best state parks

Scenic Houston-area state park scores lofty spot on new national ranking

Summer travel presents an interesting conundrum to those who want to get away during a pandemic. Crowded planes, dubiously cleaned hotel rooms, and questions of safety make for hefty challenges to vacation planning.

One option that Americans are choosing in the era of social distancing is a trip to state parks. With a staggering 8,565 state parks nationwide, locals have myriad options for safe travel. Now, a new survey ranks those scenic getaways, and two beloved Texas spots rank high on its list.

HomeToGo has unveiled its 2020 US State Park Index, which ranks and scores 20 state parks across the U.S. Palo Duro Canyon State Park (near Amarillo) lands at No. 2 on the list, while the Houston-area Brazos Bend State Park follows at No. 3.

The website based its ranking on four factors deemed important to visitors and that help find the best state park. Those factors are:

Solitude - Annual park visitors / size of the park
Wildlife - Diversity of plants and animals
Activities - Types of activities permitted
Accommodations - Number of vacation rentals nearby

For those keeping score, Palo Duro Canyon State Park scored 9.90 for solitude (ahhh), 6.00 for activities, 8.37 for wildlife, and 9.21 for accommodations — for a total score of 33.48.

Meanwhile, Brazos Bend State Park scored 9.57 for solitude, 6.67 for activities, 7.28 for wildlife, and 9.46 or accommodations — for a total score of 32.73.

Nestled in the Texas Panhandle close to Amarillo, Palo Duro (dubbed the “Grand Canyon of Texas”) is the second largest canyon in the country, just after the Grand Canyon. The natural wonder is 20 miles wide and almost 1,000 feet deep, and boasts dozens of hiking trails, “mind-blowing vistas,” says the survey, adding that “this underrated beauty will impress even the most discerning guest.”

Just a 45 mile drive from downtown Houston, Brazos Bend State Park offers numerous ponds and lakes — many, however, that contain hungry alligators, so watching signs is a must. Fortunately, the survey notes, the park features 5,000 acres of space — “plenty of room for visitors and wildlife to coexist happily together.”

And for travelers who’d like to visit the top-ranked park in the country, according to HomeToGo? Locals should plan a trek to Letchworth State Park in New York.

Rounding out the top 10 are: Blue Spring State Park in Florida (No. 4), Valley of Fire State Park (No. 5), Rainbow Springs State Park in Florida (No. 6), Tettegouche State Park in Minnesota (No. 7), Baxter State Park in Maine (No. 8), Bear Mountain State Park in New York (No. 9), and Devil's Lake State Park in Wisconsin (No. 10).

Brazos Bend offers plenty of water — but watch out for gators.

Brazos Bend State Park

Brazos Bend offers plenty of water — but watch out for gators.

vacation trends parks

REVIVING THE ALAMO

Texas landmark the Alamo reclaims historic cannon from private ownership

Photo by Gower Brown/ Unsplash

A 90-pound cannon used in the Battle of the Alamo is returning to its San Antonio home.

It turns out the Alamo's original 1836 cannons are good for more than just defense — they also make a sturdy birdbath. After serving as a garden ornament for Samuel Maverick’s descendants, an authentic piece of San Antonio history is finally returning home to the revered mission.

According to an Alamo announcement, the swivel cannon weighs 90 pounds and is approximately three feet long. The relic was originally found in 1852 when Maverick built a home near the northwest corner of the battle’s site.

The lawyer and land baron was saved from death when he was urged by William Barret Travis to ride to the Texas Declaration of Independence convention in Washington-on-the-Brazos to send reinforcements. Returning to the Alamo’s grounds, he found a cache of cannons buried where the Hotel Gibbs sits today.

From there, the cannon wound up at the Maverick family’s Sunshine Ranch on the Northwest Side, where it was eventually incorporated into the garden DIY project. In 1955, the cannon was removed from the ranch, and the current location remained a mystery until the Alamo received a call from a Maverick relative in Corpus Christi.

Alamo cannon This Alamo artifact gives an idea of what the cannon will look like once restoration is complete.Photo courtesy of the Alamo.

“The relative graciously donated the cannon to the Alamo,” wrote a rep from the mission. “Alamo Senior Researcher and Historian Kolby Lanham and Head Conservator Pam Jary Rosser drove down the very next day to take this piece of history home to the Alamo.”

Although the artillery is mostly intact, it is missing its trunnions (the pivot-point protrusions on the sides of the barrel) and cascabel (the knob and neck assembly at the rear of historic muzzle-loading cannons). The parts were removed by the Mexican army to make the cannon inoperable.

Once preservation is complete, this cannon and the Alamo Collection’s other battle cannons will make their way to the upcoming Visitor Center and Museum, where they will be joined by rocker Phil Collins' collection of Alamo artifacts. The Alamo is in the midst of a $550 million preservation project, which includes conserving the Alamo Church, Long Barrack, and the mission’s original footprint. The museum is on track to debut in late 2027.

history museums artifacts texas history the alamo

best state parks

Scenic Houston-area state park scores lofty spot on new national ranking

Brazos Bend offers plenty of water — but watch out for gators.

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REVIVING THE ALAMO

Texas landmark the Alamo reclaims historic cannon from private ownership