Garner State Park

Garner State Park is not close to Houston, but it's worth every bit of the 4.5-hour drive. It's under 3 hours from Austin and only an hour and a half from San Antonio.

Garner State Park is full of incredible views and trails. You can hike the Crystal Cave Trail, a steep, rocky trail that involves lots of scrambling over rocks to get to a beautiful cave where the walls seem to sparkle with crystals.

There are a lot of activities, especially in summer. You can swim, float, and sunbathe there. Or explore one of the great trails.