Texas
Small-Town Weekend Getaways from Dallas
Historic courthouse squares, dinosaur tracks, and a restored 1929 mineral-springs hotel, all within 90 minutes of DFW.
The short version
Small towns near Dallas worth a 48-hour trip
Dallas weekend trips run southwest into the Texas Hill Country edge and into old resort and oil-boom towns. Within two hours you reach a lake-and-square town, a dinosaur-track river town, and a turn-of-the-century mineral-springs resort. These are weekend trips from Dallas built on lakes, rivers, and small-town Texas squares.
Granbury (1 hour southwest) is the lake-and-square town, with a restored 1880s courthouse square on Lake Granbury and a lakeside boardwalk. Glen Rose (1.5 hours southwest) is the dinosaur-track river town, with state park trackways and a bend in the Paluxy River. Mineral Wells (1.5 hours west) is the turn-of-the-century mineral-springs resort town, reborn around its Baker Hotel restoration and outdoor climbing.
All Dallas escapes
3 weekend trip ideas from Dallas, sorted by how far you have to drive. Vibes covered: food, lake, nature, family, history.
Under 1 hour
1 escape from Dallas
Questions & Answers
Dallas weekend FAQ
Granbury (1 hour), Glen Rose (1.5 hours), and Mineral Wells (1.5 hours) are the strongest small-town escapes from Dallas, covering a lake-and-square town, a dinosaur-track river town, and a mineral-springs resort town.
Granbury, about 1 hour southwest of Dallas, is the closest lake town, with a restored 1880s courthouse square and a boardwalk on Lake Granbury.
Glen Rose, about 1.5 hours southwest of Dallas, has dinosaur trackways in Dinosaur Valley State Park along the Paluxy River, where you can wade to the actual prints.
Granbury (1 hour, a lake-and-square town), Glen Rose (1.5 hours, a dinosaur-track river town), and Mineral Wells (1.5 hours, a mineral-springs resort town) are the best weekend getaways from Dallas, covering lakes, rivers, and Texas Hill Country edge.