Things to Do 3–4 Hours from Austin with Kids
43 kid-friendly adventures about 3 to 4 hours from Austin, nearest first.
- Under 1 hour (47)
- 1-2 hours (22)
- 2-3 hours (16)
- 3-4 hours (43)
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 3 to 4 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 3 hr drive
Cleburne State Park
Cleburne, TX
CampingNo-wake lake for safe paddling and swimming near Fort Worth. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A …
about 3 hr drive
Buffalo Bayou Park
Houston, TX
BikingPaved bayou trails with destination playground and bat colony viewing. Free. Works from toddler age. …
about 3 hr drive
Children's Museum Houston
Houston, TX
Indoor-PlayTop-ranked Houston children's museum with a kid-run city, a giant water play zone, an invention lab …
about 3 hr drive
Downtown Aquarium Houston
Houston, TX
AquariumDowntown Houston aquarium with a shark tunnel, swamp alligators and white tigers, plus a small ride …
about 3 hr drive
Houston Museum of Natural Science
Houston, TX
MuseumHouston natural history museum with action-posed dinosaurs, a walk-in butterfly rainforest, real …
about 3 hr drive
Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center
Houston, TX
NatureWetland wildlife viewing and hands-on nature center east of Houston. Free. Works from toddler age. …
about 3 hr drive
Space Center Houston
Houston, TX
ScienceNASA's Houston visitor center with a tram to real Mission Control, a walk-through shuttle, moon …
about 3 hr drive
The Health Museum
Houston, TX
ScienceHouston museum of the human body with a walk-through giant heart, a climb-in brain and a simulated …
about 3 hr 15 min drive
Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center
Humble, TX
NatureBoardwalk trails through cypress swamp with free guided canoe trips. Free. Works from toddler age. …
about 3 hr 15 min drive
Lake Houston Wilderness Park
New Caney, TX
Hiking20 miles of forest trails and camping close to Houston. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A …
about 3 hr 15 min drive
Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge
Angleton, TX
Nature44,000-acre birding refuge with auto tour loop and alligator sightings. Free. Best from about age 3. …
about 3 hr 15 min drive
Mission Tejas State Park
Grapeland, TX
HikingHistoric Spanish mission replica in towering East Texas hardwood forest. Paid entry. Best from about …
about 3 hr 30 min drive
Goose Island State Park
Rockport, TX
CampingCoastal camping by a 1,000-year-old oak with bay fishing and whooping cranes. Paid entry. Works from …
about 3 hr 30 min drive
Cedar Hill State Park
Cedar Hill, TX
HikingFamily-friendly state park on Joe Pool Lake just 20 minutes from Dallas - swimming, hiking, camping, …
about 3 hr 30 min drive
Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center
Cedar Hill, TX
HikingShaded canyon trails with a nature play area for kids. Free. Best from about age 3. About two hours. …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Lake Mineral Wells State Trailway
Weatherford, TX
Biking20-mile flat rail trail perfect for kids building biking endurance. Free. Best from about age 3. A …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Mustang Island State Park
Port Aransas, TX
CampingBeachfront camping and bay kayak trail with dolphin sightings. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
Fort Worth, TX
ScienceFort Worth science museum with a toddler wing, a dinosaur dig pit, water play, a dome theater and …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge
Fort Worth, TX
Nature25 miles of trails with bison and prairie dogs in Fort Worth. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Gateway Park
Fort Worth, TX
Mountain-BikingBeginner-friendly mountain bike trails along the Trinity River. Free. Best from about age 5. About …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Kimbell Art Museum
Fort Worth, TX
MuseumFree permanent collection in a famous Louis Kahn building in Fort Worth, small enough for a one-hour …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame
Fort Worth, TX
MuseumFort Worth museum of the women of the American West with a bucking bronc ride simulator, rodeo gear, …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Tandy Hills Natural Area
Fort Worth, TX
HikingNative prairie wildflowers and skyline views in Fort Worth. Free. Best from about age 4. About an …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Trinity Trails
Fort Worth, TX
BikingOver 100 miles of paved family-friendly trails along the Trinity River in Fort Worth - free biking, …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Purtis Creek State Park
Eustace, TX
FishingStocked catch-and-release lake where kids always catch fish. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
River Legacy Parks
Arlington, TX
Hiking1,300-acre park with paved trails and mountain biking along the Trinity River. Free. Works from …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Southwest Nature Preserve
Arlington, TX
HikingQuiet urban preserve with scenic lake overlook in Arlington. Free. Best from about age 3. About an …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway
Mineral Wells, TX
Rock-ClimbingNatural rock climbing at Penitentiary Hollow plus lake swimming and trails. Paid entry. Best from …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Mineral Wells Fossil Park
Mineral Wells, TX
NatureFree fossil digging where kids keep 300-million-year-old marine specimens. Free. Best from about age …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Possum Kingdom State Park
Caddo, TX
SwimmingClear blue lake swimming and canyon trail hiking. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
John Bunker Sands Wetland Center
Seagoville, TX
NatureBoardwalk trails over marshes with interactive nature center. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
San Angelo State Park
San Angelo, TX
Hiking50 miles of trails with Texas longhorn cattle on the reservoir. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Abilene State Park
Tuscola, TX
SwimmingSpring-fed swimming pool under pecan trees in West Texas. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Cedar Ridge Preserve
Dallas, TX
Hiking600 acres of rugged trails and scenic overlooks in Dallas. Free. Best from about age 4. About two …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Dallas Museum of Art
Dallas, TX
MuseumFree-admission art museum in the Dallas Arts District with a hands-on kids studio, Egyptian …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Dallas World Aquarium
Dallas, TX
AquariumDescend through an indoor rainforest of sloths, toucans and monkeys to a shark tunnel and manatees …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Frontiers of Flight Museum
Dallas, TX
MuseumHangar museum at Dallas Love Field with thirty-plus aircraft, the Apollo 7 capsule, flight …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
Dallas, TX
ScienceFive floors of hands-on science in downtown Dallas with dinosaur skeletons, an earthquake simulator, …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Trinity Forest Adventure Park
Dallas, TX
Aerial-AdventureAerial adventure park with zip lines and ropes courses in the treetops. Paid entry. Best from about …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
Trinity River Audubon Center
Dallas, TX
NatureTrails through the largest urban hardwood forest in the US. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. About …
about 3 hr 45 min drive
White Rock Lake
Dallas, TX
Biking9.4-mile paved biking loop around a scenic Dallas lake. Free. Works from toddler age. About two …
about 4 hr drive
Colleyville Nature Center
Colleyville, TX
NatureNature trails and playscape perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. Free. Works from toddler age. …
about 4 hr drive
Padre Island National Seashore
Corpus Christi, TX
Camping70 miles of wild beach with sea turtle releases and shell hunting. Paid entry. Best from about age …
Towns in this drive-time band
- Dallas, TX (8)
- Fort Worth, TX (7)
- Houston, TX (7)
- Arlington, TX (2)
- Cedar Hill, TX (2)
- Mineral Wells, TX (2)
- Angleton, TX (1)
- Caddo, TX (1)
- Cleburne, TX (1)
- Colleyville, TX (1)
- Corpus Christi, TX (1)
- Eustace, TX (1)
- Grapeland, TX (1)
- Humble, TX (1)
- New Caney, TX (1)
- Port Aransas, TX (1)
- Rockport, TX (1)
- San Angelo, TX (1)
- Seagoville, TX (1)
- Tuscola, TX (1)
- Weatherford, TX (1)