Outdoor Activity Guide
Pick One of 10 Easy Ways to Get Your Family Outside to Play!
1. Escape to a Texas State Park
Learn about all the fun things to do at a state park located near you or in a place in the state you have never been to. You can make online camping reservations, download campground maps and find out about the many lodges and group facilities in more than 90 Texas state parks and historic sites.
2. Sign Up for an Outdoor Workshop
NO experience or equipment necessary! Learn camping and other basic outdoor skills in a Texas Outdoor Family workshop or take a "Becoming an Outdoors-Woman" workshop. There are also many Hunter and Boater Education classes to help you enjoy the outdoors safely.
3. Try out a Texas Paddling Trail
If you're looking for a good place to canoe or kayak, but aren’t sure where to go, check out "The Texas Paddling Trails," a network of inland and coastal paddling trails near cities and in rural areas, with information on where to rent equipment and where to put in and take out safely.
4. Go Fish!
Find state parks where you can fish without a license, and find out about the Neighborhood Fishing Program that stocks select lakes in Texas year-round. Download maps of fishing locations near major metro areas, learn how to identify fish and find other helpful information. Or visit The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center or Sea Center Texas to see a dive show and get up close to all kinds of fish.
5. Cool Off Naturally
Find out about the many outdoor and spring-fed pools, clear-running rivers, tranquil lakes and seashore waves where you can enjoy swimming in a Texas state park. There are more than 50 Texas state parks that offer a place for you to wet your toes.
6. Explore a Great Texas Wildlife Trail
Whether you are a birder, a wildlife enthusiast, or just a lover of nature, discover the wildlife Texas has to offer. These driving trails will direct you to the best spots in the state to observe birds, butterflies, bats, pronghorns and more.
7. Go Biking on a Trail
Escape the traffic of the city and wheel your way into the wild. Hundreds of miles of biking trails crisscross dozens of Texas State Parks, offering a variety of experiences from easy pedaling to an intense mountain biking experience. Texas State Parks offer trails for beginner and expert cyclists alike.
8. Hike the Trails
State parks offer every kind of hiking experience imaginable. From shady, pine-needle strewn paths in east Texas to lakeside trails in the heart of Texas to rocky mountain climbs in far West Texas, Texas hikers will find something to suit their tastes. Several state parks offer rails-to-trails hiking experiences, as well.
9. Introduce Your Kids to Hunting
Get acquainted with the statewide Youth Only open seasons, participate in the Texas Youth Hunting Program, find out more about the many drawn youth hunts and more.
10. Saddle Up
With fewer and fewer places in a growing state to saddle up, Texas State Parks are filling the void by offering a variety of equestrian trails and camping facilities. Some parks allow you to bring your own mount, while others require that you rent a horse from the park or local stables.
Children who play outdoors:
- Are healthier physically and mentally.
- Do better in school.
- Have higher self-esteem.
- Have a good self-discipline.
- Feel more capable and confident.
- Are good problem-solvers.
- Are more cooperative with other children.
- Are more creative.
- Feel connected to nature.
- Will be tomorrow's conservation leaders.
Life's Better Outside (LBO) Publications
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744Toll Free (800) 792-1112, Austin: (512) 389-4800
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