Various Ramblings
Michael Nowak
Cha-cha-changes!
Cha-cha-changes!
Various Ramblings
Michael Nowak
Seeing can mean believing.
Seeing can mean believing.

favorite places

My 10 Favorite Outdoor Spots in Texas

Ten of my favorite outdoor places in Texas

I’m listing ten of my favorite spots to hang out outdoors in Texas. These locations are in no particular order. Texas was home for nearly ten years, and it wasn’t until the past few that I really got out there and explored. I’m glad I did, but I’m also looking forward to the natural wonders of New Mexico.

Caprock Canyons State Park

  • This park has great trails but make it a point to hike to Fern Canyon if you can, it is worth it

  • I’ve hiked and camped here and can testify that it is quiet and pleasant, but tent camping is pretty close together

  • Many of the camping areas don’t have good shade, and a lot of the hiking doesn’t either, so don’t forget that sunscreen and extra water

  • You can read about my one hike or that other hike or that nature writing challenge I did

  • TX State Parks Website

0930171813a_HDR.jpg

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

  • I believe some people call it the “Grand Canyon of Texas” and it is pretty cool, but people gotta slow down

  • The initial descent into the canyon feels like you’ve left Texas

  • Trails and camping in this park are great - with plenty of variety

  • Read about my hike there or my other blurb about it or my other hike write-up

  • TX State Parks Website

IMG_2761.JPG

Big Bend National Park

  • This is a broad location, given the size, but I’m saying the whole place is worth it every time

  • Camping in the Chisos Basin was the coolest - watching the sun come up over the mountains

  • Hiking in Santa Elena Canyon area was a highlight for me, as well as pretty much everywhere else

  • I have not had the privilege of backpacking, but it’s on my list and I’ve heard good things

  • Here are a few writings I did about it Hike & Blurb

  • National Park Service Website

IMG_4322.JPG

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

  • Another vast location I’ve had limited, but good, times at is this little gem

  • I hiked a couple of trails, while sick one weekend, and fell in love because I watched the sunrise and the moonset all in the same time frame.

  • I can’t wait to be located closer to these so I can explore further

  • Go in the morning, watch the mountains turn gold from a west Texas sunrise and you will NOT be disappointed

  • Read about my hike here

  • National Park Service Website

IMG_1325.JPG

Big Thicket National Preserve

  • Big trees, creeks, boardwalks, sun through said big trees.. a magical place

  • I visited in the winter and fell in love, imagine the other seasons

  • I hit two areas - Beech Creek and Turkey Creek - both offered plenty of space to walk amongst the trees. (Beech Creek is a small chunk, and a short trail)

  • National Park Service Website

IMG_0718.JPG

Tyler State Park

  • This location was an instant favorite - tall pines, pleasant drive from DFW, and quiet enough

  • I remember the trails being a little confusing, but nothing too bad

  • Looks like a great place to camp, though I haven’t had the opportunity - gotta plan way (up to weeks or months) ahead in Texas to reserve a spot

  • Read about my hike / TX State Parks Website

MVIMG_20180113_112146.jpg

Colorado Bend State Park

  • My friend Amanda shared this place with me and I am so glad she did.

  • This place has it all - lush waterfalls, open trails, and places to swim

  • I visited early in the morning, for a half day, but would love to get back someday as there is so much left to explore

  • I wrote about my hike here / TX State Parks Website

PANO_20180519_091459.jpg

Copper Breaks State Park

  • I can remember wanting to visit this place every time I drove to Caprock or Palo Duro

  • Red rock trails over the ridges and through the valleys

  • I’d go in the spring, fall, or winter… it doesn’t have a lot of shade

  • TX Parks Website / My Hike

IMG_7430.JPG

Fort Parker State Park (kayaking)

  • The park on land seemed alright, I didn’t spend much time there.

  • I kayaked from one point, across the lake, and down the river

  • I saw birds, enjoyed a breeze, and would recommend it for anyone looking for a variety kayak that includes open water and a gentle river

  • TX State Parks Website

IMG_1905.JPG

Martin Dies Jr. State Park

  • I never though Texas could look so magical with moody fog and cypress swamps

  • The kayaking looks phenomenal, I’d return just for that

  • The trails were nice and the vegetation was the highlight for me

  • TX State Parks Website

IMG_0520.JPG

I’m going to give an honorable mention to Sea Rim State Park because it was a spectacular place that overwhelmed my senses in a good way. It’s on the Gulf of Mexico, has kayaking inland with plenty of birds to look at, and just makes you feel so small and unimportant in a good way. The reason I’d say it’s not in the top 10 is because of the location; you have to drive through ugly infrastructure to get there. TX State Parks Website

IMG_0549.JPG

Places I’m still interested in visiting:

Hueco Tanks State Park

Franklin Mountains State Park

Devil’s River State Natural Area

Davis Mountains State Park

Big Bend Ranch State Park

Stay-At-Home, Week 3 Check-In

I’ve got road trips on my brain, again.
Do they ever leave my brain?

I’m longing for one of those GOOD road trips that involve little planning and maximum adventure. Back in the day my buddies and I would get in the car and plot out some stops and fill in the rest as we went. We made minimal hotel reservations, didn’t know when or where we’d stop to eat, and didn’t much care.

Read about the four trips I did with some best friends as I transitioned from college to real life.

Memorable trips more recently include drives back to Michigan, trips to Missouri, long hauls to the Redwoods and Oregon, and shorter ones to places like Big Bend or New Mexico. I have the Redwoods on the brain today, but who knows where I’ll be tomorrow? Daydreaming is getting me through this time of quarantine.

My Top 5 States (in no particular order)

  1. Washington

  2. Michigan

  3. Oregon

  4. New Mexico

  5. Minnesota

Some honorable mentions are Alaska, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, California, and Nevada. I have yet to truly dive in to Wyoming, Montana, and the Dakotas. I haven’t done much out east, either, and it shows. I am not opposed to the east side, I just love what I find in the west. I think my top five list is based on accessibility - it’s easy to explore in those places, or I have connections. We have family in Alaska, so if it were a top six it would be on there. Alaska is expensive to get to and expensive to navigate if you want to get off the beaten path. The west is best.

I’m so excited that two of the trips I have planned for late summer/fall are to Washington. Some friends and I are going to camp on the beach in Olympic National Park, hike through the forests of Rainier, and anything and everything in between. Then, I get to go back a month later to run my first 10K up a mountain in the same area! Have I mentioned I love Washington?

Travel is clearly my escape. I know it’s a privilege, and it can seem very annoying to whine about canceling trips. I posted a similar statement on Twitter, only to be refreshed at the responses. I hadn’t thought that people, like myself, prioritize trips in their lives over other things and events. I forgot that trips to nature are the literal escape our brains need sometimes and it’s okay to miss it or to have feelings about it overall.

We’ll all get to travel again, when we get a handle on this virus. One way or another, the world still spins madly on. Enjoy some photos from my favorite states.

Copyright © 2024 52 HIKES WITH MIKE, All rights reserved.