Amistad National Recreation Area - A splash of blue stands out against limestone cliffs. The honking of a great blue heron, interspersed with the descending trill of a canyon wren, can be heard off in the distance. This landscape, which at times appears stark and desolate, comes alive with color after a rainstorm. Amistad is a land of contrasts...and of hidden treasures. The same water that draws people to boat and fish today, sustained over 300 generations of hunters and gatherers. They left behind a record of their existence through colorful rock art panels, bits of tools, and fibers preserved for thousands of years by the arid desert climate.

Big Bend National Park - Big Bend National Park is a land of borders. Situated on the boundary with Mexico along the Rio Grande, it is a place where countries and cultures meet. It is also a place that merges natural environments, from desert to mountains. It is a place where south meets north and east meets west, creating a great diversity of plants and animals.

Big Thicket National Preserve - The Preserve consists of nine land units and four water corridors encompassing 86,428 federal and 10,766 non-federal acres (97,191 total acres).  A convergence of ecosystems occurred here during the last Ice Age. It brought together, in one geographical location, the eastern hardwood forests, the Gulf coastal plains, and the Midwest prairies.

Chamizal National Memorial - The Chamizal Treaty was a milestone in diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States in 1963. Chamizal National Memorial was established to commemorate this peaceful settlement which was an end to a century-long boundary dispute between the neighboring countries. Far more than mere acreage, Chamizal is an idea, a dynamic process, dedicated to furthering the spirit of understanding and goodwill between the two nations that share one border. Utilizing the visual and performing arts as a medium of interchange, Chamizal serves as an open door to help people better understand not only other cultures, but their own cultural roots as well.

Fort Davis National Historic Site - Soldiers from Fort Davis, a key post in West Texas, helped open the area to settlement and protected travelers and merchants along the San Antonio-El Paso Road from 1854 to 1891. Today the fort is regarded as the best preserved in the Southwest.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park - Rising from the desert, this mountain mass contains portions of the world's most extensive and significant Permian limestone fossil reef. Also featured are a tremendous earth fault, lofty peaks, unusual flora and fauna, and a colorful record of the past. Guadalupe Peak, highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet; El Capitan, a massive limestone formation; McKittrick Canyon, with its unique flora and fauna; and the "Bowl", located in a high country conifer forest, are significant park features.

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Park - Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park tells the story of our 36th President in a unique and encompassing way. The story begins with Lyndon Johnson's ancestors, tracing the influences his family and his beloved Texas Hill Country had on the boy and the man. In Johnson City, the visitor can see how LBJ influenced his home town by bringing the resources of the U.S. Government to bear on improving the lives of his friends and neighbors. The park also affords a special opportunity to visit a working cattle ranch, preserved in the late 1960s time period. On the LBJ Ranch it is possible to experience the serenity and beauty from which the former president drew his strength and comfort. It is here that his final resting place is located. This entire "circle of life" gives the visitor a unique perspective into one of America's most noteworthy citizens by providing the most complete picture of an American president.

Padre Island National Seashore - Padre Island National Seashore encompasses 133,000 acres of America's vanishing barrier islands. It is the longest remaining undeveloped barrier island in the world. White sand beaches, interior grasslands, ephemeral ponds and the Laguna Madre provide habitat for coyotes, waterfowl, reptiles and amphibians, nesting sea turtles, ground squirrels and snakes. While providing food, water and shelter for a multitude of diverse wildlife, the island remains a mecca for tourists. From sun bathing to wind surfing to fishing, the island provides recreational opportunities for everyone needing to feel the wind in their faces and the surf on their feet.  

Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site - On May 8, 1846 troops of the United States and Mexico clashed on the prairie of Palo Alto in the first battle of a two-year war.  Signed into law in June 1992, Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site preserves the 3,400-acre scene of this clash between nations and informs visitors about its national and international importance. As the only unit of the National Park Service with a primary focus on the U.S.-Mexican War, Palo Alto Battlefield also interprets the entire conflict--including the details of its origins and the broad range of consequences. In an effort to turn a scene of conflict into a place of bi-national exchange and understanding, all research and interpretation conducted by the park reflects perspectives of both the United States and Mexico.

Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River - The Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River, or El Rio Bravo del Norte, provides protection and maintenance of the pristine character of the Rio Grande from the Coahuila/Chihuahua, Mexico, state border upstream from Mariscal Canyon to the Terrell/Val Verde County line in Texas downstream. The Wild and Scenic River designation extends for 196 miles along the river’s course.

San Antonio Missions National Historic Park - Four Spanish frontier missions, part of a colonization system that stretched across the Spanish Southwest in the 17th, 18th, 19th centuries, are preserved here. They include Missions San Jose, San Juan, Epada, and Concepcion.

For more information visit the National Park Service website