There's nothing like jumping into some cold water on a hot Texas summer day. We may not have the prettiest beaches, but our Texas water parks definitely make up for it. We didn't even realize just how many we have until we put this article together - one of them being the number one water park in the entire country. We're pretty lucky. Here are the 8 best water parks in Texas where you can soak up the summer sun and have an unforgettable time.
This is the original Schlitterbahn, and it's been voted the #1 water park in Texas for many years. With its three sub-parks featuring thrilling speed slides and numerous themed, interactive, long river floats, We definitely concur that no better water park exists in our state. An added bonus is all the trees surrounding it that help shield you from the oppressive Texas heat while you wait in lines which can be fairly lengthy depending on what day you go. Get a first-person view of these exciting waterslides:
Everyone knows that roller coasters + heat and humidity are a disastrous combination. Lucky for us, if we start feeling tired and nauseous from being spun upside down at Six Flags in 100+ degree temperatures, we can head right next door to Hurricane Harbor and cool off. With 25 different rides, there's plenty of opportunity to get your heart pumping just like a roller coaster - only a million times cooler! Take a look at some of the fun attractions here:
Though not as expansive as the flagship Schlitterbahn, the Galveston branch has plenty of redeeming qualities that make it worth a visit as well. Speed slides make up the majority of the rides rather than long river adventures, which means shorter wait times! Local families usually get the opportunity to ride everything multiple times when they spend a day here. Of the three main rivers the park does have, a local favorite is definitely the Torrent River - it constantly generates huge waves that rock you back and forth in your inner tube. The sea breeze from the Gulf of Mexico keeps you from overheating, and it's nice to look out on the water from the top of a ride. All in all, you won't regret coming here one bit.
Although most everything about Texas rocks, the ridiculously high summer temperatures and unpredictable weather aren't the best. Fortunately, we have one of the largest indoor water parks in the country to escape to when outdoor conditions aren't favorable. You can find all the same rides here that any other water park has - including the famous gigantic bucket of water pictured here. It's fun for the whole family, rain or shine!
Splash Town is one of our favorites. It's expanded so much over the years and now features a plethora of fun rides like the famous Tornado, a toilet bowl, thrilling slides, and relaxing family attractions like a lazy river and wave pool. It's fun in the sun on the outskirts of the biggest city in Texas!
This Holiday Inn Resort has an amazing waterpark. This one in particular is unique because it's right on the beach. If you're a freshwater person, you can soak up the sun and splash around while still getting a view of the gorgeous ocean water - the best of both worlds!
As if SeaWorld isn't awesome enough already, you can cool off in the water park after watching Shamu perform his amazing tricks. The park has 13 rides that the whole family can enjoy, including an underwater tunnel with real sting rays and a thrilling slide called Walhalla Wave. See what it’s like to go on the water rides here:
Hawaiian Falls is unique in that it has several different locations scattered throughout the state, so there's bound to be one near you! Get ready for a day full of screams, laughs, thrills, and fun as you beat the heat in the best way possible.
Have you been to any of the best water parks in Texas? Are there any other Texas water parks that should've made the list? Let us know in the comments. If you're up for some tubing, here are some wonderful lazy rivers in Texas.
Autumn breezes blowing into the Lone Star State deserve a big yee-haw all season long, and we have your back for ways to celebrate. Things to do in Texas in the fall range from long drives to see beautiful foliage (yes, we have it!) to picture-perfect pumpkin patches to only-in-Texas festivals and events. We've rounded up our top picks for seasonal fun, and since it takes a little bit of time for it to cool down around most parts of the state, you can still pack light for whatever adventure you choose. That way, there's plenty of room in your ride to bring home the greatest pumpkin ever.
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Texas Fall Foliage: Where To Go In Texas For Fall Foliage
While Texas isn't a national list-topper for fall leaf peeping, you wouldn't believe the colors you'll find in certain pockets of the state. In these places in the fall, lush greenery gives way to bold flashes of autumn hues as vivid as you'll find anywhere else. Prime time for foliage in Texas begins in late October in West Texas and the Panhandle. The East and Central Texas regions see the most color in early-to-mid-November. Here are a handful of places to catch the best shows.
