Texas's National Parks

Texas is home to two national parks, one national monument, one national memorial, one national seashore, one national preserve, two national historic parks, and one national historic site. Go Texas Travel provides extensive, accurate coverage with lots of photos, maps and coverage of hiking, mountain biking, scenic drives, camping, and more.

Presented below are summary descriptions of each of Texas's national parks and other treasures with links for more information.

Big Bend National Park has the Rio Grande River as its lifeblood and its terrain is vast and wild, both desert and mountain, both green and dry. The park is famous for its diversity of animals, vegetation and especially birds.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is made up of canyons rich with trees, trees that explode into oranges, yellows and reds come fall. An ancient coral reef is preserved high up in these mountains, which stretch high indeed - Guadalupe Peak is Texas's highest point.

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument are indeed quarries, quarries that have been in use for thousands of years. The colorful and shapeable Alibates flint was used by both prehistoric and more modern people in weapons such as arrows.

Big Thicket National Preserve is a virtual Noah's Ark of diversity, gathering species from several ecosystems into one area. It's an especially good place for reptiles and carnivorous plants.

Chamizal National Memorial commemorates the peaceful resolution of an old border dispute between the United States and Mexico. The site is home not only to parts of the old border, but a visitors' center with gallery halls.

Lyndon Baines Johnson National Historical Park consists of everything from the former president's boyhood home to his beautifully landscaped ranch in the Hill Country.

Padre Island National Seashore is the world's largest undeveloped barrier island and essential habitat for nesting sea turtles, especially the Kemp's Ridley.

Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site preserves the rough cordgrass and mesquite of the site of one of the pivotal battles in the Mexican-American war. Imagine having to fight in this landscape.

San Antonio Missions National Historic Park consists of four very historic missions indeed, some from as long ago as the eighteenth century.