Day Trippin' › Texas › From New Braunfels
From New Braunfels, Gruene is about 5 minutes away, the Comal River and Schlitterbahn about 10, the San Marcos glass-bottom boats under 20, Natural Bridge Caverns under half an hour, and San Antonio's River Walk and Austin's Capitol under 45. The best day trips from New Braunfels, by drive time.
80 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
Cave · 26 min west
Big show cave near New Braunfels named for the natural limestone bridge at its entrance. Two guided cavern tours plus zip lines, a maze and gem mining above ground.
Town · 36 min southwest
A walkway below street level along the San Antonio River, lined with restaurants, shops and hotels downtown. It runs about 15 miles in all.
Historic site · 41 min southwest
Four Spanish colonial missions on the south side of San Antonio, Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan and Espada. The Espada Aqueduct and Rancho de las Cabras are part of the park too.
Theme park · 45 min west
A big theme park in San Antonio with roller coasters, family rides and shows.
Historic site · 36 min southwest
The famous mission and 1836 battle site (check) in downtown San Antonio. You can walk the grounds and visit Alamo Church.
Swimming · 46 min northeast
A three-acre spring-fed pool in Austin's Zilker Park that stays around 68-70 degrees all year. It is home to the endangered Barton Springs salamander.
Zoo · 26 min west
A drive-through safari park where you drive your own car through 500 acres and feed animals from about 40 species. It sits next to Natural Bridge Caverns.
Family fun · 36 min southwest
San Antonio's hands-on children's museum, open since 1995 as the San Antonio Children's Museum.
Swimming · 1 hr 13 min north
A swimming hole under a roughly 50-foot waterfall in a box canyon west of Austin. A short, steep, rocky trail leads down to it.
Town · 1 hr 28 min northwest
A Hill Country town founded in 1846 by German settlers, known for German food, history museums, more than 150 shops and nearly 100 wineries nearby.
State park · 1 hr 52 min northwest
A huge 425-foot pink granite dome north of Fredericksburg with about 22 miles of trails, rock climbing and dark night skies. The short, steep Summit Trail gives wide Hill Country views.
Historic site · 1 hr 12 min northwest
Across the river from the LBJ Ranch, this free park has the Sauer-Beckmann Living History Farm, where rangers in period dress run a farm from about 1918. Bison and longhorns graze along the Pedernales.
Wildlife refuge · 1 hr 24 min northwest
An old railroad tunnel near Fredericksburg where up to 3 million Mexican free-tailed bats fly out at dusk from May to October.
Bike trail · 1 hr 10 min east
A hilly 12-mile park road through the Lost Pines between Bastrop and Buescher state parks, good for road biking or a slow drive.
Swimming · 1 hr 2 min west
Four miles of Guadalupe River frontage north of San Antonio for swimming, tubing, fishing and canoeing. About 13 miles of hike and bike trails wind through the hills.
State park · 1 hr 5 min northeast
A park in the Lost Pines forest with 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps cabins and buildings. You can see the forest regrowing after recent fires.
Family fun · 2 hr 8 min northeast
Busy shopping and food complex in Waco with shops, places to eat and a big turf lawn.
Lake · 2 hr 7 min south
A brush-country lake near Mathis for swimming, boating, fishing and birding, with a 1930s CCC refectory.
National park · 2 hr 16 min north
See mammoth fossils left where they were found, on a guided tour of the dig shelter in Waco.
Museum · 2 hr 34 min south
A World War II aircraft carrier docked on Corpus Christi Bay, with planes on the flight deck, a flight simulator and a 3D theater.
Zoo · 2 hr 35 min south
A big aquarium on North Beach in Corpus Christi, with dolphins, sharks and a sea turtle rescue center.
Town · 2 hr 43 min southwest
A border city on the Rio Grande with a historic downtown of Spanish colonial buildings, murals and San Agustin Plaza.
State park · 2 hr 50 min east
Lakes and moss-draped forest where alligators are common, with 37 miles of hiking and biking trails and the George Observatory.
Bike trail · 2 hr 32 min east
Houston bayou park with trails for walking and biking, the historic Cistern, kayak and bike rentals and the Johnny Steele Dog Park.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 78130 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.