1. Guadalupe Mountains National Park – Dell City, Texas
Wow Factor: McKittrick Canyon, which is the park's best-known spot for fall color.
Thousands of people make the trip to Guadalupe Mountains National Park each fall to see the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows of leaves changing color against the otherwise arid and rocky desert landscape. The contrast is a sight to behold. With pleasant temperatures in your favor, there's no better time to visit. If you are up for "the toughest hike in Texas," it's said to be the trek to the top of McKittrick Ridge. The parks service recommends an overnighter for that adventure (see above about getting the necessary permit), adding that the star gazing is totally worth it. If you aren't feeling so rugged, never fear. You can drive through much of the park to take in the sights.
2. Lost Maples State Natural Area – Vanderpool, Texas
Wow Factor: A large, brilliantly colored stand of rare Uvalde bigtooth maples
Need To Know: Cell phone service is not available in this area. Parking is somewhat limited, so weekday visits are best.
Just two hours northwest of San Antonio, you can see one of the most striking displays of fall color in all of Texas at Lost Maples State Natural Area in Vanderpool. The land has over 10 miles of hiking trails where you'll also see wildflowers, wildlife, and pretty views of the Sabinal River. This is known as a wonderful place for birding, with visits from rare species like the green kingfisher. Be mindful of critters that may be afoot here, including white-tailed deer, raccoons, armadillos, bobcats, gray foxes, rock squirrels, and javelinas. If you want to camp, the area has 30 campsites with water and electricity, plus primitive sites for backpackers.
Wow Factor: Seven and a half acres of brilliantly colored Japanese maples
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Need To Know: The garden's fall and winter hours begin October 1 and are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. The last tickets are sold each day at 4 p.m.
Established in 1934, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden is the oldest major botanic garden in Texas. Of its more than a dozen themed gardens, the Japanese Garden is a favorite every fall for its blazingly bold colors. They frame many other beautiful features including lush magnolias and towering bamboo. Gaze into the garden's ponds to see many of the hues not only reflected back to you but contained within the waters, considering more than 1,200 koi fish inhabit them.
Wow Factor: Bright hardwood and pine forest framing the beautiful 45-acre Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area
Need To Know: Should you need a ranger, the park's ranger district office is located near Ratcliff on Forest Service Road 574.
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Many people know the Davy Crockett National Forest in East Texas as the start of the 20-mile Four C National Recreation Trail, an excellent way to spend some time amid the land's soaring pine trees and dense hardwoods lit up in all their fall glory. The Neches Bluff Overlook is one of the most popular spots for panoramic views from above. While no horses, bikes, or recreational vehicles are allowed on the Four C, horseback riders can explore over 50 miles of developed pathways on The Piney Creek Horse Trail, located near Kennard.
Best Pumpkin Patches In Texas
When you are ready to spice up the season with pumpkin everything, look no further than the many great Texas pumpkin patches that pop up across the landscape. Gather your crew and find your pumpkin paradise filled with hayrides, corn mazes, and plenty of plump pumpkins ripe for the pickin'. Always a much-anticipated fall activity for families, friends, and date nights, pumpkin patch adventures have become a tried-and-true tradition. We've harvested a few favorite destinations for finding the grandest gourd.
5. The Big Orange Pumpkin Farm At Preston Trail Farms – Gunter, Texas
Wow Factor: A well-rounded pumpkin-picking experience with a general store, cafe, petting zoo, gift shop, and feed and hardware store
Need To Know: Preston Trail Farms is a year-round destination for its other attractions.
