Texas' 5 Most Underrated State Parks To Visit, Ranked

If you know anything about Texas, you know it's a big state. Covering an area of over 268,000 square miles, it's almost impossible to comprehend just how much land there is in the Lone Star State. But one advantage of having so much territory is that Texas is awash in state parks; over 90 of them, in fact. From a serene lake escape under two hours from Dallas to an underrated desert state park featuring Texas's "sky island" mountains, there are plenty of spots to visit.

For this list, though, we're looking at the most underrated state parks. That's not necessarily to say the least-visited, although all of the spots on this list are within the bottom ten for visitor count. But low attendance numbers are just one deciding factor. We're also showcasing parks throughout the state, as well as ones with unique scenery and features. For example, Resaca De La Palma State Park is ideal if you're a birding enthusiast, and Kickapoo Cavern is perfect if you love exploring caves.

One word of warning, though: A big reason why these parks are so underrated (and under-visited) is that they're relatively remote. So, if you're looking for convenient green spaces that won't take more than an hour to reach, that'll be a different list. Instead, to explore all five of these parks, you'll need a healthy thirst for adventure, at least several tanks of gas, and some extra-comfy hiking boots.

Despite being such a big state, Texas is only home to two national parks: Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains (although the state has multiple other national historic sites and trails). Although Big Bend doesn't get millions of visitors like the Smoky Mountains or Rocky Mountain National Park, it has surged in popularity recently, getting over half a million visitors in 2024. Thankfully, right next to Big Bend is a state park with views just as iconic, minus the crowds. Big Bend Ranch received just under 14,000 visitors in 2024. Considering the park spans over 300,000 acres, that equates to about 21 acres per person.

So, if you're looking to stretch your legs and appreciate wide open spaces, Big Bend Ranch is one of the best places in Texas to do so. Located along the Rio Grande in West Texas, Texas Parks lovingly calls it "the Other Side of Nowhere." In fact, thanks to the lack of infrastructure, it has been designated an official International Dark Sky Park, ideal for stargazing if you plan to spend the night. Considering that the park is 5 hours from El Paso or 8 hours from San Antonio, spending the night is probably the best option.

Overnight camping is probably one of the best ways to explore as much of the scenery as possible. While you can hike the 238 miles of trails on foot, you'll probably want to utilize other modes of transportation, including off-roading vehicles, bicycles, and even horses if you're so inclined. Finally, as a word of warning, this park has few shaded areas, meaning it gets dangerously hot during the summer months, so plan accordingly.

While Big Bend Ranch is the "other side of nowhere," our next park takes us to an affordable tropical paradise with beautiful beaches and Southern charm — Brownsville. Here, you can visit Resaca De La Palma State Park and World Birding Center, where the name alone should tell you what you can expect when wandering through this area. While you don't have to be a bird enthusiast to enjoy this park, it certainly helps, considering that you can spot some of the 280 unique species that have been seen here. Plus, since Brownsville has its own international airport, it's much easier to get to this park than to some others.

The park spans about 1,200 acres with 8 miles of hiking and biking trails weaving throughout. If you didn't remember to bring a bike, don't worry; you can rent one from the park store, as well as binoculars to help you cross various birds off of your list. Or, if you want to cover more ground, you can take a tram ride through the park, but the tram only runs when the visitor center is open, so plan accordingly. 

Part of what makes Resaca De La Palma an underrated state park is that it's divided into three distinct habitats. There are 60 acres of wetlands, 420 acres of mature woodlands, and 720 acres of woodland and savannah. You can even plan which trails to hit based on the habitat. So, it's almost like getting three parks in one, as you can spot different wildlife, birds, and trees in each biome. Finally, to top everything off, there's even a butterfly garden at the visitor center.

If you're trying to add underrated state parks to your next Texas vacation, Fort Boggy State Park might be a relatively easy addition. It's halfway between Dallas and Houston, near Centerville, a town known for its recreation and unmatched jerky. The park is just off Interstate 45 and is just under a 2-hour drive from either Dallas or Houston. 

