Day Trippin' › Texas › From Nacogdoches
From Nacogdoches, the old town is minutes away, Caddo Mounds under an hour, Mission Tejas and the Texas State Railroad about an hour, Martin Dies Jr. State Park under an hour and a half, and Tyler's Rose Garden and Jefferson about an hour and a half. The best day trips from Nacogdoches, by drive time.
36 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
Historic site · 51 min west
Three earthen mounds at Alto from a Caddo village and ceremonial center about 1,200 years old, with exhibits and a reconstructed grass house.
Family fun · 1 hr northwest
Vintage steam and diesel excursion trains through the Piney Woods between Palestine and Rusk.
Historic site · 1 hr west
Pine forest park with a 1930s CCC-built replica of Mission Tejas, an 1800s pioneer log home and remnants of El Camino Real, plus 8.5 miles of trails.
State park · 1 hr 45 min north
Paddle Big Cypress Bayou under bald cypress draped in Spanish moss at the edge of 26,810-acre Caddo Lake, with 2.5 miles of trails and historic CCC cabins.
Town · 1 hr 38 min north
Pre-Civil War town with nearly 100 historic landmarks, historic hotels and B&Bs, walking tours and bayou fun near Caddo Lake.
Museum · 2 hr southwest
A 15-acre complex in Huntsville once owned by Sam Houston, with a museum, two homes where his family lived and the Republic of Texas Presidential Library.
Lake · 1 hr 10 min north
A power-plant-warmed lake with year-round fishing, island campsites and nearly four miles of hiking and biking trails.
Zoo · 1 hr 38 min northwest
Family zoo in Tyler, open daily year-round.
Family fun · 1 hr 36 min northwest
Free 14-acre city rose garden in Tyler with more than 32,000 rose bushes of about 600 varieties.
State park · 1 hr 23 min south
Park on B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir with about 14 miles of paddling trails on the Neches and Angelina rivers and sloughs, plus trails for walking and biking.
State park · 1 hr 26 min southwest
Park on Lake Livingston with lake swimming, hiking and mountain biking trails.
National park · 2 hr 17 min south
Free national preserve near Kountze spanning nine ecosystems, from longleaf pine forest to cypress-lined bayous, with over 30 miles of trails and paddling routes.
State park · 2 hr 7 min south
Forest park where you can paddle the Village Creek Paddling Trail or hike and bike eight miles of trails through sandy uplands and swamps.
Museum · 2 hr 40 min south
Four floors of natural science exhibits in the Museum District, plus the Cockrell Butterfly Center, Burke Baker Planetarium and a giant-screen theater.
Family fun · 2 hr 41 min south
Houston's big central park with pedal boats on McGovern Lake, a park railroad, carousel, splash pads, the Japanese Garden and McGovern Centennial Gardens.
Zoo · 2 hr 42 min south
Big zoo in Houston's Hermann Park.
Beach · 2 hr 58 min south
Remote park with nearly 2 miles of Gulf beach, the Gambusia boardwalk through 4,000 acres of marsh and paddling trails from 1.8 to 9.6 miles.
Bike trail · 2 hr 39 min southwest
Houston bayou park with trails for walking and biking, the historic Cistern, kayak and bike rentals and the Johnny Steele Dog Park.
State park · 2 hr 11 min north
Pine and hardwood park around Little Pine Lake with swimming, paddling, the 2.4-mile Rustling Leaves Trail and fine fall color.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 75961 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.