Chase Fountain | TPWD
WANDERLIST
Parks Where it Just Might Snow
Will this year bring a white Christmas to Texas parks?
All those holiday songs about snow — why does this beautiful, gentle gift from the sky elude us here in Texas? We’re always dreaming of a white Christmas, but it rarely happens. Sometimes, there’s magic, and we get to see our landscapes blanketed in white. The best chances of snow occur in West Texas and the Panhandle.
Caprock Canyons State Park (top)
Caprock Canyons sees snow more often than most of Texas and has the added allure of the Texas State Bison Herd. They’re sure to look majestic in a wintry setting.
Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Head to the northernmost park in Texas, where the winter low temperature is frequently in the 20s. The red-skirted walls of Palo Duro Canyon are even more spectacular when dusted in sugary snow. Nearby Amarillo receives an average 17.8 inches of snow every year.
TPWD
Davis Mountains State Park and indian lodge (above)
This West Texas park sits at more than 5,000 feet above sea level. Because of the higher elevation, it is cooler and wetter than the surrounding desert. The Davis Mountains range contains some of the highest mountains in the state.
Franklin Mountains State Park
Elevation is the key here in one of the largest urban parks in the nation, enclosed in El Paso’s city limits. Park headquarters are at 4,750 feet, with the highest peak reaching 7,192 feet, sometimes topped with snow.
Big Bend Ranch State Park
Snow in the Big Bend is rare but not impossible. Check the park’s higher elevations; areas above 3,500 feet are sprinkled a couple of times a year.
