It’s been a long five, almost six, months of us being stuck in our homes and having to limit our exposure to the outdoors. A lot of us have supplemented out normal outdoor activities with indoor workouts or have had to just put these activities to the side in order to stay safe and follow guidelines. But there are ways that you can conduct outdoor activities, by yourself or with family and friends, while still maintaining proper social distancing and staying safe. There are plenty of parks and hiking trails located in Texas which offer a wide variety of fun outdoor activities that are family-friendly, completely safe to do, and a great source of exercise. Let’s look at a few of the parks that Texas has to offer:
Edith L. Moore Sanctuary
Located just outside of Memorial City, Houston, this 17.5 acre sanctuary is the perfect nature hiking trail that is located in the midst of the city. It offers large walking trails as well as amazing scenic views that you wouldn’t expect to find in the middle of a city. Home to a variety of reptiles, amphibians, and migratory songbirds, this privately-owned sanctuary aims to educate the public about the conservation of the ecosystem as well as provide a quiet, naturistic escape located in the middle of the country’s 4th largest city. Don’t forget to stop by the historic log cabin that was built by Edith Moore and her husband back in 1932. There you can learn all about the history of the sanctuary as well as about the various different lifeforms that live and grow on the ground of the sanctuary. The sanctuary is open year round, but timings may vary based on the season as well as COVID-19, so make sure to check their website before you go!
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park, located in the South West corner of Texas, is home to a large amount of plants and wildlife. The 800,000 acre park is home to three natural habitats, the Rio Grande river, the Chihuahuan Desert, and the Chisos mountains. The national park offers a variety of different trails that are tailored to all different age groups. For example, the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive offers an amazing sightseeing experience from the comfort of your own vehicle with areas to pull over and get out to enjoy the views. There are also trails such as the Mariscal that is a trail that is only accessible via boat. This route takes you down the narrowest point of the river to two different hiking and camping sites.
The park holds the record for being home to the most types of birds, bats, butterflies, ants, scorpions, and cacti than any other nation park in America, with over 1,200 species of plants and 4,100 species of animals. Having three different ecosystems within one park makes it so that Big Bend is home to many different wild species that you normally wouldn’t be able to experience on a regular basis.
Due to COVID-19, certain areas of the park are closed off to the public, such as the river, however, there are still many trails as well as scenic drives that are open. The park authorities are limiting group sizes to no more than five members and that everyone wears masks while on park property. Authorities are also warning attendees to check the weather before making their way to the park because the desert tends to reach temperatures of over 100℉ during the summer. Make sure to check their daily warnings to plan your trip.
McKinney Falls State Park
If you live in or close to Austin, make sure to check out McKinney Falls State Park, a 745 acre park that has many hiking trails as well as other activities such as bouldering, swimming, and fishing. The park has plenty of paved trails that are bike and stroller friendly but there are also rugged trails that are for those that are in search of an actual hiking experience. You can go swimming and fishing in Onion or Williamson Creek, but beware that the creeks tend to flood during peak “wet season”.
The park is open during normal operating hours, however, they are limiting group sizes to 10 or less and are also enforcing social distancing and wearing masks. Pricing still hasn’t changed and is still: adults get in for $6 and children aged 12 and under get in for free! Visit their website to see their interactive virtual maps and plan your trip!
Arbor Hills Nature Preserve
If you want to experience a proper fall in Texas, make sure to visit Arbor Hills Nature Preserve. In October/November, all of the trees along the trails are said to be the stars of the show; all of the leaves change colors to this beautiful orange and create a very fall-y vibe that is usually not seen in other areas of Texas. However, even if you go during other seasons, you will still be able to experience other beautiful wildlife. With three distinct “ecoregions”, the preserve has many different kinds of trails to explore. The Blackland Prairie, named for it black clay soil, is home to many types of wildflowers, like Bluebonnets (our state flower). The Riparian Forest borders a river where all of the trees and shrubbery grow thick and become entangled giving off the feel of a jungle. And lastly, Upland Forest, placed at a higher elevation away from all of the waterways, however, it’s where all of the big cedar trees are located with long shaded walking trails.
In order to accommodate for COVID-19, Arbor Hills Nature Preserve is limiting the amount of parking spaces to only 228, which means they are also limiting the amount of attendees allowed into the preserve. Because of this, make sure to check their website for timings so that you can get there as early as possible and have a fun, activity-packed day!
Garner State Park
Garner State Park, located in Concan, offers a wide variety of fun outdoor activities that are aimed at appealing to all ages. The Frio River, which runs through the park is a very popular spot for paddling and kayaking as well fishing. Garner State Park has a lot of trails ranging from trails that are paved to trails that are considered “challenging” because hikers have to be careful of loose gravel and rocks. The most popular attraction however, is the Crystal Cave Trail which takes hikers into a 30-foot-deep natural cave and is filled with tons of glittering crystals (hence the name).
As of right now, Garner State Park is only allowing admission into their park to people who have reserved online passes and are also enforcing strict rules that require wearing masks while in the park and maintaining a 6-foot distance from other park attendees.
