The Lone Star State is famous for its BBQ, bluebonnets, The Alamo, rich Native American history and big Texan pride. In Texas, you’ll also find that the landscape is as diverse as the state is big. This list of Texas’ most beautiful natural wonders will show you why they say the stars at night are big and bright and prairie skies are wide and high.
Larger than any European country, home to three of the US’s most populous cities along with deserts, mountains, wetlands and everything in between, Texas really is in a league of its own.
Beautiful Natural Wonders In Texas
1. Big Bend National Park
Vast simply doesn’t begin to cover the magnificent expanse of Big Bend. In the heart of West Texas’ Big Bend, you’ll find over 800,000 acres of mountains, desert and rivers. It’s extreme isolation, and rugged wilderness makes it one of the best-preserved natural areas in the country. You’ll find hot springs, canyons, jet black skies dotted with millions of stars and sunrises rivalled by none.
2. Guadalupe Mountains
Around 100 miles east of El Paso, you’ll find the Guadalupe Mountains. Home to ancient rock art which dates back over 10,000 years, the highest point in Texas and a plethora of wildlife and fauna, it’s no wonder it’s a Texas favourite. Hike on any one of the parks 80 miles of trails and take in the never-ending views over Texas and New Mexico.
3. Palo Duro Canyon
Few things wow quite like the Panhandle’s Palo Duro Canyon. Straddling the area between Amarillo and Canyon, Texas, it’s as remote and desolate as it is beautiful. As the nation’s second-largest canyon, it draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Here you’ll find red and orange cake layers of every hue and sunsets that just can’t be beat.
4. Enchanted Rock
Home to unique mineral components, spooky legends and stunning Texas vistas – Enchanted Rock is a wonder for hikers, scientists and explorers alike. The massive granite hill has been wowing humans for at least 11,000 years and is home to many Tonkowa legends.
5. Caddo Lake
Where Texas meets Louisiana and “yee-haw” meets “laissez les bon temps rouler”, you’ll find Caddo Lake. Sprawling over 26,000 acres, it’s the largest freshwater lake in the South. Its first settlers were the Caddo Native Americans who were a peaceful tribe known for their pottery and fishing skills. Because of this, the lake isn’t just a beautiful swampland, it’s also home to a rich Native American history.
6. Natural Bridge Caverns
Plunged more than 200 feet deep inside the Earth right underneath San Antonio, you’ll find the Natural Bridge Caverns. Here you’ll find all of your geological favourites – stalagmites, stalactites and 20 million years of calcite.
7. Jacob’s Well
Daredevils and mystery fiends need to look no further than Wimberley, Texas’ Jacob’s Well. The natural underground Trinity Aquifer has been feeding turquoise blue waters to the well for millennia. Within the well, there are several narrow chambers that have yet to be explored.
It’s no wonder this bottomless, dark pit draws adrenaline junkies from all over the world looking for the dive of a lifetime.
