Top 10 state and national parks in Texas

Big Bend national park and Big Bend state park

Everything is big in Texas, including the state's crown jewel, Big Bend national park and the adjoining Big Bend state park. Together the parks protect an area of Chihuahuan desert larger than the state of Rhode Island, tucked into a 90-degree curve in the Rio Grand river, along the Mexican border.

Big Bend is a place of contrasts: hot in the summer and frigid in the winter, the terrain ranges from dry open desert to jagged mountains to the riparian river valley, a unique landscape that supports a diversity of plants and animals. Big Bend is also home to some big predators, including Mexican black bears and around two dozen mountain lions, but the rugged landscape provides plenty of roaming room and dangerous encounters with visitors are extremely rare.

As the largest expanse of public land in Texas, Big Bend is a hiker's paradise with more than 200 miles of trails offering everything from short, sweet day hikes to multi-week epics. Horseback riding is also popular, as are float trips down the Rio Grande. The park offers three developed campsites, backcountry camping permits and accommodation at the Chisos Mountain Lodge in the heart of the park.

Top tip: Big Bend is located along a major migration pathway for hundreds of species of birds. Many northern species spend winters in the park, while birds from the tropics flock to the Rio Grande in the spring to mate and raise their young. Some species, like the Colima warbler, are found nowhere else in the US, making Big Bend a life-list destination for avid bird watchers.

Guadalupe Mountains national park

Today Texas is mostly desert, but the landscape hasn't always been so dry. Around 265 million years ago, during the Permian period, this region was covered by a vast tropical sea, home to a massive 400-mile long coral reef. Over millennia, portions of this reef were preserved and uplifted into the Guadalupe Mountains, one of the finest examples of a fossilised reef found anywhere on Earth.

This dramatic and fossil-rich reef is protected within the boundaries of Guadalupe Mountains national park in west Texas, just south of the New Mexican border, near another area highlight: Carlsbad Caverns national park. In the mid 1800s a stagecoach line called the Butterfield Overland Mail Trail ran right through the park on its way to El Paso, delivering mail, goods and passengers over 2,800 miles in 25 days between the east coast and California. The historic ruins of the old stage station can be reached via an easy 0.3-mile trail that leaves from the Pine Springs Visitor Center.

Guadalupe offers two developed campgrounds, as well as backcountry camping permits, but there are no restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores or overnight lodging options in the remote park. The closest town with food, ice, showers and hotel rooms is 35 miles east in White's City, New Mexico.

Top tip: For the biggest views in Texas, hike to the state's highest point: 2,667-metre Guadalupe Peak. A trail from the Pine Springs campground winds up more than 900 metres of elevation in 4.2 miles to the top of the Lone Star state, marked by a metal pyramid. The hike can be completed year round.

Hueco Tanks state historic site

Just east of El Paso, lies the rock-climbing's mecca of Hueco Tanks. Here, bouldering aficionados – climbers who seek to ascend low, challenging routes without ropes – from all over the world gather to grab the unique hand holds formed by Hueco's "tanks", the small water-carved depressions pitting the rocks.

These miniature water catchments have attracted people for millennia, some of whom left their mark in the form of thousands of pictographs painted on to the rocks depicting dancing figures, people with elaborate headdresses, birds, jaguars, deer and symbols of rain, lightning and corn. The most famous images are of masks or face designs. Hueco Tanks boasts the largest number of mask paintings in North America, with more than 200 identified throughout the park.

Due to the rock art's historical value and fragility, access to Hueco Tanks is restricted. Visitors must make reservations to access the North Mountain area, which is limited to 70 people per day, or hire a certified guide to explore other areas of the park. Even if you're not a world-class rock climber, the park also offers hiking, bird watching and camping. Bunk beds and private rooms are also available nearby at the Hueco Rock Ranch, operated by the American Alpine Club.

Top tip: Peak climbing season runs from October to March, with an annual Hueco Rock Rodeo held in February. Climbers from all over the world show up to compete and take part in instructional clinics. Spectators welcome.

Palo Duro Canyon state park

Nicknamed the Grand Canyon of Texas, Palo Duro Canyon cuts through the heart of the Panhandle just south of Amarillo. Roughly 60 miles long, up to 20 miles wide in places and around 244 metres deep, Palo Duro is the second largest canyon in the country and its intricate geologic layers and steep, colourful walls, do bear some resemblance to its bigger, grander counterpart in Arizona.

