2023 Recap – 10 State Parks I Visited This Year
Exploring Texas State Parks is a great way to get outside, relax, and revitalize. My 2023 recap includes visits to 10 of the 80+ Texas State Parks in this massive state. I hiked, camped, tested out new gear, and spent time on the water canoeing and paddle boarding.
At the beginning of the year, there were 89 state parks in Texas, but, as discussed below, one of the parks closed for good leaving only 88 state parks left on the Texas State Parks bucket list.
I’ve written an in-depth post about each visit to the parks below, but here is a brief recap of the year. Click the “read more” links to be directed to my posts for more photos and information about each park.
These are written in the order in which I visited:
Fort Boggy State Park
January 2023.
Fort Boggy is the smallest state park I’ve ever been to, but it’s worth a visit if you’re passing through. It has about 4 total miles of hiking on two different trails. The Lake Trail is the most well-known and what people come here for.
This park doesn’t have much entertainment, but it’s a great place to come for a couple of hours, have an outdoor meal, and enjoy some fresh air.
Mission Tejas State Park
January 2023.
If you’re a hiker, like myself, this is one of the best parks on the east side of Texas. Although most of the trails are less than a mile long, this park has quite a few different trails to venture through. The Steep Ravine trail was one of my favorite hikes of 2023.
It’s also a great place for camping. The camping area is tucked away from the roads so you really get that “out in the wilderness” feel at this park.
Caddo Lake State Park
January 2023.
Caddo Lake offers an experience like no other in East Texas. It’s the second-largest lake in the state and offers a variety of experiences on the water for fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. The lake is home to beautiful cypress trees, lots of canals and creeks to wind through on your water adventure, and an abundance of wildlife.
Although I didn’t see any on my visit, Caddo Lake is home to the largest population of alligators in east Texas.
There are plenty of great spots to camp at this park, but not a lot of trails for hiking. There’s less than 2 miles total to be explored on land.
Martin Creek Lake State Park
January 2023.
I first arrived at Martin Creek Lake at night. The first thing that caught my eye was the large power plant across the water that was lit up like Christmas! I was surprised at how beautiful they were able to make it considering it’s some kind of smoke-blowing plant that is probably (although I don’t know this) polluting the air and water around the park.
Martin Creek Lake has 1 thing no other park had – its own island! You can primitive camp on the island, which is just a short walk across a bridge, and less than a 10-minute walk to any site on the island. It was a bit windy on the island but super cool.
The hikes in the park were okay, but I wouldn’t put this at the top of a hiker’s list of parks to visit. It felt very family-friendly and the camping area was big.
Fairfield Lake State Park
March 2023.
I read that Fairfield Lake State Park was closing, so I planned a trip up there to visit before it closed. When I arrived, I was literally 4 minutes late and the office was locked up tight. Unfortunately, that meant, I wasn’t able to get my passport stamp. 😭😭
Nonetheless, I really liked Fairfield. There were quite a few trails along the water and through the woods.
They even had an interactive trail for kids that said “Look Here” and “Stop and Read” to teach them about different kinds of trees, plants, spiders, and more! That was unique and I didn’t see that in any other park.
Lake Whitney State Park
March 2023.
Lake Whitney had one of the best surprises of all the parks I visited this year. The camping was meh, nothing special, nothing too private, but it was clean and well-maintained.
The Towash Forrest Trail was the park’s saving grace and what made it unique. It starts off pretty boring, down a stone road and then out into an open field.
BUT…
If you keep walking 🚶🚶
You end up at the lake and it’s BEAUTIFUL. It’s a great place to watch the sun rise or set, get some photos, dip your toes in the water, and watch others boating by. It’s worth the hike (more like a short, casual stroll).
Meridian Lake State Park
March 2023.
I loved this park and wish I had more time to spend here. I only visited for a day, I didn’t stay and camp, but I’d love to go back and stay.
The campsites are spread out all over the grounds and there are some unique options, some out in the open and some private sites.
The park wraps around Meridian Lake, which is a pretty small lake, but definitely unique. On one side of the lake, the trails take you right up to the lake edge, and on the other side of the lake, you’ll be hiking up a cliff and get an aerial view of the lake.
Palmetto State Park
October 2023.
Palmetto is broken into two main park areas, one for RV campers and one for tent campers.
The tent camping site is GREAT for families. It has a well-maintained, clean, and newer kid’s playground with swings, slides, and a jungle gym.
There’s also a small lake on this side of the park for swimming, paddle boarding, and canoeing. You can easily rent equipment to use on this lake from your phone.
Dividing the two sides of the park is the San Marcos River, which was really low when I visited, but offered a nice place to cool down as the water rushed passed. There’s a cool bridge to walk across from one side to the other that sometimes floods depending on the water levels.
