Topic · Page 8
The Great Outdoors
Local Notes
The Great Outdoors notes
Hidalgo County · State park
Estero Llano Grande Puts Wetlands and Thorn Scrub Near Weslaco
Estero Llano Grande State Park near Weslaco is a World Birding Center site with wetlands, ponds, woodlands, thorn scrub, and trails.
Hidalgo County · Hunting
Javelina Can Be Hunted Year-Round in the Southern Region
Hidalgo County is in the Southern Region for javelina, where the season is open year-round with a limit of 2 per license year.
Hidalgo County · Urban sanctuary
Quinta Mazatlan Turns a McAllen Mansion Into an Urban Sanctuary
The City of McAllen describes Quinta Mazatlan as a 1935 Spanish Revival mansion and urban sanctuary tied to birds, plants, and environmental education.
Hidalgo County · Natural Features
Resacas Are Old River Channels That Shape Life in the Valley
Resacas are the curved, oxbow-shaped lakes left behind when the Rio Grande shifted course. They provide wildlife habitat but also carry flood risk.
Hidalgo County · Wildlife refuge
Santa Ana Refuge Sits Where Major Bird Routes Meet
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1943 to protect migratory birds at a major route junction.
Hidalgo County · Climate
The County Has a Subtropical Climate With Intense Summer Heat
Hidalgo County has a subtropical climate with July highs near 96°F, about 23 inches of annual rain, and a risk of severe tropical weather.
Hidalgo County · Hunting
The Plain Chachalaca Is a Legal Game Bird Only in South Texas
The plain chachalaca is a native bird of the lower Rio Grande brush country and can be hunted in Hidalgo County during a designated season.
Hidalgo County · Hunting
White-Winged Dove Hunting Is a Big Draw in the Valley
The Rio Grande Valley is one of Texas's most productive dove hunting areas, and Hidalgo County falls in the South Zone with early special white-winged dove days.
Hill County · Wildlife Resources
Hill County has a named TPWD wildlife biologist you can call about land and habitat
Texas Parks and Wildlife assigns a wildlife biologist to Hill County who helps landowners for free with habitat, deer management, and ag-valuation questions.
Hill County · Lake Whitney
Lake Whitney offers public fishing and hunting on Hill County land
Lake Whitney, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, sits partly in Hill County and offers public fishing, hunting, and camping.
Hockley County · City park
Brashear Lake Park Has a College Thread in Its Story
Brashear Lake Park grew from a South Plains College contribution, leaving Levelland with a campus-side trail, fishing lake, and picnic ground.
Hockley County · City park
Levelland City Park Fits a Whole Recreation Map into 116 Acres
Levelland City Park gathers ball fields, a pool, courts, disc golf, gathering buildings, and quieter picnic space on one 116-acre site.
Hockley County · Park use
Levelland Park Pavilions Now Reserve Online
Levelland routes ordinary park-pavilion bookings through an online catalog, where an account opens the current calendar and facility details.
Hockley County · City park
Lobo Lake Takes Its Name from Levelland's School Mascot
Lobo Lake Park pairs an old-school Levelland name with a man-made lake, two bridges, a fountain, and one of the city's stranger park features.
Hood County · Hunting Regulations
Hood's deer page needs a new license-year heading
TPWD's Hood County page carries local antler rules, but its dates and limits should not be reused after the displayed license year ends.
Hood County · Fishing
On Lake Granbury, Boat Docks Double as Fish Habitat
Lake Granbury's built-up shoreline shapes the fishing: boat houses and piers are the lake's main cover, joined by habitat structures placed below the water.
Hopkins County · Lakes and Water
Cooper Lake became Jim Chapman Lake, but both names still work
The South Sulphur River reservoir has carried two familiar names while serving water, flood-control, wildlife, and recreation roles.
Hopkins County · Public Land Access
Cooper WMA stays open, but rain can close its back roads
The 14,480-acre public area offers year-round outdoor access, with a few practical limits worth knowing before the drive.
Houston County · Public Land
Hunting and Outdoor Access in Davy Crockett National Forest
Most of Davy Crockett National Forest sits in Houston County, giving residents and visitors open access for hunting, hiking, and fishing.
Houston County · Fishing
Little Elkhart Creek became Houston County Lake in 1966
Houston County Lake impounded Little Elkhart Creek in 1966; its standing-timber upper end and changing waterline still shape a day on the reservoir.
Houston County · State park
Mission Tejas holds three histories in one small park
A surviving road trace, a cabin moved into the park, and a CCC commemorative mission tell three distinct parts of the Mission Tejas story.
