Cedar Hill State Park, Texas

Dallas-Fort Worth feels worlds away when you spend the day (or night, or two) at Cedar Hill State Park. Drive thirty minutes southwest from Texas’ largest sprawling metropolis to find rolling hills of prairie grass like milkweed and bluebell giving way to shady forests filled with elm and juniper trees. See if you can hook bass, crappie, or catfish in the waters of Joe Pool Lake, or take a plunge in the swimming area near the lake’s gravel beach. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, strap on a helmet and go riding through the miles of rugged bike trails that crisscross the park’s nearly 2,000 acres. When the stars come out, set up camp at one of the park’s six campgrounds and fall asleep to the faint howl of coyotes in the distance.