State Parks Getaways — April 2026

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department sent this bulletin at 04/02/2026 01:00 PM CDT

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Where to Look for Wildflowers

Bluebonnets, yellow butterfly and honeybee

Mother Nature tosses a color bomb into Texas each spring in the form of wildflowers, creating huge fields of mixed blooms and small bursts of color. Your parks are showcases for many flower varieties — see what we've spotted in different parks over the years in our press release Be Wowed by Wildflowers at Texas State Parks.

We can't predict for sure what will be blooming week-to-week, but you can call any park and find out. Refer to 30 Wildflowers of Texas to I.D. those you're most likely to see. Remember #4 of The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace and leave the flowers, but take plenty of photos!

Road Trip! Catch and Cook Crab at Sea Rim

What: Catching blue crabs on the Gulf Coast.
Where: Sea Rim is known for excellent marsh crabbing. You don't need a fishing license to go crabbing (or fishing) within a Texas state park.
How: Tie a chicken neck to twine and toss it in the water. Pull it in when you get a bite. Check size and other regulations before you go crabbing.

Man holding pot and live crab outdoors by a tent, video link

When: Late April, May and Sept. are best for crabbing.
Why #1: Crab is a premium seafood with a buttery flavor. Watch pro chef Davis Turner demonstrate how to clean crab and cook it outdoors in the video recipe Gulf Coast Barbeque Crab.

Why #2: As one boy in the video Crabbing at Sea Rim says, "Super, super, super fun!"

Additional Acreage for Caprock Canyons

Caprock Canyons vista with Lake Theo, link

We have recently purchased the 1,120-acre Hawkins Ranch and the 1,006-acre Rocking W Ranch to expand Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway.

“The Hawkins Ranch is the last piece of property to the west [of the park] that protects our viewshed of the canyon and affects our watershed," says Superintendent Donald Beard. "The Rocking W Ranch was also important because it expands the park to the northwest, allowing the Texas State Bison Herd potential access to the high plains.”

The Rocking W includes a “barndominium,” which will be available for family-style retreats in the future. Get more details about both these acquisitions in our press release Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway Adds About 2,200 Acres Through New Acquisitions.

April is state parks month at Whole Earth, link

Go Biking in Your Parks

Big Bend Ranch

Whether you're an advanced mountain biker or on training wheels, biking in parks offers natural settings with a variety of routes and fresh air.

Park trails maps rate the routes, from easy paved roads to moderately challenging trails and advanced single tracks. Lake Mineral Wells Trailway stretches 20 miles, check it out in our video Trail Through Time.

Buescher

More parks with plenty of bike trails:

Buescher
Cedar Hill
Big Bend Ranch
Tyler — see our recent Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine story Bike Through the Pines of Tyler State Park.

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

Donors Help Bring Palo Pinto to Life

Waterfall in landscape of Palo Pinto Mountains SP, link

More than a decade of planning, partnership and philanthropy culminated March 1 with the opening of Palo Pinto Mountains State Park — Texas’ first new state park in a generation.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) led the campaign to support the park’s creation, raising $10 million in private funding and managing vertical construction of the park’s visitor facilities and amenities. Lead philanthropic support was provided by Kelcy Warren; Lee and Ramona Bass; The Eugene McDermott Foundation; Amon G. Carter Foundation; the Thomas M., Helen McKee & John P. Ryan Foundation; Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation; The Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation; and the Marilyn Brachman Hoffman Foundation. Their generosity helped transform a long-standing vision into a stunning new outdoor destination for all Texans to enjoy.

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State Parks Getaways is made possible in part by the generous support of Toyota.

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