Odessa, Texas, and the surrounding area have plenty of outdoor activities for you and your family to take advantage of when the weather is nice. Sprawling parks, unique landmarks, and historical sites abound in Texas, so you can find plenty of opportunities to get outdoors and explore. The following are just three outdoor attractions for you and your family to enjoy in Odessa.
Monahans Sandhills State Park
The Monahans Sandhills State Park is a wonderful place to visit for a unique outdoor experience. This park is referred to as an ocean of sand, as the wind can sculpt this desert environment’s dunes into peaks and valleys. The shifting landscape is often transformed overnight. Kids of all ages will enjoy this Texas-sized sandbox.
There’s no shortage of things to do in the park, such as picnicking, exploring on foot or horseback, surfing the dunes, camping, or hosting an event at the group hall and pavilion. Kids can become junior rangers by borrowing an explorer pack with tools to help them learn while they explore the park. They can pick up a junior ranger activity journal and completing the required tasks to earn a special badge. The Monahans Sandhills State Park offers an experience you won’t forget.
Odessa Meteor Crater
Have you ever wanted to see a crater created by a meteor? The Odessa Meteor Crater is the second largest crater recognized in the United States, at 500 feet across and 100 feet deep. Over thousands of years, sediment from wind and rain has filled the crater, and it is only about 6 feet in depth today but is still clearly visible. The meteor that created this crater greatly impacted the earth in this area.
The Odessa Meteor Crater is an explosion crater because the meteor was traveling at such a high speed that it exploded on impact, resulting in the massive hole it created. Other smaller meteors created other craters in the area that range between 15 and 70 feet across. Stop by the visitors center and check out the on-site museum for more information regarding the meteor craters found in the area.
Stonehenge Odessa
If you want to see Stonehenge without going to England, Stonehenge Odessa is the perfect place to visit. This is a replica of England’s Stonehenge landmark, and it’s located on the campus of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. It comprises twenty stone blocks that are similar in shape and size to the original Stonehenge.
The replica is only 70% of the original’s height, and the vertical pieces are two stones stacked on top of one another. The summer solstice of June 21, 2004, was used to test the time positioning and ensure the sun would shine through the arch on the model’s northeast side, bringing it to the same relative position as the original Stonehenge in England. The Odessa Stonehenge is an excellent place for you and your family to visit, and indeed, a sight to behold.
These three outdoor attractions in Odessa, Texas, are just starting points for you and your family to get out and explore. You’re sure to find many places to visit with your family and friends while enjoying the great outdoors. The Odessa area is a beautiful place that’s worth exploring.
Image via Odessa-tx.gov
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