While Dallas-Fort Worth families love visiting Preston Trail Farms throughout the year for farm-life adventures, fall offers a whole different experience when it transforms into The Big Orange Pumpkin Farm. Since it opened in 1997, the family-run business has welcomed thousands of people from all over North Texas and Oklahoma, including many school and church groups. This patch opens in mid-September for a long season of pumpkin growing and eventually picking – all while people enjoy activities like a giant hay maze, hayrides, and up-close interactions with farm animals. If you're into history, you'll love learning how the farm is located along the historic Shawnee Trail. The trail was first used by Native Americans before becoming the earliest known main route for driving Texas longhorn cattle to railheads up north.
Wow Factor: Picking pumpkins in the Pumpkin Capital of Texas (and the nation)
Need To Know: Floydada's Punkin' Days festival is always the second Saturday in October.
Where better to find the ideal pumpkins for all your decorating and jack-o-lantern carving than in Floydada, the Pumpkin Capital of Texas? The small town is home to pumpkin farms that produce over 1,200 acres of pumpkins annually and hosts a Punkin' Days festival. If you can't find the gourd you're looking for here, we aren't sure what to do with ya. While the festival is a fine time to drop in – think costume contests, live music, cook-offs, craft vendors, food trucks, and photo ops galore – you can hit up Assiter Punkin Ranch & Pumpkin Patch from mid-September through Halloween. The farm is gourd ground zero for Floydada, with founder Tommy Assiter following the advice of friend and B A "Uncle Slim" Roberson – "the original Floydada Pumpkin Man," to raise pumpkins in the late 1950s. By 1987, their production helped the town earn its Pumpkin Capital title.
Wow Factor: A 2.5-acre pumpkin patch with over 40 varieties of pumpkins
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Need To Know: If you pay admission for the day-time farm activities, save your proof of admission and you won't have to pay again to do the nighttime corn maze.
Sweet Eats Fruit Farm knows how to throw a seasonal bash. Located just 30 miles north of Austin, the farm is an especially hot spot every summer when it hosts the Central Texas Sunflower Festival. As the massive blossoms go to seed, the farm's acreage gives way to rows and rows of pretty pumpkins for your perusal. These are just the icing on the Sweet Eats cake, though. The farm offers oodles of farm activities like pony rides, apple slingshots, and pig and duck races (not against each other, don't worry). There's also a 4.5-acre flashlight corn maze feature for after-dark adventures. Bring your own flashlight or buy one for about three bucks.
Need To Know: The Hall Farm is a longtime family farm that dates back to 1929.
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Another Dallas-area pumpkin patch to put on your radar is Hall's Pumpkin Farm, a longtime tradition for Tarrant County families and many more throughout the region. This multi-generation family farm features an old-fashioned fall harvest celebration throughout October and welcomes you to join. Sip hot cider and snack on kettle corn as you browse pumpkins and other gourds of just about every size and shape – all artfully arranged for your picking. Looking for hay bales and corn stalks for your seasonal decor? Just ask! You can load up for a classic hayride and explore the massive corn maze while you're there.
Best Fall Festivals In Texas
True Texan charm shines brightest in community events, and fall festivals are simply the best around here. We have a truckload of fairs and fests that capture the spirit of the season right along with our rich culture and heritage. Although it's tough to pick just a few, we think these have all the ingredients to make memories that'll at least last longer than a big brisket at a family reunion.
Wow Factor: Dancing the night away in the Polka Capital of Texas
Need To Know: Since parking is limited around Marktplatz where the festival is staged, it's recommended visitors use the festival's park & ride service between the Gillespie County Fairgrounds and downtown Fredericksburg.
Since Fredericksburg's Pedernales Creative Arts Alliance hosted the town's first Oktoberfest in 1981, the small Hill Country town has made it a signature event drawing people statewide to experience all the best of its German heritage. Join the fun the first weekend of October for plenty of traditional music, dancing, food, and drink – bratwurst, pretzels, schnitzel, and lots of beer options. Natürlich, there are photo ops galore, games and other activities for kids, a family dirndl and lederhosen contest, and more.
10. Day of the Dead San Antonio – San Antonio, Texas
Wow Factor: The largest and grandest Día de Muertos celebrations in the nation
Need To Know: Día de Muertos means "Day of the Dead," a long cultural tradition in which people honor and memorialize their departed ancestors.