Houston County · Overlook
Neches Bluff opens a long view over the river bottomlands
At the north end of the Four C Trail, Neches Bluff overlooks the pine and hardwood forest spread across the Neches River bottomlands.
Houston County · Horse trail
Piney Creek changes from forest road to tram road to game trail
Piney Creek's 53-mile horse-trail system changes route type and land ownership as it crosses the Davy Crockett National Forest.
Houston County · Forest recreation
Ratcliff Lake was a millpond before the CCC made it a recreation lake
A 45-acre sawmill pond became Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area, and the Four C Trail now starts near old company tramways.
Houston County · Forest trail
The Four C Trail follows tramway grades, with a break at Big Slough
A 20-mile trail follows some old company tramways between Ratcliff Lake and Neches Bluff, but an active warning breaks the route at Big Slough.
Howard County · State Park
Big Spring State Park Is Inside City Limits and Free to Enter
Big Spring State Park is a 382-acre park within Big Spring city limits, open daily with no entrance fee and several miles of trails.
Howard County · Scenic Mountain
Scenic Mountain Makes Big Spring State Park Feel Like a Lookout
Big Spring State Park is built around a 200-foot bluff, so the main outdoor lesson is height, sky, and dry country spread out below you.
Hudspeth County · Hunting
Mule deer and pronghorn require specific permits here
Hudspeth County is in the Trans-Pecos hunting zone for mule deer. Pronghorn hunting requires a special permit issued to landowners.
Hunt County · State Park
A 200-yard spiderweb once took over a park trail
Lake Tawakoni State Park pairs oak woods and nearly five miles of trails with camping, paddling, swimming, and reservoir access.
Hunt County · Fishing
Lake Tawakoni is open-water country for striped bass
The 37,879-acre reservoir spans Hunt, Rains, and Van Zandt counties and carries special catfish limits.
Hunt County · Public Hunting
Tawakoni WMA hunting has unit-by-unit rules
The public area allows archery and shotgun hunting, but its permits, species, and waterfowl boundary need a fresh check before each trip.
Hunt County · Public Fishing
The Caddo Creek bridge is the WMA's clearest fishing stop
TPWD describes limited fishing at Tawakoni WMA and points anglers to Caddo Creek at SH 34.
Hutchinson County · Canadian River
Lake Meredith Cuts a Blue Line Through the Canadian River Breaks
Sanford Dam turned the Canadian River into a working reservoir where red-rock breaks, city water, and Panhandle recreation meet.
Hutchinson County · Camping
Lake Meredith Has Free Campsites and 10 Reservable Hookups
Lake Meredith's free campsites are first-come, first-served; 10 Sanford-Yake RV hookup sites take reservations and charge a fee.
Hutchinson County · Fishing & Recreation
Lake Meredith: Fishing and Recreation Near Hutchinson County
Lake Meredith, managed by the National Park Service, is near Fritch in Hutchinson County and is known for some of the best walleye fishing in Texas.
Irion County · Hunting
Deer Hunting in Irion County Has a Generous Bag Limit
Irion County falls in the Texas North Zone for white-tailed deer, which allows up to five deer per season with a two-buck limit.
Jack County · State Park
Fort Richardson's Hospital Tells the Harder Frontier Story
Fort Richardson's post hospital carries a sobering detail: disease killed more soldiers there than battle wounds did.
Jackson County · Fishing & Recreation
Lake Texana offers fishing and camping near Edna
Lake Texana, about eight miles east of Edna on the Navidad River, is a 9,727-acre reservoir managed for water supply and public recreation.
Jasper County · Access rules
Boat access shapes a trip into the Dam B wildlife area
At Angelina-Neches/Dam B WMA, access is mainly by boat, airboats are prohibited, and hunting has a separate permit rule.
Jasper County · Wildlife area
Dam B is a bottomland maze of sloughs, hardwoods, and reservoir water
The Angelina-Neches/Dam B Wildlife Management Area sits where the Angelina River, Neches River, and B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir come together.
Jasper County · State park
Martin Dies Jr. State Park sits on a reservoir at the edge of the Big Thicket
Martin Dies Jr. State Park on B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir in Jasper County offers camping, fishing, paddling, and hiking in a bottomland forest setting.
Jasper County · Fishing
Sam Rayburn Reservoir offers public fishing near Jasper
Sam Rayburn Reservoir, a 114,500-acre lake with its dam about 15 miles north of Jasper, is one of Texas's top public fishing lakes for bass, crappie, and catfish.
