Day Trips From San Antonio With Kids
Updated by Mom's Guide SA
Boerne and New Braunfels have their own guides, with more stops and dates.
Quick answer
Boerne and New Braunfels are each about 40 minutes from downtown, with free trails, caves, a kids museum and a park train. Natural Bridge Caverns stays 70 degrees all year. Kids 12 and under get into Texas state parks free, but Enchanted Rock needs a reservation on weekends, school breaks and holidays. Drive times are estimates without traffic.
- Closest
- Natural Bridge Caverns, about 35 minutes
- Free
- Cibolo Nature Center and Old Tunnel State Park
- State parks
- Kids 12 and under get in free
Quick picks
- Cibolo Nature Center
Boerne, about 40 minutes. Free trails, open dawn to dusk every day.
- Landa Park
New Braunfels, about 40 minutes. The park train is $6, and kids under 1 ride free.
- Natural Bridge Caverns
About 35 minutes from downtown. The cave stays 70 degrees, and the Discovery tour needs no reservation.
- Guadalupe River State Park
About 55 minutes from downtown. Adults $7, kids 12 and under free.
- National Museum of the Pacific War
Fredericksburg, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Kids 9 and under get in free. Closed Tuesdays.
Day trips at a glance
Drive times are from downtown without traffic, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes.
| Trip | Drive from downtown | Kid stops | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boerne | about 40 minutes | Cibolo Nature Center, Cave Without a Name, Cascade Caverns, Kinderpark | Cibolo trails are free, dawn to dusk |
| New Braunfels | about 40 minutes | Landa Park train, McKenna Children's Museum, Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo, Gruene | The park train runs weekends and holidays, September to May |
| Natural Bridge area | about 35 to 45 minutes | Natural Bridge Caverns, Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch | No strollers on cave tours |
| Guadalupe River State Park | about 55 minutes | Easy trails, river swimming and tubing | Adults $7, kids 12 and under free |
| San Marcos | about 55 minutes | Glass-bottom boats, Wonder World, Rio Vista Park | The boats are walk-up only |
| Bandera | about 1 hour 5 minutes | Hill Country State Natural Area, Bandera City Park | Trails are shared with bikes and horses |
| Wimberley | about 1 hour 15 minutes | Blue Hole Regional Park | Swimming is closed until May 1, 2027 |
| Fredericksburg | about 1 hour 20 minutes | National Museum of the Pacific War, Wildseed Farms, Old Tunnel State Park | The museum is closed Tuesdays |
| Lost Maples State Natural Area | about 2 hours 5 minutes | Fall color | Fills up daily, so reserve ahead |
| Enchanted Rock State Natural Area | about 2 hours 15 minutes | A short loop trail and the Summit Trail | Reservations required on weekends, school breaks and holidays |
Boerne: free trails and two caves
About 40 minutes from downtown. For more stops and Market Days dates, see our Boerne with kids guide.
Nature & Wildlife
Cibolo Nature Center
Free and open dawn to dusk every day, with more than 6 miles of trails and dinosaur track replicas at the trailheads. Leashed dogs are OK.
Boerne
Nature & Wildlife
Cave Without a Name
Hourly cave tours. Kids under 6 are free with a paid adult.
Boerne
Nature & Wildlife
Cascade Caverns
Hourly tours. Kids 4 to 11 are $14.95.
Boerne
Kinderpark
Fenced, shaded city playground at 111 Water St.
Boerne
New Braunfels: a park train and a kids' museum
About 40 minutes from downtown. For more stops and seasonal events, see our New Braunfels with kids guide.
Parks & Playgrounds
Landa Park
The miniature train is $6, and kids under 1 ride free. From September to May it runs weekends and holidays, plus daily over spring, Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. Call (830) 625-8285.
New Braunfels
Museums
McKenna Children's Museum
Children's museum. $10 per person, Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
New Braunfels
Nature & Wildlife
Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo
Animal park at 5640 S. I-35. See the zoo's site for hours and prices.
New Braunfels
Entertainment
Gruene Historic District
Free to stroll. Gruene Market Days run the third full weekend of the month, February to November, plus the first weekend of December.
New Braunfels
Natural Bridge Caverns and Wildlife Ranch
Next door to each other, about 35 to 45 minutes from downtown. The cave is a good pick on a rainy or hot day.
Natural Bridge Caverns
The cave stays 70 degrees. You don't need a reservation for the Discovery, Hidden Wonders or Cavern Combo tours. The Discovery Tour is about 1 hour with stairs, and strollers aren't allowed on cave tours. Parking is $10 per car.
