Our local road trip guides have been busy answering questions from our community on Instagram. Looking for inspiration? Check out their answers on the best road trip adventures for families.

@Baragonas: What are your must do things between Dallas & Big Bend? Also favorite trails for kids in BB

Nina: While you’re driving from Dallas to Big Bend, it’s a long drive, but a great place to stop is Big Spring State Park. It’s a small park, doesn’t have a lot of visitors but it’s a great place to check out the overlook, have a picnic and stretch your legs.

My favorite trails in Big Bend for kids would have to be Santa Elana Canyon, it’s a pretty easy trail and they can splash around in the water at the end – and also the Grapevine Hills Trail which takes you to Balanced Rock.

 

@cindy.sauceda.90: Any advice on where to stay the night for sky watching in Big Bend.. and the best time of the year to go?

Nina: Anywhere you stay in Big Bend, you’re going to have some amazing night skies just because it’s so dark. But my personal favorite is the Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park and my favorite time of year to go is fall – I highly recommend booking during a meteor shower.

 

@Tatiebuggie: What is so stereotypically Texan to do?

Nina: If you’re looking for a stereotypical Texan experience, you’ve got to go to the Alamo. It’s located in Downtown San Antonio so you can visit and then enjoy all the Riverwalk has to offer afterwards.

 

@Superruco: What are good places to visit in Waco?

Nina: While you’re in Waco, I highly recommend visiting Waco Mammoth National Monument. It’s a relatively new national park service site and it’s really cool because as you walk around, you’re looking down into the dig site and you can see all the bones from above.

 

@judyanddiesel: Road trips north from Houston

Nina: If you’re looking for a road trip north from Houston, you’ve got a couple of really good options. You have Huntsville State Park, Lake Livingston State Park and the Sam Houston National Forest. They all have hiking, camping, all that good stuff.

 

@sannettewright: Hi, I'm looking for a Thanksgiving trip to do with my family, (2dogs and my son will be about 1 1/2 years old). We were going to go to Arkansas stay in a cabin hike... but it's too far of a drive by myself as my husband only has Thursday-Sunday off but I'm off all week. Any suggestions???

Nina: If you’re looking for a Thanksgiving trip that’s a little closer than what you had originally planned, I recommend finding a pet friendly cabin somewhere up near Lake Texoma. Eisenhower State Park is up there, it’s close by and it’s a great place.

 

@marianasglz: Hi!!! I love all your posts! And I am getting all excited to do my 1st camping trip with my boys! We live in brownsville tx and would like to start with something close so we can get used to this new adventure. Any recommendations?

Nina:I think a good first camping trip near Brownsville would be to South Padre Island. It’s close by, you can camp on the beach (past beach access 5) or you can camp on one of the county parks on the island.

 

@ejgarcia_tex: Where to go in Georgetown & Fredericksburg with young boys

Nina: If you’re taking the kiddos to Georgetown, I recommend visiting Inner Space Cavern or any of the Corps of Engineers Parks around the lake. And in Fredericksburg – Enchanted Rock is always a good option or you can take them to Ladybird Park to play outside.

 

@natural_d1saster: 1 day road trips?

Nina: So without knowing where you’re coming from, there are a lot of great options in Texas for single day road trips, but the Texas Hill Country is always a good option just because there’s so much to do. You can really pick anything.

 

 @madaniel247: We would like to retire on a lake in north Texas somewhere. Any ideas of lakes to check out? I love trees and the water. We’d like to visit for vacation and see what the area is like before deciding to build

Chet: I say Lake Granbury is going to be your best choice. Really close to a beautiful historic square. Or Possum Kingdom Lake, which is naturally beautiful.

 

@Mrslydiahays: I've never been camping but taking my kids springs break - any recs for a newbie :)

Chet: My recommendation is flexibility! Don’t over-plan it because whatever you plan is going to fall off the rails. Chill out, have some fun, go with the flow.

 

@Againstoneswill: Any suggestions that aren't outdoors related?

Chet: Yes, a thousand of them. That’s what I do! I don’t know what part of Texas you’re in, but every Texan must visit the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum in Austin. Start there.

 

@Laurawsmith14: Best things to do in Guadalupe National Park with toddlers?

Chet: Glad you ask because I just took my toddlers there. You’ve got to go to the Pine Springs Visitor Center. It’s got all kinds of stuffed animals, good information and right behind it is a paved trail.

