Up at the north end of Texas, Dallas is not quite the gulf, not quite the plains, and not quite the southwest, but it’s within easy driving distance of all three. In three hours or less, you can visit dynamic Texas university towns, go antiquing in quirky stores, sip your way from vineyard to vineyard, meet mammoths and walk beside dinosaur footprints and breathe in the fresh air of the Texas hill country.
If you’re looking to escape the Metroplex, fire up your best road trip playlist, because these are the best day trips from Dallas.
1. Find cattle and culture in Fort Worth, Texas
Travel time: 30 minutes
Sportswriter Dan Jenkins once said, “If you want to see Texas, come to Fort Worth.” The city’s cowboy flavor, friendliness and laid-back vibe haven’t diminished over the years, even as the physical boundaries between the fringes of Fort Worth and Dallas have blurred. Start your sampling platter of all things western over at the Stockyards, Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the National Cowgirl Museum, and watch the daily bovine parade of the Fort Worth Herd.
For a more international outlook, you can see works of art from around the rest of the world at Kimbell Art Museum and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. For even more art with a more regional vibe (this is Remington’s home turf, after all) head to the Amon Carter Museum of American Art and the Sid Richardson Museum.
How to get to Fort Worth: Fort Worth is just a 30-minute drive from Dallas on I-30 W, but you can also take the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter train (one hour), making this one of the easiest day trips on this list if you prefer not to drive.
2. Splash in the clear waters in Caddo, Texas
Travel time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Immortalized in the 1994 single of the same name by the Dallas band, Toadies, Possum Kingdom State Park is a perennial favorite escape for Dallas citizens looking to spend a day at the lake, go for a hike, or spend the weekend camping in calm, green surroundings. There’s even a golf course and water warm that’s clear enough to attract snorkelers and divers in summer, plus fishers and kayakers year-round.
How to get to Possum Kingdom State Park: It’s a two-and-a-half-hour road trip to Possum Kingdom from Dallas; there’s no public transport.
3. See museums and mammoths in Waco, Texas
Travel time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Put memories of the town’s notorious 1993 siege to the back of your mind – locals celebrate Waco as the final resting place of wooly mammoths, the birthplace of Dr Pepper soda pop, and the hometown of Baylor University. Halfway between Dallas and Austin, Waco blends a little of Austin’s quirk and Dallas’ swagger, and there’s plenty here to fill up a day trip.
Waco is packed with great places to visit. From Waco Mammoth National Monument to the Dr Pepper Museum to darker attractions like the Site of the Branch Davidian Compound, there’s a lot of history to soak up here. Sports fans will enjoy the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum.
How to get to Waco: Waco is an hour and a half from Dallas on I-35E and I-35 S, or you can take the Greyhound bus (2½ hours).
4. Tune into musical heritage in Denton, Texas
Travel time: 45 minutes
If you love the bands Bowling For Soup and Parquet Courts, musicians Sly Stone, Meat Loaf, Don Henley, and Roy Orbison, you’ll love Denton, Texas. This small college town north of Dallas may not be as recognized as its Georgia cousin, Athens, but it is just as deeply knit into pop culture thanks to the University of North Texas College of Music.
Come up for toe-tapping events like the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival, or enjoy the regular live shows in venues such as Dan’s Silver Leaf and Abbey Underground.
How to get to Denton: Denton is 45 minutes to an hour from Dallas depending on traffic, straight up I-35E. You can also get here on the A-Train from Dallas, but first, you’ll need to take the DART light rail Green Line train to Trinity Mills Station; allow 90 minutes for the journey.
5. Walk with dinos in Glen Rose, Texas
Travel time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Millions of years ago, an Acrocanthosaurus stomped across this part of the prairie, which was then the soft soil of a shallow beach. You can still see its footprints in the bed of the Paluxy River at Dinosaur Valley State Park. There are also twenty miles of trails to explore on foot or by horseback, plus geocaching opportunities and campsites.
Kids will especially love the statues of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a Brontosaurus that were once mascots for the Sinclair Oil company, founded nearby Glen Rose. Today, the dinos are classic roadside kitsch greeting visitors on arrival at the park.
