Texas destinations

2 Texas parks climb into top 10 on new list of best U.S. state parks

Palo Duro Canyon State Park is the No. 2 best state park in the country.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images / HomeToGo

There's still plenty of time to pack in one last road trip this summer and fall, and a new study by vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo has determined two Texas state parks should be at the top of the destination list: Palo Duro Canyon State Park and Garner State Park.

The popular parks emerged among the top 10 best state parks in the U.S., according to the "2024 HomeToGo State Park Index." The annual report ranks 50 of the top U.S. state parks based on five major metrics: The search volume for vacation rental stays in the area, the size of each state park, the number of trails in each location, the number of wildlife species in each destination, and each park's "picturesqueness" according to photographers.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park, known as the "Grand Canyon of Texas," came out nearly on top as the No. 2 best state park in the country, earning a score of 37.61 out of a possible 50 points. It's the second-largest canyon in the U.S., the report says, where the park's 30-plus miles of trails can keep even the most athletic traveler occupied.

The report goes on further to say Palo Duro Canyon is loaded with "rich geographical history" and "dramatic landscapes" that produce many photographic opportunities.

"[Visitors can] marvel at the stunning rock formations and vibrant sunsets that light up the expansive skies," the report said.

According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website, it only costs $8 per person to enter the park, and children aged 12 years and under get free admission. But the department recommends that campers and day trip visitors reserve passes online and double check that the park hasn't reached full capacity before visiting.

For travelers who don't want to make a drive to the Texas Panhandle, they can head to the Hill Country to visit Garner State Park, which ranked as the No. 9 best state park in the U.S. It earned a score of 33.51 points.

Garner State Park is known for its accessibility to the winding Frio River, which runs nearly three miles throughout the park. There's also ample opportunities to explore, as the park sits on 1,774 acres of land.

Garner State Park, Frio River, tubing, family friendly Tubing in the Frio River at Garner State Park is a great way to cool off during a hot summer day.Photo courtesy of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

"Swim in the Frio River or float its waters on an inner tube, operate a paddle boat, and hike 16 miles of scenic trails," the TPWD's website says. "You can also camp, study nature, picnic, canoe, fish, play miniature golf, geocache and ride bikes."

Visitors who decide to turn a day trip into an overnight stay can take advantage of the park's screened shelters, cabins, and campsites.

Elsewhere in Texas, Caddo Lake State Park ranked No. 40 out of all 50 parks in the study. This East Texas park is a great destination for fishers, thanks to the 26,810-acre Caddo Lake. Over 70 varieties of fish live in the lake, and visitors don't need a fishing license to fish from a state park, according to the TPWD. But keep an eye out for alligators, and brush up on alligator safety.

The top 10 best state parks in the U.S. are:

No. 1 – Letchworth State Park, New York
No. 2 – Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas
No. 3 – Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio
No. 4 – Mohican State Park, Ohio
No. 5 – Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Missouri
No. 6 – Indiana Dunes State Park, Indiana
No. 7 – Starved Rock State Park, Illinois
No. 8 – John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Florida
No. 9 – Garner State Park, Texas
No. 10 – Presque Isle State Park, Pennsylvania

The full report can be found on hometogo.com.

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Holiday Travel News

American Airlines briefly halts flights nationwide for technical issue

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

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American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday due to a technical issue just as the Christmas travel season kicks into high gear.

American flights were cleared to fly by federal regulators about one hour after a national ground stop order was issued by federal regulators.

Just before 8 am Dallas time, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered all American Airlines flights grounded in the U.S. at the airline’s request. American had reported a technical issue affecting its entire system with millions traveling for the holiday.
The ground stop, according to the time stamps on the FAA's orders, lasted exactly one hour.

American has not expanded on what technical issue grounded the flights and the airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The groundings couldn't come at a worse time for the millions of travelers expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers over the holidays and through January 2.

Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up.

In December 2022, Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike.

Southwest was ordered to pay a $35 million fine as part of a $140 million settlement to resolve a federal investigation into the Christmas debacle of 2022.

Excluding the settlement, the nation’s fourth-biggest airline by revenue said the meltdown cost it more than $1.1 billion in refunds and reimbursements, extra costs and lost ticket sales over several months.

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