The RV side of the park is closer to the hiking trails and community event area. There’s a large pavilion and gathering space for large get-togethers.
I will have to revisit this park at some point because I had terrible camp neighbors (lots of kids and VERY loud the entire time) and it was extremely (and uncomfortably) hot when I visited. Both of these negatively impacted my experience.
Franklin Mountains State Park
November 2023.
This park was the farthest away from home and probably the most stunning too. I was lucky enough to fly out to El Paso, Texas (which would have been over 10 hours driving distance) for work and while I was there I visited the Franklin Mountains.
The park was right off a really busy highway, which made me nervous about noise and feeling like I was in the wilderness, but the driveway was long and the place where I set up camp was SILENT.
I was able to do two hikes while at the park and I camped for one night. I wish I could have stayed longer as this park has so much to offer for hikers!
Buescher State Park
December 2023.
I always worry that I won’t experience parks in their full beauty if I visit in December, but Buescher State Park did not disappoint.
My initial plan was to visit the park, hike some of the trails, and then head out for the day. Since I hadn’t planned on staying, I started right in on a hike when I arrived. I went for the longest hike first, Pine Gulch Trail, and I enjoyed every section of it.
The loop trail is about 4 miles distance and offers a variety of views. Although midrange in distance, the trail was fairly easy and could be done in tennis shoes. I saw an abundance of caterpillars, butterflies, dragonflies, and even a deer.
Surprisingly, the trail had an abundance of plants that were still alive and thriving at this time of year!
New Post Coming Soon!
My 2023 Recap – 10 Texas State Parks I Visited
Although I didn’t get out as much as I’d wanted to this year, I was still able to make it to 10 different Texas State Parks. From January to December, I hiked and camped during some of the hottest and coldest days of the year. I field-tested new camping and hiking gear and shared my reviews of each park.
My favorites for the year were, of course, the parks with the best hiking – Buescher State Park, Franklin Mountains, and Mission Tejas.
If you’re interested in visiting any of the 88 Texas State Parks, check out the Texas Parks and Wildlife website and search for a park near you!
Katelynn is a Texas-based writer and travel enthusiast who makes the most of her time exploring new destinations while balancing a full-time 9-5 job. She has visited 12 countries and 27 U.S. states. She describes herself as a weekend warrior and shares her passion for travel, outdoor adventures, and solo journeys on her blog, KatelynnOutLoud.
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Amazing list! Will check some of these state parks out when I visit Texas~
I hope you get the chance to! Thanks for reading (:
Good read and informative
Thank you for spending time on my page!
They look amazing, thanks for sharing.
Thanks, I already have plans to visit 4 more in the next couple months so hopefully my 2024 recap will be 10+ parks too!
Definitely need to add these to visit on my next trip to Texas! Great read.
Thank you! Pretty much anywhere you are in Texas you can find some sort of state park within an hour’s drive. Especially if you’re visiting some of our big cities. Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas… they all have state parks close by for a day trip out of the city to get some fresh air!
So many cool state parks you’ve been to! Nature is so beautiful and I’d love to visit some of these.
It really is! I hope you have some time to get outdoors this coming year. I am aiming to visit another 10 texas state parks in 2024!
What an accomplishment! Sometimes state parks get overlooked because of all the National Parks, but each state has something special to offer too! Great post and photos!
That’s very true. When road-tripping across the southern part of the U.S. I was planning on stopping at quite a few National Parks, and never really considered state parks despite there being so many. Texas and Arkansas both have a great number of State Parks and since I live in this area, I’m never out of options!
I’ve only been to Texas twice (both for family events) and the part of Texas I was in was FLAT and farmland – no views or trees like you show. I guess that’s what I get for naively assuming all of Texas looks like what I briefly experienced! I’m much more open to visiting if it has so many state parks and beautiful views!
Where I live in Texas is very similar to what you’ve described seeing. It’s flat and boring. Unfortunately I have to travel hours to get to some of these parks (Franklin Mountains are over 10 hours away!), but it’s still pretty cool that Texas has so many different landscapes! Being as big as it is, it really spans from wetlands and bayous to desert and grasslands too!
Wonderful tips! I’m hoping to make a trip to Austin in the next couple years and will have to look for some nearby parks. Beautiful photos!
Austin is such a great city! I’ve wanted to move there for years, but it’s just too expensive!
None the less, there are some really great parks near Austin if you’re wanting to get outside. You can look into McKinney Falls and Pendernales Falls too!
I hadn’t realized there were that many state parks in Texas. Franklin Mountains State Park looks like one I’d like to visit.
I am from Michigan originally and I had no idea Texas had so many parks either! It wasn’t until I moved down here that I really got to explore and found out what all this big ol’ state has to offer!
In close range to the Franklin Mountains is the Guadalupe National Park, and that’s a beauty as well! Blog post coming soon on my visit to the highest peak in Texas!