Texas State & National Parks

Looking for something to do over the holiday break? Perhaps you should explore the beautiful scenery available at one of the state or national parks in Texas. There's also plenty of outdoor activities (hiking, camping, and more) to enjoy in Texas' national forests and grasslands and national wildlife refuges.

Enchanted Rock - Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.
Joshua Wallace, photographer and copyright holder, 2010.

The Big Tree - Goose Island State Park.
Joshua Wallace, photographer and copyright holder, 2013. 

Pedernales Falls State Park
Joshua Wallace, photographer and copyright holder, 2017. 

Dinosaur Tracks - Dinosaur Valley State Park.
Joshua Wallace, photographer and copyright holder, 2017.

Monkey Rock - Lost Maples State Natural Area.

Joshua Wallace, photographer and copyright holder, 2018.

Before planning a trip to the great outdoors you should check out these resources from the library:

Border Sanctuary: The Conservation Legacy of the Santa Ana Land Grant by M.J. Morgan.
Dinosaur Highway: A History of Dinosaur Valley State Park by Laurie E. Jasinski
Enchanted Rock: A Natural and Human History by Lance Allred
Enjoying Big Bend National Park: A Friendly Guide to Adventures for Everyone by Gary Clark
Guided with a Steady Hand: The Cultural Landscape of a Rural Texas Park by Dan K. Utley
Hiking Big Bend National Park by Laurence Parent
Making Camp: The Complete Guide for Hikers, Mountain Bikers, Paddlers & Skiers by Steve Howe
Official Guide to Texas State Parks & Historical Sites by Laurence Parent

National Parks

On this day in history two of our national parks were created 10 years apart.  On February 26, 1919, the Grand Canyon was named a national park, and on the same date in 1929, the Grand Tetons National Park was established.

It has always been a lifetime goal of mine to visit all the national parks.  These two are really spectacular to visit!  Thanks to U. S. Presidents T. Roosevelt, W. Wilson, and C. Coolidge for preserving them for all time.

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Great Texas Places to Get Away From it All

With summer upon us many people think of just getting away to a cooler place. Others want to just get away from all of the connectivity that surrounds us. This is a list from Texas Highways of where in Texas you can go to get disconnected.
1. Padre Island National Seashore
2. Big Bend National Park
3. Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area
4. Hill Country State Natural Area Wilderness Primitive Camp
5. Palo Duro Canyon State Park
6. Lost Maples Natural Area
7. Guadalupe Mountains National Park
8. Matagorda Island Wildlife Management Area
9. Matagorda Bay Nature Park
10. Devils River State Natural Area
http://www.texashighways.com/index.php/component/content/article/98-roadtrip-archive/3733-ten-great-places-to-%28really%29-get-away-from-it-all

11. My favorite place to get away: Mo Ranch

Want to go camping? Not sure where? Recreation.gov can help!

If you love the outdoors, camping can be a dream vacation. However, figuring out where to camp can sometimes be an issue. Recreation.gov may be just what you need because it lets you

• search for campsites by location, type (tent, cabin, RV, etc.), and preferred dates,
• identify recreation areas based on desired activities like boating, horseback riding, hiking, and climbing,
• find nearby locations for activities like swimming, bicycling, fishing, or other favorites,
• purchase passes for National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands,
• make reservations (if needed), and
• locate more useful information for planning your camping trip.

Tips:
~ Before leaving on your trip, be sure to familiarize yourself with the fees and regulations of the campsite(s) you've chosen.
~ Learn more using USA.gov Recreational Activities: Camping resources.

Happy camping!

Top Ten Tuesday – 10 most visited National Parks

I need a vacation! (…don't we all?) I've always had a dream to visit all the National Parks in the U.S. I was doing some research and found a great Top Ten list! Here is data from the National Park Service. These were the 10 most visited National Parks in 2008.

• Great Smoky Mountains NP - 20,257,688
  
• Grand Canyon NP - 4,557,358
  
• Yellowstone NP - 3,979,371
  
• Olympic NP - 3,835,757
  
• Grand Teton NP - 3,829,002
  
• Yosemite NP - 3,618,395
  
• Hot Springs NP - 3,408,731
  
• Hawaii Volcanoes NP - 3,129,404
  
• Rocky Mountain NP - 2,914,252
  
• Saguaro NP - 2,787,595
  

I've been to 7 of them! We are so lucky to have such great public lands here in the U.S. Take a minute to think of not just the National Parks, but the National Seashores, Monuments, Historical Sites, etc that we can visit! Post a comment and tell us which National Park Service locations you have visited!