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Pablo Zapato, 14, of Mission, shakes water off his head after jumping into the creek at Upper McKinney Falls at McKinney Falls State Park in Austin on July 29, 2023.
Climate Change in Texas

Amid extreme temperatures, Texas state parks can be a respite — or a heated hindrance all their own

More than 1 million people visited Texas’ 89 state parks in June. In locations without bodies of water, park officials warn attendees not to overdo it as three-digit temperatures persist.


Superintendent Doug Cochran checks the surface temperature of the granite floor at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, located north of Fredericksburg, on a hot summer day, July 26, 2023. The surface temperature in the area was around 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Jailyne Garcia, 20, holds hands with Ezekiel Reyes, 4, while walking toward the creek to swim at McKinney Falls State Park in Austin on July 29, 2023. Garcia and Reyes drove from Houston to spend a day at the state park, a trip they do about three times every summer.
Alberto Mendoza IV, 18, of Mission, cannonballs into the water at Upper McKinney Falls at McKinney Falls State Park in Austin on July 29, 2023.
Pablo Zapato, 14, of Mission, climbs out of the water and up through a hole in the limestone at Upper McKinney Falls at McKinney Falls State Park in Austin on July 29, 2023.
Ludwig Koop, along with family living in San Antonio, have made their way to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area while on summer visit to Texas from the Netherlands, on July 26, 2023.
A visitor hikes downward from Enchanted Rock's summit at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, located north of Fredericksburg, on a hot summer day, July 26, 2023.
TKTK did not feel deterred by the heat as they hiked down Enchanted Rock's summit at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, located north of Fredericksburg, on a hot summer day, July 26, 2023.

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