Spanning around 1,800 acres, it has 3.5 miles of trails, but the main attraction is Sullivan Lake, which allows you to partake in fishing, swimming, boating, or paddling. If you are planning to fish, this lake is one of the few that maintains a trout population throughout the year, even during the hottest parts of the summer, when most lakes are too warm for trout to thrive. Best of all, you don't need a fishing license to cast a line. You can also rent a kayak on-site if you want to fish from the water instead of the shore.

Another highlight of this park is that you can rent a cabin for an overnight stay. At the time of writing, cabins are $85 per night and come with basic accommodations, including air conditioning, a mini fridge, and a microwave. However, you'll need to provide your own bedding. Although there are only five cabins available, Fort Boggy is such an uncrowded park that you shouldn't have to worry about spots filling up, even during busy seasons.

So far, we've featured underrated Texas state parks that feature wide open spaces, dozens of bird species, tropical habitats, and unspoiled lakeside vistas. Next, we're going spelunking at Kickapoo Cavern State Park. This park has over 20 caves, although the only one you can go inside is the main cavern. 

When planning your trip, keep in mind that you can't explore the cave on your own; you must sign up for a guided tour. At the time of writing, the 3-hour tours cost $10 per person and are only available on Saturdays at 1 p.m. However, if you're worried about spaces filling up, the average attendance at this park is around 7,200 people for the year, so it's not exactly a hotspot. Part of the reason for Kickapoo's lack of crowds and underrated status is that it's a 2.5-hour drive from San Antonio — pretty much out in the middle of nowhere.

While adventuring through Kickapoo Cavern is one of the main reasons to visit this park, there are miles of trails available, showcasing the natural landscape and local wildlife. Speaking of wildlife, there is an observation deck for the Stuart Bat Cave, where the Mexican free-tailed bat roosts at different points of the year. So, if you plan your visit strategically, you should be able to see bats coming in and out of the cave, especially at dusk when they emerge to hunt.

If the prospect of seeing bats emerge from a cave sounds appealing, then you'll want to make the pilgrimage to the wildly unique park that's a giant sinkhole full of bats. The aptly-named Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area is actually relatively close to Kickapoo Cavern (about an hour northeast), so if you're trying to hit multiple underrated parks in a single trip, you can add both of them to your itinerary. Also, if you're coming from San Antonio, the sinkhole is a little closer, at just over 2 hours away.

While attendance numbers weren't the only deciding factor for how we ranked this list, we did save the least-visited park for last. According to data, this park received fewer than 600 visitors for all of 2024, making it one of the least-crowded natural areas anywhere, Texas or otherwise. Part of the reason for these low numbers is that access to the park is restricted to guided tours, so you can't just pull up and wander through the 1,800 acres of wilderness whenever you like. In addition to bat tours, you can also take guided nature walks and birding tours.

When planning your visit to the Devil's Sinkhole, keep in mind that the bats nest in the cave from spring to fall. You can reserve an evening bat flight tour between May 1 and October 31 (if you're looking for a unique Halloween activity), available only on Wednesdays through Sundays. As with the Stuart Bat Cave in Kickapoo Cavern State Park, you can't enter the cave itself; you can only view the 3 million bats emerge from a viewing platform overlooking the entrance. It's truly a bucket-list experience, but not for the faint of heart.

Since the term "underrated" can mean different things to different people, we had to define what it meant for us when curating this list. In this case, our primary factors were attendance numbers, location, and unique attractions. As we mentioned, all of the parks on this list are in the bottom 10 for attendance as reported by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (via KXAN News), but we didn't necessarily rank them in order from most-visited to least.

Instead, we ranked them based on the variety of activities to do. Since Big Bend Ranch is the largest park, there are more options for outdoor adventures there than anywhere else. By comparison, the Devil's Sinkhole only allows guided tours, so you're limited to what you can expect when visiting. But, no matter which park you visit, or the time of year you travel, you shouldn't have to worry about crowds.