People have lived in this spectacular landscape for millennia, occupying the resource-rich canyon floor continuously for at least 12,000 years. The Apache, Comanche and Kiowa tribes fought many battles over the valuable territory before they were finally evicted in the 1870s and moved to reservations in Oklahoma.

Today the park caters to horseback riders, with more than 1,500 acres devoted to equestrian-only trails. But you don't have to be a cowboy to enjoy the scenery: 17,000 acres of the huge park is crisscrossed with paths for hikers and mountain bikers. Keep an eye out for Longhorn steers that graze along the rim of the canyon, part of the official Texas state longhorn herd. Camping is available in tent and RV sites, and a small number of primitive cabins are available for nightly rentals, reservations recommended.

Top tip: During the summer months, an outdoor musical drama called simply "TEXAS" lights up the Pioneer Amphitheater in the park on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. As the official play of the state of Texas, the family-friendly show depicts the trials and triumphs faced by the settlers of the Panhandle.

Caprock Canyons state park and Trailway

Just south of the showier Palo Duro lies the quieter, but no less lovely, Caprock Canyons state park. The park straddles the Caprock Escarpment: spectacular 305-metre red sandstone cliffs that form the natural transition between the high, flat plains to the west and the lower rolling plains to the east.

This transition zone has long supported a diversity of life, including now extinct mammoths, North American camels and giant bison. Today, the park is home to the Texas state bison herd, among the few genetically pure plains bison in the country that have not been crossbred with domestic cattle.

Located in the Panhandle, 100 miles southeast of Amarillo, Caprock Canyons offers tent and RV camping, along with backcountry sites for overnight trips. Boating, fishing and swimming are popular on 120-acre Lake Theo. Mountain bike and horse rentals are also available. More than 90 miles of trails run through the park and up the towering red cliffs, affording stunning view of the famous Texas Llano Estacado landscape.

Top tip: The Trailway is a 64-mile hiking, biking and equestrian trail that runs through the park following the abandoned Fort Worth and Denver Railroad line between Estelline and the South Plains. The trail passes through three counties, across 46 bridges and through the Clarity Tunnel, home to a half-million Mexican free-tailed bats during the summer months.

Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

Rising above the plains west of Austin is a giant 150-metre-high dome of pink granite, the second largest of its kind in the country. Enchanted rock has graced this landscape for an estimated one billion years, making this some of the oldest exposed rock on Earth. Known to geologists as a monadnock – an isolated mountain – Enchanted Rock is visible for miles and has attracted people to its base and rounded summit for as long as 12,000 years.

Enchanted Rock comes with its fair share of legends, many inspired by the odd creaking and groaning sometimes heard coming from the dome. Geologists say the sounds come from the outer layers of rock contracting and expanding with changing temperatures, but the Tonkawa and Comanche Indians feared and revered the rock and continue to conduct ceremonies and leave offerings at its base to this day.

Enchanted Rock is primarily a day-use park, though a number of primitive and backcountry campsites are available to visitors willing to hike to their pitch. RV's are not permitted. The dome is popular with rock climbers, who flock to its Yosemite-like rock. A number of local guide services, based out of Austin and nearby Fredericksburg and Dripping Springs, specialise in getting both newbies and experts up on the dome.

Top tip: You don't have to be a hardcore climber to reach the top of Enchanted Rock. A 0.6-mile walking trail runs from the base up to the rounded summit. Parts of the trail are steep and the rock can be slippery when wet, but the short, spectacular hike is well worth the effort for the 360-degree views.

Padre Island national seashore

Texas isn't all dry, flat plains. The state also boasts 350 miles of coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. Much of the shore has been developed, but a few sections of wild, pristine coast remain. One of the best stretches is Padre Island national seashore, which protects the longest undeveloped stretch of barrier island in the world: a narrow, 70-mile long spit of dunes and tidal flats teeming with sea life.

