Travel Around Texas with ATPE
Date Posted: 12/04/2019
Venture out this winter break—and use your ATPE discounts to do it!
As an ATPE member, you have direct access to exclusive member discount programs. With your ATPE discounts, you’ll find traveling even easier. Take advantage of our auto rental discounts with Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, or National Car Rental. Figuring out where you’ll stay is effortless with ATPE’s lodging discounts. And now, ATPE members have more deals to choose from with the BenefitHub. This marketplace has a category dedicated solely to travel.
And, if you find yourself with some free time this winter break, check out these Texas state parks!
Kickapoo Cavern State Park
How do caves, birds, bats, and trails sound? Kickapoo Cavern State Park lies at the intersection of the Chihuahuan Desert, Edwards Plateau, and South Texas Plains, just west of San Antonio. The park features 20 known caves—the two largest being Kickapoo Cavern and Stuart Bat Cave. Cave tours through Kickapoo Cavern are available so you can see the geologic wonder up close. There are also miles of trails for hiking and biking, including the Armadillo Lookout Trail, which rewards hikers with a panoramic view of the park.
Caprock Canyons State Park
Shaped by water and now where bison graze, Caprock Canyons lies in the Panhandle region about 100 miles northeast of Lubbock. Among the rust-hued canyons and juniper trees, you can observe the Texas State Bison Herd, one of five foundation herds that saved bison from extinction, and explore 90 miles of trails. The main geological highlight is the Caprock Escarpment, but visitors can also enjoy Lake Theo for various water activities. And, like many Texas state parks, you can indeed find bats roosting within Clarity Tunnel, an abandoned railroad tunnel, on the Trailway of the park.
Fort Richardson State Park
Jump back into time by heading to Fort Richardson State Park, northwest of Fort Worth. Seven of the fort’s original buildings still stand and have been restored: a hospital, officers’ quarters, powder magazine, morgue, commissary, guard house, and bakery—yes, a bakery! Two replicas of barracks have also been built. Ranger-guided walking tours of the sites are offered during the week. Additionally, nature-goers can traverse the nine-mile Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway, which runs adjacent to the park and leads you along the creeks and lakes of the area.
Devils River State Natural Area
Described as a “remote” park tucked away in southwest Texas, Devils River State Natural Area boasts about having one of the most “pristine rivers in Texas.” A one-mile hike from the parking lot to the river rewards visitors with a chance to swim, fish, or paddle. If you’d like to stay dry, take in the diverse, untouched surroundings through the park’s trails. Due to its designation of a “natural area,” keeping this park as unpolluted and unspoiled as much as possible is of the utmost importance and only adds to its beauty.
Ready to begin your travels? Check out ATPE’s discounts to learn more about how ATPE helps you save on hotels, car rentals, theme parks, zoos, vacation and cruise packages, AAA, and more!
Not a member? Join ATPE today to become part of the largest and most trusted educator group in Texas. Members can more than recoup the cost of their dues by using their ATPE discounts!
As an ATPE member, you have direct access to exclusive member discount programs. With your ATPE discounts, you’ll find traveling even easier. Take advantage of our auto rental discounts with Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, or National Car Rental. Figuring out where you’ll stay is effortless with ATPE’s lodging discounts. And now, ATPE members have more deals to choose from with the BenefitHub. This marketplace has a category dedicated solely to travel.
And, if you find yourself with some free time this winter break, check out these Texas state parks!
Kickapoo Cavern State Park
How do caves, birds, bats, and trails sound? Kickapoo Cavern State Park lies at the intersection of the Chihuahuan Desert, Edwards Plateau, and South Texas Plains, just west of San Antonio. The park features 20 known caves—the two largest being Kickapoo Cavern and Stuart Bat Cave. Cave tours through Kickapoo Cavern are available so you can see the geologic wonder up close. There are also miles of trails for hiking and biking, including the Armadillo Lookout Trail, which rewards hikers with a panoramic view of the park.
Caprock Canyons State Park
Shaped by water and now where bison graze, Caprock Canyons lies in the Panhandle region about 100 miles northeast of Lubbock. Among the rust-hued canyons and juniper trees, you can observe the Texas State Bison Herd, one of five foundation herds that saved bison from extinction, and explore 90 miles of trails. The main geological highlight is the Caprock Escarpment, but visitors can also enjoy Lake Theo for various water activities. And, like many Texas state parks, you can indeed find bats roosting within Clarity Tunnel, an abandoned railroad tunnel, on the Trailway of the park.
Fort Richardson State Park
Jump back into time by heading to Fort Richardson State Park, northwest of Fort Worth. Seven of the fort’s original buildings still stand and have been restored: a hospital, officers’ quarters, powder magazine, morgue, commissary, guard house, and bakery—yes, a bakery! Two replicas of barracks have also been built. Ranger-guided walking tours of the sites are offered during the week. Additionally, nature-goers can traverse the nine-mile Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway, which runs adjacent to the park and leads you along the creeks and lakes of the area.
Devils River State Natural Area
Described as a “remote” park tucked away in southwest Texas, Devils River State Natural Area boasts about having one of the most “pristine rivers in Texas.” A one-mile hike from the parking lot to the river rewards visitors with a chance to swim, fish, or paddle. If you’d like to stay dry, take in the diverse, untouched surroundings through the park’s trails. Due to its designation of a “natural area,” keeping this park as unpolluted and unspoiled as much as possible is of the utmost importance and only adds to its beauty.
Ready to begin your travels? Check out ATPE’s discounts to learn more about how ATPE helps you save on hotels, car rentals, theme parks, zoos, vacation and cruise packages, AAA, and more!
Not a member? Join ATPE today to become part of the largest and most trusted educator group in Texas. Members can more than recoup the cost of their dues by using their ATPE discounts!