Abilene State Park


Play Wile E Coyote and go looking for road runners at 529-acre Abilene State Park, which is 4 miles southwest of Buffalo Gap. Attractions include hiking, bird-watching and wildlife viewing (armadillos, white-tailed deer, Mississippi kite, hummingbirds and more).

The campground has 102 campsites ($12 to $20 per night) including the most atmospheric: 12 tent-only sites. Reserve in advance. There's also a large public swimming pool.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Buffalo Gap Historic Village

4.42 MILES

Step back to a time long before the invention of air conditioning made the plains safe for city slickers at Buffalo Gap Historic Village. This living…

3. Grace Museum

16.76 MILES

This fine museum complex includes three distinct collections housed in the former Grace Hotel (1909), once the grandest in Abilene. It features…

4. Center for Contemporary Arts

16.83 MILES

This gallery features exhibits by noted artists and is home to 10 working studios. It's a nurturing spot for art.

5. Paramount Theatre

16.9 MILES

Stars twinkle and clouds drift across the velvet blue ceiling of this magical movie and performing-arts palace. You can tour the beautifully restored…

6. Frontier Texas!

16.91 MILES

Reason enough to stop if you're any place near Abilene, Frontier Texas! makes 100 years of frontier history (1780–1880) possibly more interesting than the…

7. Abilene Zoo

17.62 MILES

Jaguars, ocelots, elephants and giraffes are among the more than 160 species making their home at the Abilene Zoo, located in Nelson Park in southeast…