state parks day

These 6 Houston-area state parks will have free admission on November 2

Brazos Bend State Park is one of the many Texas state parks that will have free admission on November 2.

tpwd.texas.gov/

Houstonians that haven't touched grass recently will get their chance to reconnect with nature at a local state park for free for one day only this fall. In honor of Texas State Parks Day on Sunday, November 2, Texas residents can enjoy free admission to more than 85 state parks.

It has been a stellar year for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The department has acquired several parcels of land to create new state parks or expand existing ones, and it's actively working on a deal to acquire a 54,000-acre ranch outside San Antonio. In May 2025, TPWD launched its new podcast that dives into park conservation initiatives, explores "hidden gem" parks around the state, and more.

Now the agency is gearing up for its third annual free admission day, which was established during the Texas State Parks Centennial Celebration.

The department recommends travelers reserve "Save the Day" passes to guarantee entry to the park they want to visit. Day passes are non-transferable, only valid for a visitor's chosen entry time slot, and are valid until 10 pm or whenever the park closes.

The following state parks around Houston will have free admission on Texas State Parks Day:

Sheldon Lake State Park and Environmental Learning Center, Houston
Brazos Bend State Park, Needville
Stephen F. Austin State Park, San Felipe
Huntsville State Park
Lake Livingston State Park
Village Creek State Park, Lumberton

Visitors on the hunt for a park along the Gulf Coast should keep in mind that they won't be able to access Powderhorn State Park in Port O'Connor, which has been closed for development since May 2025. Travelers can take a shorter drive to check out Galveston Island State Park or Sea Rim State Park in Sabine Pass instead.

Houstonians that want to get the most out of their day can visit award-winning Garner State Park in Concan, which was named one of the top 10 best state parks in the U.S. earlier in 2025. The spacious park is situated nearly 290 miles from Houston on 1,774 acres of land. Hikers have 16 miles of trails to explore across varying difficulties, or visitors can swim, float, or kayak down the 2.9 miles of Frio River that run through the park.

Day passes for Texas State Parks Day can be reserved online or by calling the TPWD customer service center at (512) 389-8900.

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On the road

Vonlane ramps up luxury bus service from Houston to key Texas city

Photo courtesy of Vonlane

Vonlane has added new routes in major cities around Texas.

Luxury bus operator Vonlane is adding new routes across Texas for 2026, including bringing back crack-of-dawn rides between Houston and San Antonio.

According to a release, effective February 16, Vonlane will run new early-morning and evening departures in four Texas cities on high-demand travel days. Six additional weekly departures have been added in each city as follows:

NEW Fort Worth to and from Austin:

7 am and 7 pm Monday, Thursday, and Friday

NEW Houston Galleria to and from San Antonio:

6 am and 6 pm Monday, Thursday, and Friday

As of February 16, the schedule to and from these Texas cities will be as follows:

San Antonio to Houston Galleria:

6 am, 10 am, 2 pm, 6 pm Monday, Thursday, and Friday
10 am and 2 pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday
1 pm Saturday

Houston Galleria to San Antonio:

6 am, 10 am, 2 pm, 6 pm Monday, Thursday, and Friday
10 am and 2 pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday
9 am Saturday

Vonlane also offers routes from Houston to Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin.

The company says the expanded schedules aim to help facilitate day trips, allowing regional business travelers to arrive in time for morning meetings and return home the same evening.

“Business travelers are telling us they want schedules that actually work,” said Alex Danza, founder and CEO of Vonlane, in a statement. “These new departures make it possible to take a morning meeting without a 4 am alarm, stay productive on the road, and still be home by dinner. That flexibility is exactly what Vonlane was built to deliver.”

Dallas-based Vonlane launched its high-end bus service in 2014 to cater to business travelers. Each bus, which holds fewer than two dozen passengers, features amenities like Wi-Fi, satellite TV and radio, snack and drink service, sleep masks, and leather seats. Their fares are flat-rate, one-way or round-trip, with no taxes, baggage fees, or change fees.

Vonlane now offers more than 500 departures weekly across nine cities, in Texas and beyond. Routes run in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas; between Atlanta, Georgia, and Nashville, Tennessee; and between Nashville and Memphis, and Nashville and Knoxville.

In Houston, buses to Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin depart from the Hyatt Regency Downtown at 1200 Louisiana St. Buses to San Antonio depart from the Hyatt Regency Galleria at 2626 Sage Rd.

Reservations can be booked online, and may be canceled and fully refunded up to 24 hours before departure.

Vonlane also just launched an app to make booking and managing trips easier for passengers; it is available for Apple and Android devices.

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state parks day

These 6 Houston-area state parks will have free admission on November 2

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On the road

Vonlane ramps up luxury bus service from Houston to key Texas city