From the coast to the big cities to the mountains and beautiful countryside in between, Texas offers amazingly diverse areas to explore. Want to hit the road and have some travel adventures with the kids? Below you’ll find some of our top picks for where to go when you get the chance to buckle up and head out on an old-fashioned family road trip.
Texas Road Trips for Families
Bandera
Approximate drive time: 2 hours, 20 min.
Get away from it all and say “howdy” to your inner cowboy in Bandera County. Known as the “Cowboy Capitol of the World”, this is a great destination to put on your boots and cowboy hat, relax on a ranch, ride horses, and boot-scoot around a dusty dance floor. While the tiny little town area is mostly packed with honky tonk bars, antique shops, and Western wear boutiques, the kids can stick to the dude ranches, like Flying L Ranch Resort or Dixie Dude Ranch, where there are plenty of activities to keep the family busy. Enjoy the great outdoors at the Hill Country State Natural Area or along one of the top-rated scenic drives of the Hill Country.
Big Bend National Park
Approximate drive time: 8 hours
Head way out west to one of the most awe-inspiring stretches of landscape in the state at Big Bend National Park. Take in the views of giant canyons, sprawling desert flora, cliffs, peaks, and abundant wildlife. The park features river trips, horseback riding, and air tours. Big Bend is also known as one of the best places in all of North America for star gazing – a fact due to it having the least amount of light pollution of any other National Park in the lower 48 states. Read about our visit to Big Bend with the kids.
Approximate Drive Time: 3 hours
Dallas is home to The Cowboys, incredible cuisine, an awesome music scene, and so much fun and entertainment for folks of all ages. If you’re thinking of heading to Dallas with the family, you could check out The Dallas World Aquarium to adventure in the mysteries of the rain forest, The Dallas Zoo, with more than 2,000 animals, and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science for innovative and highly accessible experiences. You could also hit up Great Wolf Lodge Waterpark and Resort for some family water fun. Check out more ideas at Visit Dallas here, and their sample itinerary for families visiting the city here.
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Approximate drive time: 3 hours
Take the kids for a walk in real dino tracks! Famous for having some of the best-preserved dinosaur tracks in the world, this park is located in Glen Rose, TX on the Paluxy River where you can see footprints in and around the riverbed. Enjoy plenty of dinosaur-themed things and camp, picnic, hike, mountain bike, swim, fish, go geocaching, and ride horses. Click here for park hours, entrance, and camping fees. Take note that dinosaur tracks are in the riverbed and are not always visible due to wet conditions or weather. Visit the park’s Facebook page or Twitter feed before arrival for current trail status and dinosaur track visibility. While you’re in the area, you can also check out Dinosaur World, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, and the Glen Rose Historic Courthouse Square.
Approximate Drive Time: 2 hours, 50 minutes
Forth Worth is known for its world-class museums like the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, where you can find an awesome, interactive children’s exhibit, a playground, and even dig for dinosaurs in a mock dig site. You could also check out the Forth Worth Zoo, one of the nation’s best, Six Flags Over Texas (just 15 minutes from downtown Fort Worth), as well as a huge variety of restaurants and cuisines.
Galveston
Approximate drive time: 4 hours
Beyond a basic beach vacation, Galveston is rich with history, making it a fun and educational destination. Once one of the most bustling ports of entry in the entire nation, the island city was nearly decimated by a hurricane in 1900, which remains the deadliest natural disaster in United States history. You can learn about the history of the Port of Galveston at the Texas Seaport Museum & 1877 Tall Ship Elissa. Admire the beautiful centuries-old architecture at The Grand 1894 Opera House or the opulent Hotel Galvez. Galveston is also home to the fantastic Moody Gardens, with aquariums, IMAX theaters, art exhibits, and more. Of course, no visit to Galveston is complete without plenty of fun in the sun on the beach as well as rides and carnival games on Pleasure Pier. You can also book a cruise from the Port at Galveston on major cruise lines like Disney, Royal Caribbean, and Princess.
Approximate drive time: 2 hours, 45 min.
The fourth-largest city in the US also has one of the tallest skylines in the country. Houston is packed with amazing cuisine, museums, and art galleries. Take the kids to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the Houston Zoo, or the Children’s Museum of Houston.
Port Aransas
Approximate drive time: 4 hours
Slow down and chill will the fam at “Port A”, where beach life is all about relaxation. Get around on golf carts, hang out on miles of open beach, and enjoy fresh seafood. Spend a few hours at Port Aransas Nature Preserve or do some fishing on the pier.
San Antonio
Approximate drive time: 1 hour, 20 min.
When you’re looking for a day trip or an easy getaway, San Antonio is a perfect spot to take the kids for fun adventures. Only about an hour’s drive south of Austin, San Antonio provides SO MANY amazing things for kids to see and do. There’s the beautiful River Walk where you can hop aboard a Go Rio cruise, or tour the historic Alamo, but there are also plenty of engaging museums such as The DoSeum as well as The Witte. Kids will have a blast playing in the Hemisfair Park – Yanaguana Garden or visiting the animals in the San Antonio Zoo. So take a little trip down and enjoy being a tourist for a day or two. Read more about our last visit to San Antonio.
Waco
Approximate drive time: 1 hour, 45 min.
Waco is located just over 100 miles north of Austin, so it’s great for a short trip. It’s a small college town, home to Baylor University. But it’s also home to the awesome Cameron Park Zoo, and super kid-friendly museums at the Mayborne Museum Complex. Did you know that the Waco Mammoth National Monument is home to fully preserved Columbian mammoths? Stop in for a very informative tour. For some fun, pop into the Dr. Pepper Museum, or if you’re a fan of HGTV, you can’t miss a stop at Chip and Joanna Gaines’s Magnolia Market at the Silos.
MORE TO EXPLORE:
