Things to Do 2–3 Hours from Houston with Kids
6 kid-friendly adventures about 2 to 3 hours from Houston, nearest first.
- Under 1 hour (14)
- 1-2 hours (5)
- 2-3 hours (6)
- 3-4 hours (54)
About these times. Each estimate is a straight-line measurement from downtown Houston, padded by 17% for winding roads and divided by a 55 mph average — so “about 2 to 3 hours” means roughly that, not a routed time. Traffic, where in Houston 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 2 hr 30 min drive
Bastrop State Park
Bastrop, TX
HikingLost Pines hiking with swimming pool and Junior Rangers. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Bastrop State Park Cabins
Bastrop, TX
LodgingHistoric 1930s CCC stone cabins among the Lost Pines east of Austin, among the hardest reservations …
about 2 hr 30 min drive
Mission Tejas State Park
Grapeland, TX
HikingHistoric Spanish mission replica in towering East Texas hardwood forest. Paid entry. Best from about …
about 2 hr 45 min drive
Palmetto State Park
Gonzales, TX
HikingTropical palmetto forest and warm springs along the San Marcos River. Paid entry. Best from about …
about 2 hr 45 min drive
McKinney Roughs Nature Park
Cedar Creek, TX
Hiking1,100 acres with horseback riding and river trails along the Colorado. Paid entry. Best from about …
about 2 hr 45 min drive
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
Austwell, TX
NatureEndangered whooping crane habitat with auto loop and observation tower. Free. Best from about age 3. …