Jasper County · Big Thicket
The Big Thicket reaches Jasper County along the Neches
Big Thicket National Preserve follows Jasper County's Neches River edge through waterway corridors, sandbars, oxbow lakes, and baygall woods.
Jeff Davis County · State Park
Davis Mountains State Park offers hiking, camping, and stargazing
Davis Mountains State Park sits at high elevation in Fort Davis and offers outdoor activities year-round, including a historic lodge and some of the darkest night skies in Texas.
Jefferson County · Wetlands
Cattail Marsh Turns a Beaumont Wastewater Project Into Bird Country
Beaumont's Cattail Marsh pairs a 900-acre wetland with a boardwalk and education center inside the Tyrrell Park area.
Jefferson County · Paddling
Collier's Ferry Opens a Quiet Big Thicket Paddle
The Collier's Ferry to Lake Bayou paddling trail starts at a Beaumont city park and follows the Neches River into a remote backwater of Big Thicket National Preserve.
Jefferson County · Paddling
Cooks Lake to Scatterman Is a Marked Paddle From a Beaumont Boat Ramp
TPWD's Cooks Lake to Scatterman is a 4.8-mile loop paddling trail that launches from the LNVA Saltwater Barrier boat ramp in Beaumont into cypress-tupelo sloughs.
Jefferson County · Hunting Regulations
Deer Hunting in Jefferson County Has Antler Restrictions
For 2026-27, Jefferson County is in the North Zone with a four-deer season limit and a county antler rule that allows only one wide-spread buck.
Jefferson County · Wildlife Management Area
J.D. Murphree WMA Is a Major Coastal Marsh Near Port Arthur
J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area covers roughly 25,000 acres of coastal marsh near Port Arthur and is open for hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching with the right TPWD permit.
Jefferson County · Wildlife Refuge
McFaddin Refuge Keeps Tens of Thousands of Marsh Acres Public
McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge protects 58,861 acres of Gulf-edge marsh in Jefferson County, open free of charge by day for fishing, crabbing, birding, photography, and waterfowl hunting.
Jefferson County · Waterfront
Pleasure Island Gives Port Arthur a Front Porch on Sabine Lake
Port Arthur's Pleasure Island offers lakefront parks, disc golf, an RV park, and about a mile of public piers along Sabine Lake.
Jefferson County · Riverfront Park
Riverfront Park Is Port Neches's Window on the Neches
Port Neches Riverfront Park, the city's largest at about 27 acres, gives residents a public stretch of Neches River frontage with boat ramps, a splash park, and a pavilion.
Jefferson County · State Park
Sea Rim State Park Offers Beach and Marsh at the Same Spot
Sea Rim State Park in southeastern Jefferson County has nearly two miles of Gulf beach next to thousands of acres of coastal marsh. It's a rare combination for camping, fishing, and birding.
Jefferson County · Wildlife Refuge
Texas Point Refuge Marks the County's Southeast Corner
Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge protects roughly 8,900 acres of cordgrass marsh at Sabine Pass, open for wildlife watching and waterfowl hunting.
Jefferson County · Big Thicket
The Big Thicket Reaches the Edge of Beaumont
The Beaumont Unit of Big Thicket National Preserve puts more than 14,000 acres of cypress bottomland and bayou paddling right up against the city.
Jefferson County · National Wildlife Refuge
The Neches Refuge Is Upstream, Not a Jefferson County Park
Neches River National Wildlife Refuge lies far upstream in Anderson and Cherokee counties. It belongs to Jefferson County's river story, but it is not a nearby outing.
Jefferson County · Playground
Tugboat Island Is the Playground a Town Built Itself
Port Neches's Tugboat Island playground was designed by local children, built by more than 1,000 volunteers, and funded entirely by donations.
Jefferson County · City Park
Tyrrell Park Stacks Beaumont's Outdoor Life in One Place
Beaumont's Tyrrell Park bundles Cattail Marsh, a free disc golf course and archery range, nature programs, and the historic Henry Homberg municipal golf course into one park.
Jim Hogg County · Hunting
Deer Hunting: South Zone Rules Apply Here
Jim Hogg County is in the Texas South Zone for deer hunting, with a season that runs into January and a bag limit of five deer.
Jim Wells County · Hunting Seasons
Jim Wells hunting rules need two live calendars
Deer and dove use South Zone dates, but the county deer table and statewide season calendar may not update at the same time.