Spring Branch, TX
Guadalupe River State Park
Cypress-lined Guadalupe River swimming with guided paddles and hikes. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.
- Swimming
- Ages 3+
- ~4h
- Paid
Things to Do 1–2 Hours from Austin with Kids
22 kid-friendly adventures about 1 to 2 hours from Austin, nearest first.
- Under 1 hour (48)
- 1-2 hours (22)
- 2-3 hours (16)
- 3-4 hours (45)
About these times. Each estimate is a straight-line measurement from downtown Austin, padded by 17% for winding roads and divided by a 55 mph average — so “about 1 to 2 hours” means roughly that, not a routed time. Traffic, where in Austin you start, and the last few miles of park road can all move it by half an hour. Check a map before you load the car.
about 1 hr drive
about 1 hr drive
Spring Branch, TX
Guadalupe River State Park Camping
Four miles of cypress-lined Guadalupe River frontage with drive-up and walk-in campsites, forty-five minutes north of San Antonio
- Camping
- Ages 2+
- Overnight
- Paid
about 1 hr 15 min drive
Gonzales, TX
Palmetto State Park
Tropical palmetto forest and warm springs along the San Marcos River. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. About two hours.
- Hiking
- Ages 3+
- ~2h
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
Fredericksburg, TX
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
Iconic granite dome summit scramble with 360-degree Hill Country views. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip.
- Hiking
- Ages 4+
- ~3h
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
Fredericksburg, TX
Enchanted Rock Walk-In Camping
Walk-in tent sites and primitive backcountry camping at the granite dome, and the reliable way in when the day-use gate closes
- Camping
- Ages 6+
- Overnight
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park Camping
City-run RV and tent camping ten minutes from Main Street, the practical base for Enchanted Rock and the Fredericksburg peach stands
- Camping
- Ages 2+
- Overnight
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
Boerne, TX
Enchanted Springs Ranch
Old West ranch with pony rides and rescued exotic animals. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. About two hours. Stroller-friendly.
- Nature
- Ages 2+
- ~2h
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
Bend, TX
Colorado Bend State Park
70-foot Gorman Falls waterfall with spring-fed swimming holes. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. Easily a full day. Dogs welcome.
- Hiking
- Ages 4+
- ~5h
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
Bend, TX
Colorado Bend State Park Camping
Rustic no-hookup river camping down six miles of gravel road, with Gorman Falls and guided wild cave tours for older kids
- Camping
- Ages 5+
- Overnight
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
Comfort, TX
Guadalupe River at Horseshoe Falls
Natural horseshoe waterfall on the Guadalupe River near Comfort. Free. Best from about age 3. About two hours. Dogs welcome.
- Swimming
- Ages 3+
- ~2h
- Free
about 1 hr 30 min drive
Somerville, TX
Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway
Two-unit park connected by 21-mile trail with lake swimming. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.
- Camping
- Ages 2+
- ~4h
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
San Antonio, TX
Briscoe Western Art Museum
Compact Western art museum on the San Antonio River Walk with a stagecoach, saddles, historic firearms and Native American artifacts.
- Museum
- Ages 5+
- ~1h
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
San Antonio, TX
Eisenhower Park
Observation tower and six miles of trails with playground. Free. Best from about age 3. About two hours. Stroller-friendly.
- Hiking
- Ages 3+
- ~2h
- Free
about 1 hr 30 min drive
San Antonio, TX
Friedrich Wilderness Park
Free 600-acre Hill Country hiking on the edge of San Antonio. Free. Best from about age 4. About two hours. Stroller-friendly.
- Hiking
- Ages 4+
- ~2h
- Free
about 1 hr 30 min drive
San Antonio, TX
Government Canyon State Natural Area
40 miles of trails with dinosaur tracks in the limestone. Paid entry. Best from about age 5. A half-day trip. Moderate effort.
- Hiking
- Ages 5+
- ~3h
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
San Antonio, TX
Natural Bridge Caverns
Largest Texas cavern with ropes course and outdoor maze above ground. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip.
- Nature
- Ages 4+
- ~3h
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
San Antonio, TX
Phil Hardberger Park
Land bridge and world-class nature playscape in San Antonio. Free. Works from toddler age. About two hours. Stroller-friendly.
- Hiking
- Ages 2+
- ~2h
- Free
about 1 hr 30 min drive
San Antonio, TX
SEA LIFE San Antonio Aquarium
Small River Walk aquarium in San Antonio with a walk-through ray and shark tunnel plus supervised touch pools, about an hour end to end.
- Aquarium
- Ages 1+
- ~1h
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
San Antonio, TX
San Antonio Museum of Art
Art museum in a castle-like former brewery on San Antonio's Museum Reach, holding mummies, Roman glass and Latin American folk art.
- Museum
- Ages 4+
- ~2h
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
San Antonio, TX
The DoSeum
San Antonio children's museum with a multi-story climber, a robot lab, a mock vet clinic and a toddler-scale town with its own market.
- Indoor Play
- Ages 1+
- ~3h
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
San Antonio, TX
Witte Museum
San Antonio natural history museum with a dinosaur gallery and dig pit, Texas wildlife dioramas and a four-story body adventure.
- Museum
- Ages 2+
- ~4h
- Paid
about 1 hr 30 min drive
Moody, TX
Mother Neff State Park
First Texas state park with limestone sinkhole pool and historic CCC buildings. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. About two hours.
- Hiking
- Ages 3+
- ~2h
- Paid