Texas region guide
Things to do in West Texas
Plan a trip around 30 published destinations in West Texas. Compare parks, waterways, historic places, trails, caverns, wildlife areas, and visitor attractions, then connect the places that fit your route.
Explore West Texas
Use this guide as a starting point for discovering public lands, natural features, heritage sites, and visitor attractions across West Texas. Each destination page brings together location details, activities, amenities, current source information, and nearby stops so you can build a realistic itinerary instead of a disconnected list.
Before leaving, confirm operating hours, reservations, fees, weather, water conditions, closures, and access rules with the destination’s official source. Distances and services can vary considerably across Texas, so allow extra time between remote stops.
Popular activities in West Texas
Destinations in West Texas
Open a guide for visitor information, things to do, maps, planning notes, and related places.
Abilene State Park
Tuscola · Taylor County · West Texas
Shaded Elm Creek recreation with historic CCC structures, trails, camping, fishing, and a seasonal swimming pool.
Amistad National Recreation Area
Del Rio · Val Verde County County · West Texas
A vast border reservoir known for boating, fishing, paddling, camping, desert scenery, and nearby rock-art sites.
Balmorhea State Park
Toyahvale · Reeves County · West Texas
A spring-fed desert pool with swimming, camping, and historic CCC structures.
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park · Brewster County County · West Texas
Texas' largest national park protects Chihuahuan Desert, Chisos Mountains, Rio Grande canyons, dark skies, and hundreds of miles of trails and roads.
Big Bend Ranch State Park
Presidio · Presidio County · West Texas
Texas's largest state park, with rugged Chihuahuan Desert mountains, Rio Grande access, primitive camping, and remote backcountry trails.
Big Spring State Park
Big Spring · Howard County · West Texas
A day-use park atop Scenic Mountain with panoramic views, CCC-built structures, picnicking, playgrounds, and a loop road.
Bush Family Home State Historic Site
Midland · Midland County County · West Texas
Tour the restored Midland home where the Bush family lived during the formative years of two future U.S. presidents.
Caverns of Sonora
Sonora · Sutton County County · West Texas
Discover an internationally recognized West Texas show cave celebrated for exceptionally dense crystal formations and intimate guided underground tours.
Chamizal National Memorial
El Paso · El Paso County County · West Texas
An El Paso cultural park commemorating the peaceful settlement of a century-long border dispute between the United States and Mexico.
Davis Mountains State Park
Fort Davis · Jeff Davis County · West Texas
High-desert mountain scenery, Skyline Drive overlooks, extensive trails, camping, birding, and the historic Indian Lodge.
Devils River Scenic Segment
Val Verde County, Sutton County County · West Texas
A remote, spring-fed West Texas river segment known for clear water, rugged canyons, primitive conditions, and exceptional aquatic habitat.
Devils River State Natural Area
Del Rio · Val Verde County · West Texas
A remote and exceptionally clear spring-fed river landscape for paddling, fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing, and primitive camping.
Fort Davis National Historic Site
Fort Davis · Jeff Davis County County · West Texas
One of the best-preserved frontier military posts in the Southwest, with restored buildings, exhibits, trails, and Buffalo Soldier history.
Fort Griffin State Historic Site
Albany · Shackelford County County · West Texas
Explore frontier fort ruins, military history, archeology, dark skies, and the Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd.
Fort Lancaster and Battlefield State Historic Site
Sheffield · Crockett County County · West Texas
Walk the ruins of a remote frontier post overlooking the Pecos River valley and learn about soldiers, travelers, and regional conflict.
Fort McKavett State Historic Site
Fort McKavett · Menard County County · West Texas
Tour one of Texas' best-preserved frontier military posts, with restored buildings interpreting soldiers, Buffalo Soldiers, and civilian life.
Franklin Mountains State Park
El Paso · El Paso County · West Texas
A rugged mountain wilderness within El Paso offering hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, camping, desert wildlife, and panoramic borderland views.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Salt Flat · Culberson County County · West Texas
Home to Guadalupe Peak, McKittrick Canyon, ancient fossil reefs, rugged desert wilderness, backpacking routes, and exceptional fall color.
Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site
El Paso · El Paso County · West Texas
Rock formations, Indigenous pictographs, guided access, climbing, and desert history.
Kickapoo Cavern State Park
Brackettville · Kinney County · West Texas
A remote park with guided cavern tours, seasonal bat flights, rugged trails, birding, mountain biking, and primitive camping.
Lake Colorado City State Park
Colorado City · Mitchell County · West Texas
A West Texas reservoir park with boating, fishing, swimming, birding, hiking, cabins, and camping beneath wide-open skies.
Magoffin Home State Historic Site
El Paso · El Paso County County · West Texas
Tour a distinctive adobe home interpreting a prominent borderlands family, regional trade, politics, architecture, and multicultural life.
Monahans Sandhills State Park
Monahans · Ward County · West Texas
Wind-shaped dunes offer sand sliding, hiking, camping, wildlife viewing, horseback riding, and expansive West Texas skies.
Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd
Albany · Shackelford County County · West Texas
See the historic longhorn herd preserved by the State of Texas at Fort Griffin and learn how cattle shaped the state's economy and identity.
Old Socorro Mission State Historic Site
Socorro · El Paso County County · West Texas
Visit the grounds of one of Texas' oldest mission communities and explore centuries of Indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, and borderlands history.
Pecos River Scenic Segment — Lower Pecos
Val Verde County, Crockett County County · West Texas
A dramatic Lower Pecos canyon reach above Lake Amistad with desert scenery, native aquatic life, and major cultural landscapes.
Pecos River Scenic Segment — Trans-Pecos
Val Verde County, Terrell County, Crockett County, Pecos County, Crane County County · West Texas
A remote Pecos River reach crossing arid West Texas landscapes with significant native fish, wildlife, and scenic values.
Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River
Big Bend National Park · Brewster County County · West Texas
A protected stretch of the Rio Grande flowing through remote desert canyons, renowned for multi-day paddling, wilderness scenery, and river ecology.
San Angelo State Park
San Angelo · Tom Green County · West Texas
A broad West Texas park on O.C. Fisher Reservoir with hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, camping, fishing, wildlife, and the official Texas State Longhorn Herd.
Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site
Comstock · Val Verde County · West Texas
Lower Pecos canyon landscapes with hiking, camping, scenic overlooks, and guided access to ancient rock art in Fate Bell Shelter.