Texas is host to some seriously fascinating sights and experiences you’re not bound to forget anytime soon.
Thanks to the Lone Star State’s enormous size, stunning landscapes are aplenty, ranging from golden rolling hills perfect for a wine-tasting session to vast deserts and looming mountains.
If you’re itching to explore the very best Texas has to offer, here are a few bucket list-worthy places and activities you absolutely need to see and do in order to experience the state in its full splendor!
The Ultimate Texas Travel Bucket List
1. Drive the Willow City Loop to see carpets of bluebonnets
As Texas’s official state flower, there’s no experience quite like seeing expansive fields carpeted in Bluebonnets!
Even though you can see Bluebonnets in many other locations throughout the state during the season, it’s hard to beat the experience of driving one of the most scenic roads in Texas and getting to see them all over.
Add the beauty of the Hill Country and tons of wine-tasting experiences scattered throughout, and you’ve got yourself the ultimate bucket list item in the entire Lone Star State!
2. See sky-high mountains at Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Towering peaks probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Texas, but a visit to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park is bound to change that.
This alluring national park in Texas is home to the four highest mountains in the entire state, making a visit here a true treat, especially if you’re into outdoor experiences, hiking trails galore, and wouldn’t mind exploring the mountains and the desert all in one go.
Hiking is a prime activity here, with short trails providing excellent vistas of the mountains and the desert around it as well as more challenging feats to actually conquer them. If you consider yourself prepared enough, you can actually hike the Guadalupe Peak, which traverses 8.5 miles up to its summit, providing the most alluring views of Texas from the top!
3. Explore Big Bend National Park
Commonly dubbed “Texas’ Gift to the Nation”, a visit to Big Bend National Park is an unraveled experience.
Home to the alluring Chisos Mountains and the Rio Grande river, the park is host to unparalleled views as well as amazing activities out in nature, especially if what you’re after is a mix of beautiful vistas, recreational activities, and history galore.
Aside from scenic driving in search of the best views, hiking, and swimming, Big Bend also provides a wonderful opportunity for visitors to take a step back in time, with archeological sites dating back almost 10,000 years to more recent miners, ranchers, and pioneers. Moreover, if you know where to look, you can even find sea fossils and dinosaur bones!
4. Experience the largest undeveloped barrier island in the world
You may not expect it, but Texas is home to the largest undeveloped barrier island on the entire planet!
Named Padre Island National Seashore, this island separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Laguna Madre. Its entire area consists of just over 130,000 acres, which pretty much makes it a mecca for a wide variety of terrain and landscapes, ranging from rolling sand dunes to untouched grasslands and coastal beauty.
5. Swim at Jacob’s Well
Located in Hay County, Jacob’s Well is one of the most enchanting sights in Texas and a wonderful place to go for a swim if unique experiences are your jam.
Jacob’s well is the second-largest submerged cave in Texas and an artesian spring that releases thousands of gallons every day. Its deepest point reaches 140 feet, making it a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience reminiscent of cenotes in the Mayan Riviera.
Aside from swimming and gawking at the beauty of the spring, there’s a whole lot more to do around Jacob’s Well, including hiking around the wilderness area that surrounds it, going geocaching, and birdwatching.
As a tip, the town of Wimberley where Jacob’s Well is located is also home to another gorgeous spring, Blue Hole. If you’re up for more swimming and enchanting views, you can very well combine both experiences and make a day trip out of it!
6. See the second largest canyon in the United States
Palo Duro State Park is the second-largest canyon in the United States, which is why it’s often called the “Grand Canyon of Texas”.
Aside from gawking at its rugged beauty, what makes this park so special is the fact that it boasts multicolored layers of rocks, which make the views as dazzling as ever. While here, you’ll get to hike through its beautiful rock formations and steep mesas, go on a horseback riding adventure, or follow a few of its mountain biking trails if you’re feeling up for a challenge.
A must while in Palo Duro is staying the night, especially if you’re feeling up for a starry sky like no other. Camping and glamping are both options, but if you’re keen to experience the canyon in a unique way, you can book yourself a cabin on its rim!
We hope this list of bucket-list-worthy activities inspired you to travel to Texas. Not only are these activities some of the most quintessential things to do in the Lone Star State, but doing everything on the list is guaranteed to show you just how varied the landscape here can get!
Have you ever been to Texas and done any of these activities? We’d love to know all about your experience, so feel free to tell us all about it in the comment section down below!
