An uncrowded state park with two units on Cooper Lake in Northeast Texas. The South Sulphur Unit has a swim beach and screened shelters that are perfect for family camping. The Doctor’s Creek Unit offers equestrian camping and longer hiking trails through bottomland forest. The park rarely hits capacity which means you can often get a campsite on short notice when other parks are full.
Daingerfield State Park is a hidden gem tucked into the piney woods of northeast Texas, and it’s famous for having the best fall foliage in the state. The 507-acre park wraps around a spring-fed lake surrounded by hardwood forests that erupt with reds, oranges, and golds every October and November - the closest thing to New England colors you’ll find in Texas. Swimming and lake fun: The small swim beach is perfect for families with young kids - the water is clean and calm, and the sandy area is easy to manage. Paddleboats and canoes are available for rent, and kids love paddling around the scenic lake while spotting turtles and herons. The fishing pier is stocked with bass, catfish, and perch, making it a great spot for kids to learn to fish. ...
A Corps of Engineers park on the southeast shore of Lake Lavon with a sandy swim beach that is one of the best-kept secrets in Collin County. The campground has full hookups and sits right on the lake with excellent sunset views. Kids can fish from the shore and there is a big playground near the beach area.
Perched on limestone bluffs above Lake Texoma with some of the most dramatic overlooks of any Texas state park. The trails wind right along the cliff edges with views that make kids gasp and parents grip hands a little tighter. Swimming in the lake is excellent and the campsites range from tent pads to full-hookup RV sites with easy water access.
Austin’s oldest city park sits on a bend of Lake Austin with a designated swimming area that has a gradual sandy entry perfect for small kids. The campground overlooking the lake is one of the few places you can camp within Austin city limits and the road down to the park winds through dramatic limestone canyon walls. Turkey Creek Trail connects to the park and offers a solid hike through Hill Country terrain.
Generations of Texas families have been coming to Garner to float and swim in the cold clear Frio River and the tradition shows no sign of slowing down. Kids spend entire days wading through shallow riffles and jumping off low rocks into deeper pools. The park runs summer dances on the concrete slab that are a uniquely Texas family experience. Campsites along the river are some of the most coveted in the state park system.
A natural horseshoe-shaped waterfall on the Guadalupe River near the charming Hill Country town of Comfort where kids can play in the shallow rapids above the falls and wade in the calm pool below. The spot is accessible from a roadside pull-off and local families have been coming here for generations. There are no facilities so pack what you need but the natural beauty more than makes up for the lack of amenities. The town of Comfort itself has great food and antique shops for a post-swim stop.
Four miles of gorgeous Guadalupe River frontage with tall cypress-lined banks and rapids that kids can wade through when the water is low. The park offers guided river paddles and the Honey Creek State Natural Area next door has guided hikes through pristine Hill Country terrain. Tubing is popular in summer and the river section through the park is calm enough for younger floaters.
A forested state park surrounding Lake Raven in the Sam Houston National Forest where families can rent canoes and kayaks right at the park store. The 8-mile trail loop through towering loblolly pines is beautiful for hiking and mountain biking. The lake swim area has a sandy bottom and the campground stays shaded under the pine canopy even in the heat of summer.
One of the best family swimming spots in the Hill Country with a spring-fed lake that stays full even during droughts. The designated swim area has a small sandy beach and the Devil’s Waterhole is a legendary cliff jumping spot that older kids and teens live for. Canoe and kayak rentals are available right at the park and the 7.5-mile trail system offers Hill Country hiking with lake views throughout.
A well-maintained park on a 9,460-acre East Texas lake with excellent fishing and a roped swimming area that families appreciate. The lighted fishing pier is great for evening outings and the bike trail loop through pine forest is fun for kids of all riding abilities. Campsites are shaded and well-spaced with some sitting right on the water. It is less visited than many state parks which means weekend availability is usually good.
A classic Texas state park with a renovated swim beach and fishing pier on Lake Brownwood. The CCC-era stone cabins have been updated and offer a comfortable family overnight option. The Cross Timbers Hiking Trail connects to the nearby Cross Timbers Nature Trail with interpretive signs that teach kids about the ancient Post Oak Belt. The park store rents fishing gear which makes first-time fishing trips easy to pull off.
A state park in two units connected by a 21-mile rail-to-trail that is perfect for family mountain biking and hiking. The Birch Creek Unit has a swim beach on the lake and the Nails Creek Unit has excellent fishing. Kids love spotting the white-tailed deer that are abundant throughout the park. The trail between units passes through rolling post oak savanna and makes a great day ride for families with older kids on bikes.
A peaceful state park on the shores of Lake Tawakoni about an hour east of Dallas with a sandy swim beach and shaded campsites that fill up fast on summer weekends. The 5.5-mile trail system is easy and well-marked through post oak forest. Kids love fishing from the lighted pier and the swimming area has a gentle sandy slope that is perfect for younger children.
A family-friendly state park on the eastern shore of Lake Whitney with a roped-off swim area that sits on a long stretch of white limestone shoreline. The Juniper Ridge Trail is easy enough for young hikers and winds through cedar forest with lake glimpses. Camping here is straightforward with both tent and RV options close to the water.
Martin Creek Lake State Park is one of Texas’s best-kept secrets for family fishing. The lake receives warm-water discharge from a nearby power plant, which keeps water temperatures mild year-round and creates exceptional fishing conditions - largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, and channel catfish are all reliably active even in winter when other lakes go quiet. Fishing: This is the main draw and it’s outstanding. Kids can fish from the shoreline, the fishing pier, or from a canoe or kayak on the lake. The warm water means fish are active and biting year-round, which is perfect for keeping kids engaged. Largemouth bass up to 10+ pounds have been caught here. The park has a fish-cleaning station and a boat ramp for those bringing their own watercraft. ...
A state park inside Austin city limits where Onion Creek tumbles over two distinct limestone waterfalls that kids can wade right up to and explore. The Upper Falls have shallow pools perfect for younger kids and the Lower Falls drop into a bigger swimming hole. The Homestead Trail passes the ruins of an 1850s homestead which adds a history lesson to the hike. Camping here means you can explore Austin by day and sleep under the stars at night.
A Travis County park on a peninsula jutting into Lake Travis with miles of rocky limestone shoreline where families can find their own private cove to swim and explore. Kids love climbing the layered limestone ledges and jumping into the deep clear water below. The camping is first-come first-served and the sites along the water are spectacular. When the lake level is up this is one of the best swimming spots in Central Texas.
The tilted limestone slabs of the Pedernales River falls create a landscape that looks like another planet and kids are mesmerized by the rushing water carving through layered rock. A designated swimming area downstream offers safe wading and splashing when water levels cooperate. Over 10 miles of trails wind through Hill Country terrain and the bird creek trail is excellent for wildlife viewing.
A lesser-known section of Pedernales Falls State Park where families can wade across the river at a historic low-water crossing and explore rocky pools on the other side. The crossing itself is fun for kids who love getting their feet wet and the flat limestone river bottom creates natural wading pools. This area is much less crowded than the main falls overlook and gives families room to spread out and enjoy the river at their own pace.