Summer is just around the corner, and we all know what that means: tourists out the kazoo. It’s great to have people visiting our great state, but it can be kind of annoying when our favorite places are so busy we can hardly enjoy them. Lucky for us native Texans, we know of a few off-the-beaten-path destinations that are just as good as their more well-known counterparts. Here are our top 10 picks.
- Do NOT go to Hamilton Pool…
Flickr/darrelrhodesmiller Sure, it’s breathtakingly beautiful - but chances are you’ve already been there, and it’s nearly impossible to enjoy it with the crazy amount of people who frequent it every summer day.
DO go to Krause Springs.
Flickr/mdwelch It may not look like a secret underground grotto, but it’s still gorgeous in its own way. And I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not be packed with other people like a bunch of sardines when I’m trying to peacefully enjoy the water.
- Do NOT go to Big Bend…
Flickr/photo_art
DO go to the Guadalupe Mountains.
Flickr/blake.thornberry There ARE other mountains in Texas, believe it or not. We just don’t hear about them as often as the famed Big Bend, but the view from “El Capitan” is indescribable.
- Do NOT go river tubing…
Flickr/paddymurphy Yeah, it’s fun, and kinda obligatory if you live in Texas, but when it starts looking like this and strangers’ feet are in my face, it gets old really fast.
DO kayak on the Medina instead.
Flickr/matthigh Especially in the fall when you can admire the foliage lining the banks and forming a canopy over your head. And you can retain your personal space and actually experience some of the peace and serenity that water is supposed to bring.
- Do NOT swim at the Barton Springs pool
Flickr/wallyg
DO swim at Balmorhea State Park
Flickr/Angi English Much less crowded, and it’s the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool.
- Do NOT go to Natural Bridge Caverns
Flickr/bendini
DO go to the Caverns of Sonora
Flickr/photo_art This cave system is hardly ever mentioned compared to Natural Bridge, and I have no idea why. The stalactites and stalagmites are more abundant than in any other cave in Texas and possibly America - it’s actually been voted one of the most beautiful caves in the entire world.
- Do NOT hike at Palo Duro Canyon
Flickr/sarowen
DO hike at Caprock Canyons.
Flickr/matthigh Essentially the same view, fewer people, and the stark contrast between the lush greenery and dry rocks is pretty neat. An all-around winning situation, if you ask me.
- Do NOT walk along the San Antonio River Walk
Flickr/memoriesbymike Unless it’s Christmas. Then absolutely, positively get there as fast as you can. Otherwise, it’s just scorchingly hot and too commercialized for my tastes.
DO take a stroll down Main Street in a small town.
Flickr/freyapix Not Fredericksburg or Jefferson; even those have become too touristy. I’m talking places like Alpine or Salado - places where the true Southern charm we’re so famous for radiates to the core.
- Do NOT go to Enchanted Rock
Flickr/austintx Yeah, yeah, it’s a pink blob that supposedly creaks and groans at night. Cool story.
DO go to Balcones Canyonlands Wildlife Refuge
Flickr/usfwshq “Balcones” means “balconies” in Spanish, and when you’re standing at the top of one of the many hills, you truly feel like you’re on a balcony gazing out in front of you as far as the eye can see. The greenery is beautiful and the towering layered rocks are breathtaking. Plus, so many interesting species of animals live here! It’s an unforgettable experience, to say the least.
- Do NOT tour Space Center Houston
Flickr/mjstewart
DO go camping and see the stars for yourself.
Flickr/brianmrussell Learning about the history of space travel is cool and all, but spending a night in the desert, unimpeded by city lights, gazing up at the band of our Milky Way Galaxy? I’d choose the latter any day.
- Do NOT hike/swim at Barton Creek Greenbelt
Flickr/paddymurphy Those narrow pathways can get pretty dangerous with hundreds of people trying to squeeze past each other. Plus, the waterfalls aren’t that impressive.
DO visit Gorman Falls.
Flickr/fiftypercentchanceofrain It’s unknown to many Texans, and it looks like a scene from Tarzan. Need I say more?
Have you ever visited any of these places? Where else in Texas can locals go to escape the influx of tourists?
Flickr/darrelrhodesmiller
Sure, it’s breathtakingly beautiful - but chances are you’ve already been there, and it’s nearly impossible to enjoy it with the crazy amount of people who frequent it every summer day.
Flickr/mdwelch
It may not look like a secret underground grotto, but it’s still gorgeous in its own way. And I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not be packed with other people like a bunch of sardines when I’m trying to peacefully enjoy the water.
Flickr/photo_art
Flickr/blake.thornberry
There ARE other mountains in Texas, believe it or not. We just don’t hear about them as often as the famed Big Bend, but the view from “El Capitan” is indescribable.
Flickr/paddymurphy
Yeah, it’s fun, and kinda obligatory if you live in Texas, but when it starts looking like this and strangers’ feet are in my face, it gets old really fast.
Flickr/matthigh
Especially in the fall when you can admire the foliage lining the banks and forming a canopy over your head. And you can retain your personal space and actually experience some of the peace and serenity that water is supposed to bring.
Flickr/wallyg
Flickr/Angi English
Much less crowded, and it’s the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool.
Flickr/bendini
This cave system is hardly ever mentioned compared to Natural Bridge, and I have no idea why. The stalactites and stalagmites are more abundant than in any other cave in Texas and possibly America - it’s actually been voted one of the most beautiful caves in the entire world.
Flickr/sarowen
Essentially the same view, fewer people, and the stark contrast between the lush greenery and dry rocks is pretty neat. An all-around winning situation, if you ask me.
Flickr/memoriesbymike
Unless it’s Christmas. Then absolutely, positively get there as fast as you can. Otherwise, it’s just scorchingly hot and too commercialized for my tastes.
Flickr/freyapix
Not Fredericksburg or Jefferson; even those have become too touristy. I’m talking places like Alpine or Salado - places where the true Southern charm we’re so famous for radiates to the core.
Flickr/austintx
Yeah, yeah, it’s a pink blob that supposedly creaks and groans at night. Cool story.
Flickr/usfwshq
“Balcones” means “balconies” in Spanish, and when you’re standing at the top of one of the many hills, you truly feel like you’re on a balcony gazing out in front of you as far as the eye can see. The greenery is beautiful and the towering layered rocks are breathtaking. Plus, so many interesting species of animals live here! It’s an unforgettable experience, to say the least.
Flickr/mjstewart
Flickr/brianmrussell
Learning about the history of space travel is cool and all, but spending a night in the desert, unimpeded by city lights, gazing up at the band of our Milky Way Galaxy? I’d choose the latter any day.
Those narrow pathways can get pretty dangerous with hundreds of people trying to squeeze past each other. Plus, the waterfalls aren’t that impressive.
Flickr/fiftypercentchanceofrain
It’s unknown to many Texans, and it looks like a scene from Tarzan. Need I say more?
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