8 Best Family Resorts in Texas 2023

The Woodlands Resort

Show your kids the picture of this resort pool and see if they let you book anywhere else. The waterpark situation here is legit. Just 35 minutes south of Houston, this Hilton property features a lazy river and jaw-dropping swimming pool, 21 tennis courts, running trails through the area woods and plenty of splashing, swimming and Marco Polo.

We love this family-friendly resort's helpful staff, tasty food and laid-back feeling that is sure to have you booking repeat trips. Oh, and you can definitely pack your own toddler travel bed if you want, but this brilliant property is happy to provide you with one of the best baby cribs right in your room.

Relax—it's vacation and the resort is taking care of everything.

Make like a cowboy and head to a Texas dude ranch for your next family trip. This working ranch is an all-inclusive that also includes two horseback rides every day as part of your rate. Catch-and-release fishing, hiking and arrowhead hunting are all just an hour away from San Antonio.

This ranch has been open to families for more than 75 years with lots of repeat and generational visitors. If you love horseback riding, this is the best family resort in Texas for you. Giddy up!

This Marriott is another resort with great pool game making it one of the best family resorts in Texas. Here it’s the 1,100 feet of winding lazy river in a nine-acre water park that takes it over the top. This San Antonio family resort is set amid 600 sprawling, truly impressive acres.

Beloved by families for all the perks and thoughtful amenities, we think all the extra touches like outdoor fireplaces to Sunday morning duck races make it an over-the-top special experience for families of every age and stage. It's a locally loved Texas Hill Country gem that frankly, deserves worldwide recognition and applause.

Be sure to check out the animal meet and greets and make the most of proximity to Sea World and Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Golf and hiking trails are all nearby, too.

Just 20 minutes outside Austin, tucked alongside the Colorado River, families here can spend their days on the 18-hole Lost Pines Golf Course (or taking in a leisurely practice session on one of the two putting greens) getting archery lessons, playing pickleball, trap shooting, frolicking in the water park and horseback riding.

The resort publishes a comprehensive daily activities list for guests to plan out their stay. As you explore, look out for The Lost Pines Resort mascots wandering the grounds–longhorns, alpacas, goats and mini horses. It's an animal-loving kid's paradise.

The glass-covered atriums which cover most of the walkways at this Dallas/Ft Worth resort make you feel like you’re outside even if you’re actually enjoying the crisp air-conditioned air of an otherwise oppressively hot August afternoon.

The Gaylord is also famous for incredible over-the-top holiday decorations and events, in case you want to pick a cooler time of year to visit. There’s a huge splash park a shuttle ride away, and fun characters like Shrek and Santa have been known to appear throughout the resort–keep your eyes peeled!

This is an (upscale) cowboy’s paradise in Graham, Texas, with accommodations that range from full homes with kitchens and fireplaces to hotel-style rooms in buildings that looks like they’ve been plucked right from a Spaghetti Western.

Activities at this ranch on our Best Family Resorts in Texas list range from sunset trail rides to clay shooting to private, guided Jeep tours up nearby Kisinger Mountain and around the Brazos River. You will love channeling your inner cowboy during the day while lounging by your private fireplace in the evening.

Set right on the beach on Galveston Island, this luxe resort offers breathtaking views of the gulf at virtually every turn (most rooms have a balcony and a view!) Steal yourself away from the sand to enjoy the Cove pool where smores happen on the regular, or play a family game of pickleball on one of the four resort courts.

Part of the fun here is how close you are to the other Galveston Island activities like The Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Waterpark (open year-round), Moody Gardens (with iconic Aquarium pyramid) and of course the Pleasure Pier. Plus, just about everyone who stays here says the mattress offerings are top-notch. Ahhh, sleep!

This Westin is accommodating to all members of the family, whether it’s the human kid or the 4-legged variety (as long as Bandit is under 40 pounds). The star here is the golf course, but the indoor TopGolf Swing Suite is a great place to get some reps in with the littles.

That is, if you can peel them away from the twisty water slide, splash pad and lagoon-style pool. Book a deluxe, two-bedroom room, or a Westin-special, a room with a Peloton in it for some afternoon workouts while the kids nap after spending the morning in the amazing Westin Kids Club.

Enjoy evenings in the hot tub, take a stroll around the gorgeous property by yourself or with the little ones and relax knowing this resort offers one of the best family vacations in Texas.

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