Vibrant colors, arts, and ancient traditions of Dia de Muertos electrify the atmosphere of San Antonio during its annual Day of the Dead Celebrations in late October, which begins with the Day of the Dead River Parade best experienced along the River Walk. The full celebration unfolds over the course of three days, centered at La Villita, a historic village and the city's first neighborhood located near the heart of downtown. A giant exhibit of alebrije folk art, a grand altar and altar workshops, a remembrance wall, a culinary village, face painting and painting workshops, and music fill out the festivities. Oh, and let's not forget the margarita trucks!
Need To Know: The 2024 dates for Autumn at the Arboretum are Sept. 21-Nov. 3.
First, take more than 100,000 pumpkins, squash, and gourds. Add 4,500 mums and another 150,000 additional fall-blooming plants. What you'll have – besides your dream order at the garden center – are the basic ingredients for the annual Autumn at the Arboretum fall spectacular at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. Fodor's Travel has dubbed it "one of America's best pumpkin festivals," and its many devoted fans agree. The 2024 theme for the Pumpkin Village is "Texas Town" and honors significant moments and sites throughout state history. So where do they get that many pumpkins? The Pumpkin Capital of Texas Floydada, of course! If you want to take some special pumpkins home, there are plenty available for purchase.
12. Texas Renaissance Festival – Todd Mission, Texas
Wow Factor: The festival covers over 70 acres with 21 stages and more than 400 shops.
Need To Know: Dates for 2024 are Saturdays and Sundays Oct. 12-Dec. 1 and Black Friday.
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Step back into an era of "chivalry, merriment, and enchantment" at the country's largest and best-known Renaissance-themed festival: the Texas Renaissance Festival. The fest celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024, so this one is set to be more incredible than ever. The grounds are alive every Saturday and Sunday from October 12 through December 1, plus Black Friday. On any given day you can see knights jousting, acrobats doing daring stunts, and magicians performing confounding feats. There are countless types of cuisine to choose from among dozens of vendors. You'll want to stay until dark for the Royal Fireworks every evening.
Free & Cheap Texas Fall Activities
Few things are better than loads of fun at a low (or no) price. From museums to cultural events and vast, beautiful landscapes, there's no shortage of budget-friendly ways to enjoy Texas. When it's fall, nothing seems better than a celebration of the season. With that in mind, we have a few more festival picks you can only experience this time of year, and they're free! Even better, we think you'll especially enjoy the distinctive cultures of the towns that host them.
13. Chappell Hill Scarecrow Festival – Chappell Hill, Texas
Wow Factor: Chappell Hill only has about 600 residents and yet over 250 vendors for this event.
The second weekend of October is the time to make the hour's drive northwest of Houston to the Chappell Hill Scarecrow Festival. This tiny town has only around 600 residents, and everyone seems on board with making this little festival a must-attend seasonal event for folks miles around. As you drive into town, you'll immediately notice the creative scarecrow displays at every turn. A big part of the event is the local competition to see who takes the annual best scarecrow honors. Kids with freshly painted festival faces decorate pumpkins, play games, and ride an old-fashioned barrel train, among other rides and inflatables. Adults can enjoy the beer garden and live music over the festival's two days. The Chappell Hill Historical Society hosts the event, which welcomes over 250 vendors selling crafts, food, and all kinds of other wares.
14. Texas Butterfly Festival Community Day – Mission, Texas
Wow Factor: The National Butterfly Center is home to more than 300 species of butterflies.
Need To Know: The Texas Butterfly Festival in its entirety is a three-day event for butterfly enthusiasts and requires a fee and pre-registration. The annual Community Day is free and kicks off the event.
