Taylor, TX Outdoor Activities

Water trickles through a stone roof in the shape of a butterfly, flowing through a Roman-styled aqueduct to a cistern placed for harvesting rainwater. Thorn-crested agaves and evergreen succulents flourish beneath the eaves. The architecture of this rainwater harvesting system—itself a recreation of a South Texas mission garden—embodies the dual purpose of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: to preserve native plant life and promote environmental and conservation research.

Although North American native plants thrive in this region when left to their own devices, urban development, agribusiness and the introduction of invasive species have slashed their numbers, reducing wildlife habitats and disrupting the fragile ecosystem. Lady Bird Johnson founded the Wildflower Center in 1982 to preserve these native plants and natural landscapes. Native Texas wildflowers and shrubs fill its 23 public gardens and trails, which form a natural habitat for cochineal insects and red-eared slider turtles. The center's Land Restoration Program restores damaged landscapes, and the Native Plant Information Network retains an online database of more than 7,200 native species.

Floats last between one and four hours each, and the short, one-hour route can be repeated. Gather a team of water-drawn hooligans for a relaxing journey that takes you around the famous Horseshoe Loop. The river is flush with Momma Nature's finest currents and rushing at its highest level in three years, so there's no better time to propel yourself and your professional water Marco Polo team down a living waterslide. Choose the route that will satisfy your inner sundial and outer sunsoaker.

Texas Sphere Ride brandishes a novel thrill with its massive inflatable spheres that send adrenaline junkies tumbling along a fenced-in track. The hollow, cushioned plastic balls safely cradle strapped-in pairs as they gather speed, rolling and bouncing along a dirt path. For added excitement, Texas Sphere Ride’s partnership with Helicopter Tours of Texas augments spherical jaunts with a short ride in a chopper for a more heart-pounding adventure than a hostage negotiation in a cardiologist’s office.

As the distant sound of chattering-duck calls grows nearer, visitors to downtown Austin know that the colorfully painted Duck Adventure Hydra Terra vehicles aren’t far behind. On board, knowledgeable guides regale sightseers with facts and stories about local sights and landmarks, pointing out the State Capitol, detailing the history of Sixth Street, and addressing all of the parking meters by their first name. At the end of the tour, the vehicles pack in their wheels and launch off the shores of Lake Austin for an aquatic tour of the lush, scenic lakeside.

A triangular form soars across blue skies and swoops over Texas's sprawling terrain. But the flying figure isn't a bird or a frustrated geometry student's homework—it's one of Thermalriders’ gliders, which let novices master the art of flying under the guidance of U.S. Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association-certified instructors. During aerotow flights, instructors and students can then break free from gravity's tight grip as Dragonfly planes tow them to heights of up to 2,500 feet. Thermalriders' instructors also have the ability to capture each flight on video.