How to get to Dinosaur Valley State Park: Dinosaur Valley State Park is an hour and a half southwest of Dallas via US-67 S; there are no public transport options.
6. Sip your way along the Piney Woods Wine Trail in Tyler, Texas
Travel time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Okay, it’s not Napa, Sonoma or the Willamette Valley – not yet, anyway – but the wineries of east Texas are growing in number and popularity. The climate in this part of the state has historically been a little warm and wet for grape growing. However, agricultural scientists at major research universities and other institutions have been learning new ways to practice viticulture here. New wineries are opening every year along the Piney Woods Wine Trail.
That means Dallasites can enjoy visits to wine country in their own backyard. The trail is made up of twenty East Texas wineries running from Nacogdoches to Naples – coming with a car and a designated driver is the best way to explore.
How to get to the Piney Woods Wine Trail: Many of the wineries on the Piney Woods Trail are centered around Tyler, Texas, which is an hour and a half from Dallas on I-20 E.
7. Seek antique treasure in Canton, Texas
Travel time: 1 hour
Thousands of antique hounds gravitate to this small Texas town on the first Monday of each month for Canton First Monday Trade Days, a sprawling 100-acre flea market that draws vendors from all over. Even if you don’t come for First Monday, plenty of crafts and homeware shops are open beyond the flea market, including the Canton Dish Barn, the Paul Michael Company and Canton Marketplace. Fuel up at Buttermilk’s and start pickin’.
How to get to Canton: Canton sits just under an hour east of Dallas via US-80 E and I-20 E.
8. Catch the energetic college vibe in Austin, Texas
Travel time: 3 hours
Cultured, fun-filled Austin is an easy city break, even if you’re just staying for the day. Austin has retained much of its college town indie cred despite increasing gentrification and the attention of the tech industry, thanks to the influence of the world-famous South by Southwest tech festival.
This is still a place where you can spend a mellow afternoon admiring street art and enjoying alt cinema. Grab brunch at Elizabeth Street Cafe, check out local outsider art at the Cathedral of Junk, get a taste of the culture at SouthPop, see a concert at the Broken Spoke, and soak in the fresh waters of Barton Springs Pool if you come on a hot day in summer.
How to get to Austin: I-35 E will get you to Austin from Dallas in three hours, though Greyhound bus routes and an Amtrak route will also do the job – allow four hours by bus or more than six by train. With the distance and Austin’s abundant nightlife, stopping over for the night is a sensible decision.
9. Browse museums on every subject in Norman, Oklahoma
Travel time: 3 hours
Austin and Denton don’t have a monopoly on the chill college atmosphere near Dallas. Norman, Oklahoma is three hours away – making it a bit of a stretch for a day trip – but this is Texas, where long drives are the norm (pun intended), and the Texas Long Horns’ college football rivals, the Sooners, are here at the University of Oklahoma.
The university is also responsible for Norman’s youthful, colorful energy and array of museums, restaurants, bars and public events. For excellent art and nature displays, visit the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and the Fred Jones Jr Museum of Art. Meanwhile, weather nerds will enjoy the National Weather Center and politics wonks will love the Julian P Kanter Political Commercial Archive.
How to get to Norman: Norman is about three hours north of Dallas on I-35. It’s a long drive for a day trip, so consider stopping over for a night.
10. Bask in the green gardens of Shreveport, Louisiana
Travel time: 3 hours
Casinos beckon in Shreveport, Louisiana, but so do a bounty of gardens built in the good years of the city’s dramatic 20th-century boom and bust cycle. Some of the nicest of these green spaces include the American Rose Center and RW Norton Art Gallery – the latter of which not only features rare books and works by Frederic Remington and Charles M Russell, but also sets its collection in a sprawling 40-acre oasis.
Other fun, less botanical museums that are great for all ages include the Shreveport Water Works Museum, Louisiana State Exhibit Museum and the family-friendly Sci-Port Discovery Center.
How to get to Shreveport: It’s just under three hours to Shreveport from Dallas via I-20 E; the journey takes around the same time by bus.