Mission, Texas has been called the "Butterfly Capital of the USA" for good reason. The city's South Texas location in the Rio Grande Valley makes it a hotspot for these elegantly beautiful creatures, many of which you will not see anywhere else in the country. The National Butterfly Center hosts the annual Texas Butterfly Festival for butterfly enthusiasts to visit and take expert-led field trips to see all they can – sometimes as many as 60 species in a single day! To celebrate the beginning of this annual event and peak butterfly season in the Valley, the center hosts a free Community Day that sets the festival into flight. Kids can have a blast in the Monarch Migration Game, do arts and crafts, climb the Hungry Caterpillar playscape, and more. Besides the fun and educational components, the community day also has many vendors and exhibits set up in the center's visitor's pavilion and throughout the gardens.
Wow Factor: Honestly? It's the puns for starters These folks turn them up to 11 in promoting their gourd-geous new festival, leafing nothing on the table to be sure you know you're welcome from the b-autumn of their hearts. (Just a few of their promo puns in different contexts). Love them.
The town's name is Orange and someone had punny fun with it one October not long ago, and thus was born the Orangetober Festival, a three-day fall festival extravaganza involving more than 10,000 pounds of pumpkins and gourds, a Pumpkin Village, a Big Pumpkin Run, a vendor market, and more. Feeling competitive? (It is football season, after all.) You can test your speed-eating skills in a pumpkin pie eating contest, go for bragging rights in a gumbo cook-off, or settle a score in the cornhole tournament. The first night concludes with a featured film, and the next day begins early with the run. Then it's back to Riverside Pavilion for a day full of fun that wraps up with live entertainment on the pavilion stage. Sunday has a slow wind-down where people can visit, do any final shopping with vendors, and take their pick of festival pumpkins for free starting at 2 p.m. (and not a minute before!) Orange those folks generous and efficient with their festival breakdown?
Feeling inspired by this guide to the best things to do in Texas in the fall? We'd love nothing more than for you to plan an adventure to parts of the state you may have yet to explore. If you are planning a little fall trip, be sure to check out our road trip essentials packing list to be sure you're 100% ready for the road. And of course, don't skip those annual traditions closer to home.
Have tips you want to share about your favorite fall activities and attractions? We welcome them and want to know all about any new Texas adventures you have planned.
If you've never taken a nighttime kayak tour in Texas, I definitely recommend changing that in the near future. Get Up and Go Kayaking in San Marcos takes paddlers on an epic sunset ride featuring clear kayaks outfitted with stunning neon LED lights. You'll see wildlife, make new friends, enjoy the quiet of the night, and have an overall great time.
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Kayaking is cool, but have you ever gone kayaking at night? Taking that one step further, what about kayaking at night in a clear kayak outfitted with neon lights? If that sounds like a dream, Get Up and Go Kayaking in San Marcos can make it your reality.
Picture this: all of the tubers have gone home for the day, and the San Marcos River is calm and quiet, illuminated only by the stars above and the twinkling lights on your kayak. The river is among the cleanest in Texas, and floating it truly feels like magic.
The river is full of diverse plant and aquatic life since it originates from the Edwards Aquifer, and the lighted kayaks ensure you won't miss any of it. Among the animals you'll see include fish, birds, deer, beavers, and even bats, plus the endangered Texas wild-rice.
Get Up and Go Kayaking prides itself on being the only year-round river outfitter in the area, so no matter what season it is, you can enjoy a relaxing float trip. Even better, the maximum group size is 12, which means paddlers get to have an intimate experience that allows for core memories to be made.
You can even schedule a private tour if you have a group of 10 or fewer people. This would make such a fun activity for a bachelor/bachelorette weekend or corporate outing!
So if you're looking for a not-so-ordinary adventure that will take your love of nature to the next level, Get Up and Go Kayaking is it. It's some of the most fun you'll ever have!
Visit the Get Up and Go Kayaking website or the Get Up and Go Kayaking Facebook page for more information, including current rates and an availability calendar, and/or to book a float trip.
Have you ever taken this nighttime kayak tour in Texas? If so, we'd love to hear about your experience in the comments. Check out our previous article below to learn why San Marcos has one of the most beautiful town squares in the entire country. If you're interested in checking out the local hiking trails while you're in town, Dante's Trail to Paraiso is loved by so many!
