The 10 Most Beautiful Natural Attractions in Texas

By Danno Wise

Updated 11/22/17

Although Texas has some of the largest cities in the United States, it is also home to some of the country's most impressive natural attractions. Mountains, canyons, rock formations, caves, forests and esquisite beaches are just some of the natural attractions found in the Lone Star State.
  • 01 of 10

    Big Bend National Park

    Chisos Mtns, Chihuahuan Desert, Big Bend, Texas
    ••• Witold Skrypczak/Getty Images

    Designated as an International Biosphere Reserve, Big Bend offers a variety of outdoor recreational activities in a primitive setting. Backpacking, mountain biking, fishing, boating, hiking, nature watching, camping - you name it, if it can be done outdoors, it can be done in Big Bend.

  • 02 of 10

    Enchanted Rock Natural Area

    Main Dome at sunset, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, in Hill Country near Fredericksburg.
    ••• Witold Skrypczak/Getty Images

    Located just north of Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country, Enchanted Rock is one of the largest natural rock formations in the United States, with a dome that rises 425 feet above the ground (1825 feet above sea level). Designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1970, Enchanted Rock is also part of the Texas State Parks System and attracts thousands of visitors annually.

  • 03 of 10

    Lost Maples State Natural Area

    Lost Maples Texas
    ••• Courtesy of Texas Parks & Wildlife

    New Englanders aren't the only that get to enjoy watching the fall foliage change, Lost Maples Natural Area in Central Texas offers Texans and visitors to Texas a breathtaking palette of colors every fall. Lost Maples is one of the most unique and most popular natural attractions in Texas..

  • 04 of 10

    Padre Island National Seashore

    Seagulls in flight at North Padre Island, Texas.
    ••• Olga Melhiser Photography/Getty Images

    Padre Island National Seashore stretches from Corpus Christi south some 75 miles to the Port Mansfield Cut - offering some of the most remote seashore to be found anywhere.

    Continue to 5 of 10 below.
  • 05 of 10

    Cascade Caverns

    cascade caverns texas
    ••• Hit527 / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

    Located just outside San Antonio, Cascade Caverns offer visitors a look beneath the surface of the Texas Hill Country. The cavern stays 68 degrees year around - making it a perfect place to beat the summer heat - plus it features a 100 foot underground waterfall!

  • 06 of 10

    Dinosaur Valley State Park

    Dinosaur Valley State Park
    ••• Petrified Dinosaur footprints in the Paluxy River. David Nunuk / Getty Images

    Located in Glen Rose, the park features models of a 70-foot Apatosaurus and a 45-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex, as well as the Paluxy River, preserved dinosaur tracks and more. Visiting Dinosaur Valley State Park gives kids and adults a unique opportunity to touch the distant past.

  • 07 of 10

    Natural Bridge Caverns

    Natural Bridge Caverns
    ••• Jonas Lamis/Flickr/CC BY 2.0

    An underground wonder, Natural Bridge Caverns shows the family a side of the world they probably haven't seen. In addition to a variety of subterranean tours, Natural Bridge Caverns offers a host of above-ground educational activities for kids of all ages.

  • 08 of 10

    Longhorn Caverns State Park

    Longhorn Caverns State Park
    ••• Courtesy of Texas Parks & Wildlife
    Longhorn Caverns are a Hill Country wonder that have housed Comanche Indians, Confederate Soldiers and, perhaps, and outlaw or two. Today the site is a state park, offering a number of tours and educational programs.
    Continue to 9 of 10 below.
  • 09 of 10

    Fossil Rim Wildlife Center

    Curious Addax
    ••• Dave G. Houser/Getty Images
    This 1,700-acre wildlife center, located in Glen Rose, is dedicated to preserving and protecting endangered and threatened species. Visitors can view over 1,000 animals from their own car or on guided tours.
  • 10 of 10

    Hueco Tanks State Historic Site

    Hueco Tanks State Park, near El Paso, Texas, USA
    ••• Witold Skrypczak/Getty Images

    Hueco Tanks offers a variety of outdoor activies, most notably camping and rock climbing. However, one of the biggest draws to this historic site are the prehistoric pictographs that dot the cave walls there.