San Antonio
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
Drive-through safari, over 6 miles, about 1 to 2 hours. Adults 12 and up $31.99, kids 3 to 11 $21.99. Buy feed at the entrance, and tickets online or when you arrive.
San Antonio
Guadalupe River State Park
About 55 minutes from downtown. River fun plus short, easy trails.
- The park often fills up, most of all from March through November, so reserve a day pass.
- No glass or foam along the riverbanks or in the river.
- Bring your own drinking water.
- The park closes some days in late November and January for hunts. Check its alerts before you go.
San Marcos: glass-bottom boats and a cave
About 55 minutes from downtown.
Nature & Wildlife
Wonder World Cave & Adventure Park
Guided tours of a cave, an anti-gravity house and a train. All-inclusive passes are $35 for adults and $25 for kids. Tours aren't for strollers. Open Fridays and weekends this fall, so check hours.
San Marcos
San Marcos River (Rio Vista Park)
River park at 555 Cheatham St. No reservations needed. The $5 fee for visitors from out of the area is only for summer weekends and holidays.
San Marcos
Glass-Bottom Boats at Spring Lake
Daily 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 30-minute tour is $13 for adults, $9 for kids 3 to 12 and free for 2 and under. Walk-up only, first come, first served. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Dec. 21 to 25 and Dec. 31 to Jan. 1.
San Marcos
Bandera: Hill Country trails and a river park
About 1 hour 5 minutes from downtown.
We don't have a page for these yet. The link goes to the official site.
- Bandera City Park On the Medina River at 511 Main St., open daily 8 a.m. to 30 minutes before sundown. Free on weekdays. Enter the water only from the riverbank, and don't stand on the dam.
Fredericksburg: a museum, wildflowers and bats
About 1 hour 20 minutes from downtown. Visit Fredericksburg calls it just over an hour from San Antonio.
Farms & Ranches
Wildseed Farms
A half-mile walking trail and gardens, open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Fredericksburg
Old Tunnel State Park
Free entry. The trail is open sunrise to 5 p.m. all year.
Fredericksburg
National Museum of the Pacific War
Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Monday, closed Tuesdays. The Pacific Combat Zone closes at 3 p.m. Adults $26, students 10 to 17 $12, kids 9 and under free.
Fredericksburg
Old Tunnel bat flights, through Oct. 31
Bat season at Old Tunnel State Park runs May through October.
- To stay after 5 p.m., you need a bat-viewing ticket, kids included.
- Buy tickets ahead. The park doesn't sell them on site.
- Kids under 4 can't go in the lower viewing area, which is open Thursday to Sunday.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
About 2 hours 15 minutes from downtown. Plan ahead: it fills up.
- Bring your own drinking water, or buy bottled water at headquarters.
Lost Maples State Natural Area
About 2 hours 5 minutes from downtown. Best known for fall color.
- Expect traffic and capacity closures on fall weekends and Thanksgiving week. When the lots fill, the park closes.
Texas State Parks day passes
Guadalupe River, Enchanted Rock, Lost Maples, Hill Country and Old Tunnel are all Texas State Parks.
- Kids 12 and under get in free.
- Day passes go on sale 30 days ahead. Popular parks like Enchanted Rock can sell out days before.
- Parks with capacity limits close to drop-ins once they fill up.
- Online, you can book up to 8 people per car and up to 2 cars per day. You can also reserve by phone at (512) 389-8900.
Wimberley: Blue Hole
About 1 hour 15 minutes from downtown. Best in swim season.
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Questions parents ask
Do I need a reservation for Enchanted Rock?
Yes on weekends, school breaks and holidays. On regular weekdays it's not required, but the park usually fills up every day. Adults are $8, kids 12 and under are free, and day passes go on sale 30 days ahead.
When is fall color at Lost Maples?
It changes with the weather each year. The park posts a fall foliage report starting in mid-October. It fills up daily, so reserve a day pass to be sure you get in. Adults are $6, and kids 12 and under are free.
Can kids swim at Blue Hole in Wimberley this fall?
No. Swimming at Blue Hole is closed until May 1, 2027. Check Wimberley Parks and Rec before you plan a swim day.
What's a good rainy-day trip with kids?
Natural Bridge Caverns stays 70 degrees all year, and you don't need a reservation for the Discovery or Hidden Wonders tours. Strollers aren't allowed in the cave. In Fredericksburg, the National Museum of the Pacific War is free for kids 9 and under and closed on Tuesdays.
How far is Fredericksburg from San Antonio?
Visit Fredericksburg says it's just over an hour from San Antonio. Kids 9 and under get into the Pacific War museum free, and Wildseed Farms has a half-mile walking trail, open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.