Padre Island's most famous residents are Kemp's ridley sea turtles, one of the rarest sea turtles in the world. Female turtles journey from all over the Atlantic Ocean to lay their eggs at only two beaches: Rancho Nuevo in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas and on Padre Island each summer between April and mid-July. In 1978 a programme was launched to rescue the Kemp's ridley turtles from the brink of extinction due to overfishing and accidental entanglements in shrimping nets. In 2013, more than 10,500 hatchlings were released along the Texas coast in the hope that many will survive and return to Padre Island to lay their eggs.

Bird watching is also popular on the island, as the spit is located along the Central Flyway, a major migratory route. Upwards of 380 species have been documented within the park, nearly half the total number of species that live in North America.

Top tip: Stay in one of the national seashore's five campgrounds and catch sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico.

Lost Maples State Natural Area

Along the Sabinal river in south-central Texas is a forest unlike any other in Texas. Here a stand of bigtooth maples grow far from of their usual range. These trees aren't strays, but rather ancient relics, left over from the cooler, wetter climate of the last Ice Age.

For most of the year, Lost Maples state natural area, near Vanderpool, is a quiet wooded haven, offering hiking trails, bird watching and camping, but from late October into November, the maples, along with sycamores, chinkapin, lacey and Texas red oaks, erupt in a show of fall colours that attract hundreds of visitors a day.

People have been drawn to the Sabinal river and the Lost Maples area for thousands of years. The site is famous for preserving an archaeological artefact known as an atlatl: a spear-throwing tool wielded by the Native Americans of south Texas between 6,000 and 8,000 years ago.

Top tip: The park posts "fall foliage reports" on their website during the peak leaf season. Weekends can get crowded and parking is limited so aim to visit on a weekday. Cabin rentals are available in nearby Vanderpool.

Longhorn Caverns state park

Texas is renowned for its limestone caves, thanks to its ancient aquatic history when it lay submerged under a shallow inland sea. Impressive caves can be found all over the state, but few have the colourful history of Longhorn Caverns near Burnet. Here ice age animals once took refuge, then later Native Americans, pioneer settlers, Confederate soldiers, bootleggers and outlaws all took turns calling the cave home. In the 1920s, during Prohibition, the main underground room served as a secret speakeasy, dance hall and concert venue.

Today Longhorn Caverns is a state park, offering daily cave tours for novice potholers along with wild cave tours for those willing to squeeze their way through smaller underground passages to unique, rarely seen cave formations. Once a month the park hosts an overnight paranormal tour. Longhorn Caverns maintains a steady temperature of 20C (68F) year round, making this a cool option during the hot summer months.

There is no camping in Longhorn Caverns, but Inks Lake state park up the road offers RV and tent camping, along with primitive cabin rentals. Those who prefer to stay above ground can walk Longhorn's Backbone Ridge Nature trail.

Top tip: The Wild Cave tour takes more adventurous visitors on a two-hour underground journey that calls for climbing, crawling and squeezing through narrow passages. Required protective equipment such as helmets, elbow and knee pads can be rented from the park. Tours take place most Saturdays throughout the year. Reservations highly recommended.

Zilker Metropolitan Park

Nestled in the heart of Austin, the 350-acre Zilker Metropolitan park is one of the most beloved open spaces in all of Texas. In Zilker park, you can hike, bike, canoe, play polo, and marvel at the botanic garden, all within the city limits of the Lone Star state's capital.

Austin has long enjoyed a reputation as the most vibrant city in Texas, and is the self-proclaimed "Live Music Capital of the World". Zilker Park has hosted a number of music festivals and famous acts, including the annual Austin City Limits festival and a legendary Rolling Stones concert in 2006 that was recorded for their live album The Biggest Bang.

When the park isn't being taken over by music festivals, it's an urban oasis, offering everything from quiet walks to train rides to Shakespeare. Stroll along Lady Bird Lake, canoe or kayak on the Colorado River, picnic on the lush green grass, check out the Zilker Hillside Theater, or the Zilker Zephyr mini-railway, or the Austin Nature & Science Center, all within the bounds of the park.

Top tip: Texas can be sweltering hot so it's no wonder that the Barton Springs Pool in Zilker park is one of Austin's most popular attractions. This three-acre pool, fed from underground springs, averages 21C (70F) and is open to the public year-round.

• Mary Caperton Morton is a freelance writer and photographer who makes her home on the back roads of North America, living and working out of a tiny solar-powered Teardrop camper. Follow her travels at theblondecoyote.com