Day Trippin' › Texas › From Waco
From Waco, Magnolia Market at the Silos, the Dr Pepper Museum and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame are minutes away, Waco Mammoth National Monument about 10, Inner Space Cavern about an hour, and Fort Worth, Dallas and Austin about an hour and a half. The best day trips from Waco, by drive time.
94 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
Historic site · 1 hr 22 min north
Fort Worth's Old West district, where the Fort Worth Herd runs the world's only daily cattle drive and rodeos fill the historic Cowtown Coliseum.
State park · 1 hr 34 min northwest
Walk in real dinosaur tracks in the Paluxy River bed near Glen Rose, with about 20 miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking.
Swimming · 1 hr 33 min southwest
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 · 1 hr 28 min northwest
Conservation center near Glen Rose where you drive a scenic route among roaming endangered and exotic animals and can feed them from your car.
Family fun · 1 hr 31 min north
Large botanical garden in East Dallas with seasonal festivals, concerts and holiday displays.
Bike trail · 1 hr 38 min south
A 2.8-mile hard-surfaced trail inside McKinney Falls State Park that suits road bikes, strollers and easy walks.
Town · 1 hr 39 min northwest
Lake town with a historic square and Lake Granbury, voted USA Today's Best Historic Small Town several times, with festivals all year.
Theme park · 1 hr 33 min north
Water park in Arlington with slides including a six-story plunge, lazy rivers and the Splash Island family play area with 17 slides and 100-plus water features.
Swimming · 2 hr 4 min southwest
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 · 2 hr 10 min southwest
A 15-acre historic district on the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels, with old township buildings, local shops, food and free live music daily.
Theme park · 2 hr 14 min southwest
A big riverside waterpark in New Braunfels with about 45 rivers, rides and slides in four sections, each with a lazy river and kids' area.
Cave · 2 hr 28 min southwest
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.
State park · 2 hr 39 min southwest
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.
Town · 2 hr 39 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.
Town · 2 hr 41 min southwest
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.
Historic site · 2 hr 43 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.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 76701 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.