Autumn?in Texas brings some of the best weather of the year!?Fall means cooler temperatures and more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. Fall foliage, Halloween and other holidays are on the horizon.?

Visits to state parks are popular in the fall.?Make your reservations?up to 5 months in advance for overnight stays and 30 days in advance for day passes.

Fall Foliage

Garner State Park

There are many parks across the state where you can get your fall foliage fix. Fall colors are subject to changes in weather and falling temperatures, so keep an eye out for dropping digits and plan to get outside.?Peak time to see fall foliage in Texas begins in October and usually lasts until December.?

Guadalupe River, Garner,?Caprock Canyons,?Copper Breaks and?Ray Roberts Lake all offer gorgeous walks through autumn leaves. East Texas hardwoods shine bright at state parks too. Get an eyeful of?elms, oaks, and hickories?at?Cooper Lake,?Daingerfield, and?Martin Creek Lake.

Insider tip: If your schedule is flexible and you want to avoid some of the crowds, aim for a mid-week visit.

Spooky Season is Here!

Many parks offer fun festivities all month long for you and your friends and family to enjoy. We've planned?Halloween-themed events?for everyone, including:

• Friday the 13th Mystery Hike?at Martin Dies, Jr. on Oct. 13 ? Each knotty twist of the trail hides a new challenge. Roll the dice and await your fate.?This story-based hike?is suitable for children and adults.
  
  
• Spooky Science Fest: Dragons Over Estero!?at Estero Llano Grande on Oct. 21?? Dragons *DO* live among us, come and see! Bring your friends and family of all ages, in costume if you like, to join our annual Fall Festival to learn a little science and perhaps to be frightened just the right amount!
  
  
• Trail of Terror at Lockhart on Oct. 26-28?? Are you brave enough to hike a haunted trail in the dark?? If so, don?t miss this year?s TRAIL OF TERROR, presented in collaboration with Lockhart High School?s Drama Club! Registration required.
  
  
• Trick-or-Treat in the Park! at Cleburne on Oct. 28???Come join us for Trick-or-Treat in the Park! Entry fees are waived for each person who brings an unexpired canned good during the hours of the Halloween Event! We will donate all the canned goods to a local food pantry in our community.
  
  
• Spooktacular?at South Llano River on Oct. 28???Join us for evening of family friendly spooky fun! Learn about the moon, trick-or-treat in the camping loop and learn about some misunderstood friends that some might call creepy.

Check out all the upcoming events at a park near you!

Texas Parklands Passports

Just in time for Veterans Day, active-duty military, honorably discharged veterans and the immediate family members of a service member who died while serving now qualify for one of three new Parklands Passports. These passports are available at no cost and grant the cardholder free entry to all Texas State Parks. Read more in our press release.

A message from our non-profit partner Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation:

Get Away this Fall with a Toyota Giveaway

To celebrate 100 years of Texas State Parks, Toyota and Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation are offering a giveaway to help you get away! One lucky sweepstakes winner will win a Toyota Tundra prize package that includes everything you need for a Texas outdoor adventure, including a Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, plus extras from YETI, Solo Stove, PAKMULE, Tecovas, SWAROVSKI OPTIK, Turtlebox, PECOS Outdoor and more.

Make a $25 donation here to support 100 years of Texas State Parks by 11:59 a.m. (CT) on Oct. 22, 2023, and you will be automatically entered. Visit LetsGo100.org for complete details and sweepstakes rules.

Learn more about Prop 14 and the?Centennial Parks Conservation Fund:

A message from our sponsor: