I've been here a while but I feel like I've only scratched the surface of outdoor stuff to do. I default to the same two parks every weekend and I'm getting bored.
Looking for hiking trails, lakes, nature preserves, anything where you can spend a few hours outside without just doing laps on a paved path. Bonus points if it's not totally packed on weekends.
Dogs welcome is a plus but not required. Willing to drive up to 45 minutes.
Early morning on weekdays is the cheat code for popular parks. I go at 7am on a Tuesday and have the whole trail to myself. Same trail on a Saturday at 10am has 200 people.
Get the AllTrails app and search your area. Filter by difficulty and distance. Some of the best trails aren't in official parks — they're along creeks, power line easements, and greenbelts.
Army Corps of Engineers parks around the lakes are always less crowded than city parks. Free or cheap, good trails, water access. Google the nearest lake to you and look for Army Corps sites.
State parks. Texas state parks system is incredible and massively underused. A year pass is $70 and gets you into every park in the state. Weekend camping is $15-25/night.
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Look for nature preserves run by land trusts or Audubon societies. Usually free, well-maintained trails, and way fewer people than state or city parks.