State parks have a wide variety of events for you to enjoy with your loved ones this Valentine’s Day. Find a listing of all planned events online, and keep reading for six ways to enjoy the outdoors this month!
Dance the Night Away
CCC Sweetheart Dance at Meridian (Feb. 11) – Join us for a blast from the past sweetheart dance under the stars!
Under the Stars Valentine’s Dance at Daingerfield (Feb. 11) – We’re bringing back an old tradition. Join us under the historic pavilion for a great night full of fun and memories.
Get Artsy
Painting with a Ranger at Dinosaur Valley (Feb. 11) – Capture the beauty of the park with watercolors! Be my Wild Valentine at Cooper Lake – Doctors Creek Unit (Feb. 11) – Make some nature inspired valentines. Snake Arts & Crafts at Martin Dies, Jr. (Feb. 12, 19) – Join Ranger Amy for hands on, kid-friendly arts and crafts! |
Take a Hike
Take a Hike With a Homeless Dog! at Davis Mountains (Feb. 9, 16) – Help a shelter dog get some exercise with a walk on a park trail. Full Moon Hike at Galveston Island (Feb 10) – Let the full moon light your way and explore the night! Sweetheart Hike at Garner (Feb. 11) – Come along on a guided hike with your partner, best friend, or family to explore the many natural and historical features which make this park a true Texas gem. Valentine’s Nature Walk at Dinosaur Valley (Feb. 18) – Take a nature walk with a ranger. Bring your valentine and enjoy the beautiful scenery the park has to offer. |
Dig in to Campfire Food
Dutch Oven Cooking Class *Valentine’s Special* at Inks Lake (Feb. 11) – Bring your sweetheart to this program full of sweet treats and learn the basics of cooking in a Dutch oven at our amphitheater. Dutch Oven Cooking at Lake Bob Sandlin (Feb. 11) – Come enjoy some great Dutch oven cooking by our Fort Sherman Cookers! All Around the Campfire at Lake Colorado City (Feb. 18) – Join us around the campfire with your sweethearts for some sweet treats. |
Explore Nature
Plant Hike at Estero Llano Grande (Feb 9, 16) – Take part in a ranger-led hike to identify interesting native and non-native plants in the park. Butterfly and Dragonfly Walks at Estero Llano Grande (Feb 10, 17) – Join us on a ranger-led hike through the park noting these beautiful insects, some found only in South Texas. Hearts in Nature Walk at Mother Neff (Feb. 11) – Come with us as we walk the trails and hunt for heart shapes in nature. Journey at the Gulf’s Edge at Mustang Island (Feb. 11) – Join the park naturalist for a two-hour walk to discover beach treasures, learn about beach inhabitants, and explore the park’s many diverse resources! Nature Program at Goliad (Feb. 11, 12, 18) – Come learn about the plants and animals that call our park home. |
Be a Time Traveler
Presa Canyon Guided Hike at Seminole Canyon (Feb. 11, 18) – This guided hike will take you into several of the park’s secluded areas of the canyon to view a variety of rock art styles and sites. On the Trail with the Buffalo Soldiers at Cedar Hill (Feb. 11) – Come and experience a day in the life of a frontier soldier as the Buffalo Soldiers share their story. Wood Carving and Scroll Saw Demonstration at Pedernales Falls (Feb. 11) – Take a look at how woodworkers made fancy designs in the late 1800s, around the same time that the first settlers were coming to the Pedernales Falls area from Germany. Buffalo Soldiers and the Battleship Texas WWII Program at Battleship Texas (Feb. 11) – Come and hear the story of Pvt. Cale Carter, 25th Infantry Buffalo Soldier. |
