocksprings, Watch Bats Emerge From Devil’s Sinkhole, or Stay in a Historic Hotel
Where to eat, sleep, and sightsee in this town of 1,200 northwest of San Antonio.
Travel & Outdoors
June 17, 2021
Seven Outstanding Parks for Riding or Renting Horses
Hoof it to these parks with your steed (or someone else's).
Travel & Outdoors
June 17, 2021
Texas Parks by Horseback Offer a Whole Other View
Equestrians can ride their own steeds, or in a few cases rent them, on public lands across the state.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2021
A Texan’s Guide to Telluride
This town is full of thrills—especially the Via Ferrata (hint: don't look down)—and necessary chills.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2021
Bentonville Is a Mountain Biking Paradise
With more than three hundred miles of dirt trails, the city has a wonderful arts scene to boot.
Travel & Outdoors
April 15, 2021
Hiking the Mountain Trails Less Traveled in Colorado
The hills are alive with socially distant adventures.
Travel & Outdoors
March 18, 2021
How to Spend a West Texas Weekend in Roscoe and Sweetwater
Sample tasty barbecue, gape at one of the world’s largest wind farms, and get a dose of state history in these neighboring West Texas towns.
Critters
February 17, 2021
In South Padre, Texans Have Rescued More Than 4,000 “Cold-Stunned” Sea Turtles
Conservationists worked to bring the endangered animals to shore—but getting the turtles warm amid a blackout is the next challenge.
Travel & Outdoors
January 26, 2021
As More Novices Head to the Wilderness, Rescues Are Spiking at Some Texas State Parks
Big Bend Ranch State Park and Enchanted Rock State Natural Area both saw a 50 percent surge in backcountry rescues last year.
Travel & Outdoors
January 16, 2021
Sanderson Is an Underrated, Adventurous West Texas Escape
This scrappy town on the edge of the Big Bend region has a trendy motel, pistol-packing waitresses, and starry nights aplenty.
Art
January 7, 2021
North Texas Artist Jon Flaming’s Paintings Are a Love Letter to Cowboy Culture
Flaming grew up in suburbia, dreaming of his grandparents’ cattle ranch. His work is angular, almost cubist, reimagining the Western art genre.
Travel & Outdoors
December 10, 2020
Cold-Water Paddling Is for the Brrrave
Winter kayaking and canoeing are catching on, even among heat-loving Texans.
Travel & Outdoors
November 5, 2020
Meet an Intrepid Texan Who Spends Winters at the South Pole
Rockport resident Wayne White has worked for much of the last three years in Antarctica, where temperatures of minus 100 degrees don’t keep him from taking his daily walk or jog.
Travel & Outdoors
September 16, 2020
Five Great Gravel-Grinding Routes in Texas
Where cyclists can pedal past some stunning views and historic sites.
Travel & Outdoors
September 16, 2020
Texas Cyclists Are Discovering the Joys of Gravel Grinding
Why many are exchanging paved roads and traffic for rural routes and breathtaking scenery.
Travel & Outdoors
September 14, 2020
Getting Away From It All, on Wheels: Texans Take to Camper Vans and RVs
One Austin-based rental website saw bookings spike by 4,500 percent. Plus: six tips for first-timers.
Critters
May 20, 2020
Meet the Ocelot Whisperer
Documentarian Ben Masters tracks some of the few Leopardus pardalis that are left in Texas.
Travel & Outdoors
April 20, 2020
Where to Get Outside While Social Distancing
There are places across the state where you can commune with nature, if not one another.
Travel & Outdoors
April 3, 2020
Big Bend National Park Is Closed for Now
In what’s normally the beloved park’s peak season, officials make the call for the safety of employees and area locals during the pandemic.
News & Politics
December 18, 2019
Racing to Preserve Rock Art in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands
As part of the ambitious Alexandria Project, West Texas archaeologists are documenting several hundred pictographs in just four years.