Take This Unforgettable Road Trip To 3 Of Texas’ Least-Visited National Parks
Some of the best national parks in Texas are also among the most underrated. This unforgettable road trip leads to three of the least-visited national parks in the state, from an ancient mammoth site to a pristine lake in the middle of the Panhandle plains. It’s a journey you’ll never forget!
If you’re planning a visit to these incredible Texas national parks, there’s no better time to visit than during National Park Week. Learn all about this celebration of America’s great outdoors — including fee-free days throughout the year!
Visit Google Maps for a customizable route for the trip.
Just 30 miles north of Amarillo lies a pristine oasis within the arid plains of the Texas Panhandle. Lake Meredith National Recreation Area boasts a 10,000 acre lake created by the damming of the Canadian River, and the deep blue water is teeming with life. The lake is flanked by ancient, 200-foot-tall canyons that people have called home for over 13,000 years. Today, the protected area is a nature lover's paradise that offers a variety of water recreation opportunities, plus hiking and camping. Learn more on the National Park Service website.
Lake Meredith National Recreation Area Headquarters, 419 E Broadway St, Fritch, TX 79036, USA
2. Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument (Fritch)
Also in Fritch, Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument tells the story of ancient mammoth hunters who gathered flint in these towering bluffs. Learn all about the park's rich past in the visitor center, then explore the vast landscape on a ranger-led hike. You'll see incredibly well-preserved petroglyphs, plus actual pieces of flint dating back hundreds of thousands of years. Learn more on the National Park Service website.
Alibates Flint Quarries Visitor Center, 37084 Alibates Rd, Fritch, TX 79036, USA
Speaking of mammoths, the final park on our trip takes you up close and personal with the fossils of these archaic beasts. Waco Mammoth National Monument preserves the remains of 24 Columbian mammoths, plus other mammals from the Pleistocene Epoch. Visitors can walk through the dig shelter and get a firsthand look at the fossils, as well as follow in the mammoths' footsteps on several nature trails. Learn more on the National Park Service website.
Waco Mammoth National Monument, 6220 Steinbeck Bend Dr, Waco, TX 76708, USA
Would you take this road trip to some of the least-visited national parks in Texas? Tell us your thoughts in the comments! Don’t forget to check out our previous article for another underrated national park in Texas that’s home to the four tallest mountains in the state.
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Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and changed her major twice (psychology, computer science, and finally criminal justice) before taking a leap of faith and dropping out to pursue a career in freelance writing.
Today, Katie writes for the Texas and Arizona pages of OnlyInYourState.com and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on the sofa with a hot cup of coffee, watching a crime TV show or scary movie.
