Day Trippin' › Texas › From Lubbock
From Lubbock, the Buddy Holly Center and the National Ranching Heritage Center are minutes away, the American Wind Power Center and Lubbock Lake Landmark under 10, Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge about an hour, and Palo Duro Canyon and Caprock Canyons a little under two hours. The best day trips from Lubbock, by drive time.
37 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
State park · 1 hr 48 min north
The second-largest canyon in the country, with colorful cliffs and more than 30 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding.
Family fun · 1 hr 45 min north
A row of old Cadillacs planted nose-first in a field off I-40, created in 1974 by the art group Ant Farm, and, covered in layers of spray paint, where visitors are encouraged to add their own.
Wildlife refuge · 1 hr 3 min northwest
A quiet High Plains refuge where sandhill cranes roost on Paul's, White and Goose lakes in winter.
State park · 1 hr 46 min northwest
A small fishing lake among cottonwoods and sand dunes north of Portales.
Museum · 1 hr 49 min south
A big Midland museum about the oil patch and 230 million years of history, with a gallery of Chaparral race cars.
Theme park · 1 hr 47 min north
A family amusement park in Amarillo with roller coasters, water rides, kiddie rides and mini golf.
Bike trail · 1 hr 54 min northeast
A 64-mile rail-trail on an old railroad bed for biking, hiking and riding, passing through the 742-foot Clarity Tunnel where bats roost.
Wildlife refuge · 1 hr 41 min north
A grassland refuge near Canyon with an auto tour road, a prairie dog town and canyon trails full of migrating birds.
Town · 2 hr 20 min southeast
The Storybook Capital of America, where dozens of bronze characters from classic children's books fill downtown streets and gardens.
Museum · 2 hr 21 min southeast
A modern western heritage museum in downtown Abilene that uses modern technology to tell stories of Comanches, cowboys, buffalo hunters and forts.
Zoo · 2 hr 24 min southeast
A family zoo with giraffe feeding, a train and a carousel.
State park · 2 hr 29 min southeast
A shady creekside park built by the CCC, with a historic swimming pool in summer and a small no-wake lake for paddling.
State park · 2 hr 30 min south
Wind-shaped sand dunes you can roam freely, where kids slide down the slopes on rented sand discs.
State park · 2 hr 49 min southeast
A big park on O.C. Fisher Reservoir with 50 miles of multiuse trails for hiking and biking and pens of bison and longhorns.
Family fun · 2 hr 48 min southeast
A free garden of pools in San Angelo's Civic League Park filled with hundreds of colorful water lilies.
Lake · 2 hr 36 min north
A large lake north of Amarillo for boating, fishing, swimming and paddling.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 79401 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.