Outdoors and Lakes
Get Outside in the 806
West Texas has more to offer outdoors than most people expect. From canyon trails to lake days, here is your guide.
city limits to canyon rim
Where It All Sits
5 spots mapped · Map © OpenStreetMap.
Buffalo Springs Lake
225-acre reservoir 12 miles east of Lubbock in Ransom Canyon. Swimming, fishing, camping, and kayaking. A full-service park with boat ramps, RV sites, and a sandy beach area. Open year-round.
Lake Alan Henry
50 miles southeast of Lubbock in Garza County. Largemouth bass and catfish fishing, primitive and developed camping, and wide open West Texas skies with minimal light pollution.
Mackenzie Park
In-city park on the east side with picnic areas and a historic prairie dog town. One of the most-visited family destinations in Lubbock.
Caprock Canyons and Trails
Caprock Canyons State Park is approximately 90 miles northeast of Lubbock in Briscoe County. Dramatic red-rock terrain, a free-ranging bison herd, and miles of hiking and mountain bike trails. Worth the drive.
Yellowhouse Canyon
Running through northeast Lubbock, this canyon system offers trail access and some of the most dramatic natural terrain within the city limits, surprising most visitors who expect nothing but flat plains.