 

@Kasventures: What is Texas' most amazing hidden gem? (In y'alls opinion)

Chet: We have so many of them! One of my favorites is North Padre Island. Not South Padre Island with all the developments, but North Padre. Longest undeveloped barrier island in the world.

 

@Saintgtr33: Road trip around the DFW, what are the best spots

Chet: Well, the possibilities are endless. I like to go to a place with history and outdoors, so go west, head to Mineral Wells, you’ll love it. Or maybe east and check out Tyler State Park.

 

@Cimarunner: Best river bank spot to drive up and deploy your roof top tent?

Chet: I grew up in southeast Texas and in East Texas the rivers all have these incredible sand bars right beside them, a lot of them you can drive on. So, head to the Trinity River!

 

@jaclyn.and.abraham: Best state parks to visit this time of year?

Chet: I assume you mean spring, and if it’s springtime, I’m going to Pedernales Falls State Park. The water should be flowing phenomenally and there might even be some wildflowers popping up.

 

@Purschwitz: Our TX road trip tradition is finding unique pizza places. Favorite pizza outside of the big cities?

Chet: I’ve got a recommendation for you: Caam’s Pizza in Stephenville. It’s one of the best, most creative pizza you will find anywhere and it’s in the Cowboy Capital of the World.

 

@Emily.joyyyy: Best hikes near Houston?!

Chet: You can go east to the Piney Woods, but I prefer to go south, specifically to Brazos Bend State Park where you’re going to hike on trails right beside alligators, it’s awesome!

 

@Milindayo: Where would you take a six month old baby in the summer?

Nina: A great thing about six-month-olds is, they’re still really portable, so you can kind of take them wherever you want to go for another few months. My kids also really enjoyed the water as babies. So, once they could sit up, beachy areas with sand and splash pads were a big hit.

 

@home_school4all: Any recommendations for travel stops for families of children with disabilities?

Nina: Texas has about a dozen playgrounds that are designed to be accessible and even one theme park that’s designed to be as inclusive as possible. I would also check out the Texas State Parks which have lots of paved trails, boardwalks and even programming that is designed to be accessible to most.

 

@Lcarr22: Best outdoor spots (hiking, camping, activities) for kids ages 2-10?

Nina: A really fun spot for kids of all ages is Monahans Sandhills State Park in West Texas. You can hike and explore on the dunes, and you can also rent sleds at the state park headquarters to go dune sledding. They also have camping if you want to stay overnight.

 

@Consuella717: Can you recommend family friendly hiking near Houston / the Woodlands?

Nina: The Woodlands is only 45 minutes south of the Sam Houston National Forest, which has tons of beautiful hiking trails. We’ve really enjoyed doing parts of the Lone Star Hiking Trail, which is the longest continuous hiking trail in Texas at 128 miles long.

 

@a.gal.named.al: Favorite hikes and places to visit in Waco?

Nina: Cameron Park in Waco has hiking trails, a playground, picnic areas, a splash pad, and there’s also a big zoo there. Just up the road you’ll also find Waco Mammoth National Monument which is one of only two national monuments in Texas.

 

@ajrobinaugh: Any tips on how to motivate young kids to hike? We hear a lot of whining/excuses on the trail sometimes from our 3 year old

Nina: For the littlest hikers, I really like an out-and-back-hike instead of a loop. It really helps to set expectations. Young kids don’t really understand distances like one or two miles but they do understand “okay now we’re going to hike back from where we came”. A really special snack always helps too.

 

@bearmamallama: Best hikes for toddlers in the hill country Austin area?

Nina: In Austin, I really like Balcones District Park for toddlers. There are some fun rocks to climb about a half mile into the hike and after a rainfall, you get a little waterfall going there and it’s really beautiful. Mayfield Park is also a big hit with toddlers because it has peacocks.

 

@davidcortez965: Houston to austin road trip suggestions

Nina: Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery are about halfway between Houston and Austin. You can check out the remains of an old brewery and a homestead – really fun to see. As you get closer to Austin, check out McKinney Rough’s Nature Park which has tons of hiking trails and a zip lining tour.

 

Looking for more inspiration? Check out their answers to previous questions from our community. For more travel guide advice and inspiration for your next family adventure, follow us on @wanderwheels