11. Enjoy antique-hunting and pie-eating in Round Top, Texas
Travel time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Round Top has long been a favorite of antique hunters. It has lately attracted the attention of travel influencers with its abundance of airy, monochrome vacation rentals primed and ready for Instagram. This tiny town is overflowing with boutiques, artist studios, and vintage emporiums selling antiques and bric-a-brac. Head to Henkel Square for a blend of vintage architecture and unbeatable shopping.
When you get hungry, get some pie at Royers Pie Haven or Royer’s Round Top Cafe. Just be sure to check if the day you’re hoping to drive down is one of two annual Antique Weeks when Round Top will be flooded with 15,000 pickers, meaning a rush for accommodation and parking space.
How to get to Round Top Texas: Although it’s not far east of Austin, it’ll take three and a half hours to get to Round Top from Dallas, since you need to transfer from I-25 E to the slower US-77 S partway.
12. Paddle beneath a bald cypress in Caddo, Louisiana
Travel time: 3 hours
Caddo Lake State Park is one of the many great Texas state parks located on the border between the Lone Star State and Louisiana. The park is best known for its towering bald cypress trees, whose wide, gnarly roots rise out of the water of this swampy lake.
Paddling and fishing are popular activities at this park, but there are also hiking trails and campgrounds to enjoy.
How to get to Caddo Lake State Park: To get to Caddo, take I-20 east out of Dallas.
13. Experience the arts and soak in nature in Wichita Falls, Texas
Travel time: 2 hours
Called the “Gateway to Texas,” Wichita Falls is a small city bordering Oklahoma. One of the best day trips from Dallas in North Texas, the city is home to a thriving arts scene and beautiful historic architecture in the charming downtown area.
On the nature side, Lucy Park is a must-visit. Situated on a bend in the Wichita River, this 178-acre regional park is home to shaded picnic areas, walking trails and the impressive River Bend Nature Center. The center’s crowning feature is the Ruby N. Priddy Butterfly and Nature Conservatory. This 7,000-square-foot glass structure houses prairie grasses, shrubs, trees, wildflowers, and other plants native to the rolling plains.
How to get to Wichita Falls: At just two hours away by car, Wichita Falls is an easy day trip from Dallas. Take Texas 121 TEXpress to Fort Worth and US-287 N.
14. Cast a line in Denison, Texas
Travel time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Denison is one of the small cities on the shores of Lake Texoma. Located partway between Oklahoma City and Dallas, Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States. Its proximity to both cities is likely why the lake attracts more than six million visitors a year. While parts of the lake are in Texas, most of the shoreline is in Oklahoma.
Fishing and boating are the lake’s main draws, but quieter outdoor activities, like paddle boarding, kayaking, swimming and hiking, are also popular. Lake Texoma State Park and Eisenhower State Park are located on the lake’s shorelines and are great spots to camp, hike, picnic or fish. If you don’t have a boat, you can rent one from the many marinas on the lake.
How to get to Lake Texoma: North Hwy 75 will take you straight to Denison, one of several small cities and towns on the shores of the lake.
15. See the state’s biggest waterfall in Davis, Oklahoma
Travel time: 2 hours
Another destination between Oklahoma City and Dallas is Davis, Oklahoma. The town’s most popular destination is Turner Falls Park. This 1,500-acre park has a distinctive geography, with small canyons that pit the forested landscape. These canyons culminate in a waterfall, the park’s main attraction. At 77 feet high, it’s Oklahoma’s largest waterfall. At the bottom, blue-green water forms a natural swimming pool that rivals the view of the falls in popularity.
The falls and swimming pool have been attracting visitors since the 1860s. You can even visit the ruins of a castle built on the property in the 1930s. Besides swimming, the park also has several hiking trails. Ice forms around the waterfall in the winter, making for some incredible photos.
How to get to Davis: Traveling through North Texas, Davis is located just over the border into Oklahoma, just two hours from Dallas. After taking I-35E N out of Dallas, hop on US-77 N, which leads straight into Davis.
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