By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
Sometimes, we take the beauty around us for granted.
Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine recently ranked Del Rio as the No. 5 Top Outdoor Town in Texas in its 2026 countdown of the state’s best outdoor communities with populations under 50,000.
Blanca G. Larson, president and CEO of the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, said it’s nice to see Del Rio
receive the recognition.
“We know everything our community has to offer, and we love it here,” Larson said. “But when Texas Parks and Wildlife comes in, looks at our community and says that only four communities in Texas have more going on when it comes to the outdoors, that’s really special.”
The CVB aggressively promotes Del Rio and the surrounding area’s outdoors in an effort to attract more tourist dollars to the community.
The four-page article praised Del Rio’s unique combination of spring-fed waterways, public access to nature and abundant outdoor recreation. It highlighted destinations including Lake Amistad, San Felipe Creek and Devils River State Natural Area, along with the area’s opportunities for birding, paddling, fishing and camping.
An insight into how Del Rio may have been selected could be found in Editor Russell Roe’s monthly column, From the Editor, near the front of the publication. Roe openly admitted his appreciation for the region.
“I’ve gone on five-day paddling trips down both the Pecos and Devils rivers, camping on riverbanks and navigating exciting rapids. Those trips are as good as it gets for Texas paddling. I’ve visited Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site and its pictographs many times; I stood in awe of the nearby White Shaman mural a couple of years ago. The Lower Pecos pictographs are a cultural treasure. I’ve tested my rock-climbing skills on the limestone cliffs of the Lower Pecos on multiple trips to Continental Ranch and the climbing area near the High Bridge. The climbing along the Pecos is some of the best in Texas. In short, many of my best Texas adventures have happened in that part of the state,” Roe wrote.
Roe also compares the waters of Lake Amistad to the Greek Islands and the Aegean Sea.
The feature also recognized Del Rio’s historic downtown, local restaurants, wineries and its connection to neighboring Ciudad Acuña. Longtime Del Rio journalist and 830 Times News Editor Karen Gleason was also quoted in the story, discussing the area’s birding opportunities and unique outdoor attractions.
The magazine can be seen in its entirety here or go straight to the article here. The rankings released so far include Jefferson at No. 6, Canyon at No. 7, Bastrop at No. 8, Mineral Wells at No. 9 and Llano at No. 10. Texas Parks & Wildlife will reveal the state’s top four outdoor towns later this year as the countdown continues.
