Quick Family Weekend Getaways Near DFW (Updated)

Plan now with these quick family weekend getaways near DFW!

Family road trips are a thing and will always be a thing. Families want to get away, and road trips seem the best option. Whether it’s summer, spring, or fall, it’s a great time to make these quick family weekend getaways near DFW happen.

This year, there’s plenty of time to take a family getaway and many places to see. I have some pretty neat places to show you that are only three hours or less from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Read on for a great family vacation near home.

Quick Family Weekend Getaways Near DFW

Today, I’m sharing some fun family weekend getaways I’ve been on and a few that my friends have been on that are worth mentioning. You’ll want to grab a drink and a notepad because these places are too good not to visit. To all nature lovers, get your mountain bikes ready!

Each weekend getaway near DFW mentioned here would be an excellent place for you and your family to take a break and leave the madness behind. Most are under 3 hours, with a few slightly over, but not by much. It’s not bad for a road trip. And if the kids get bored, you can always play family games in the car.

1. LaRue, TX (East Texas)

The first is Piney Woods Getaway Cabins, now called Postcard Cabins, in LaRue, TX. I took my son and mom last year, and we had a blast. Before we left home, I scoured the area for fun activities. It looks like the ideal place to explore nature and hike, with stunning scenery that’s perfect to include in online photocalendars. Still, I was looking for another adventure my son and I could do together.”I found the perfect adventure …and it’s my favorite. A zip line course wasn’t too far away! Please read all about it here >>> Tiny Cabin Camping in East Texas.

2. Cleburne, TX – A Quick Family Weekend From Fort Worth

Cleburne, TX, has a wonderful downtown area with many boutiques, a candy shop, and great places to eat. The courthouse is in the center of it all. The best part about our trip is our fun at the outdoor museum. Read our article on Texas Travel Talk about our experiences and how great this town is for a family visit.

3. Best Day Ever Ranch, Whitewright, TX

When we were there some years ago, the cabins were newly updated and cute! Cabins are small, with steep stairs to a loft; however, other options do not have steep stairs. My favorite thing was having coffee on the porch the following day. Someone nearby was playing country music, and it all seemed so serial. If you get the chance, ask to see the treehouse cabin. The bathtub alone is worth renting.

Each rental gets a golf cart to use. Sorry, no golf club or golf course—but who needs one? But the best part is that most of their cabins have an outdoor shower—incredible. Best Day Ever Ranch also offers an event center perfect for weddings, a fantastic outdoor gazebo, and lots of room for guests to roam. You have to read about this place. I want to return for another weekend trip—camping at Best Day Ever Ranch.

BDER is a quick weekend getaway from Dallas; your entire family will love it.

4. Modern Cabins in Navasota, TX

You’ll find another Getaway Cabin (now called Postcard Cabins) in the small town of Navasota (close to Houston), just a short drive from Dallas. Google Postcard Cabins.

Remember that these cabins are tiny, but the view of nature is why this company placed their small cabins in each area. Along with these two locations, there are cabins in the Austin and San Antonio areas and a few scattered around the East and West Coasts.

5. Staycation at Gaylord Texan Resort

If you know me, you know I love spending time at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine, TX. I was invited to stay the night and enjoy Summerfest activities and Paradise Springs. I decided to ask a couple of my girlfriends to come along. It was also my birthday, so my time there was extra special. We met so many Texas families there. I wish I’d brought my kid.

Have you taken your family to Gaylord Texan Summerfest? This year (2025), they are offering something brand new: the University of Light Show, complete with superheroes. 

Read all about this new adventure that you and your kids will LOVE. It opens this week (May 23rd), and Texas Travel Talk has a coupon for $5 off each ticket—All-New Gaylord Texan University of Light.

In past years, it’s been wild and fun. It changes every year, and this year will be the best one yet. Who doesn’t like interacting with superheroes?

Of course, the Gaylord Texan is just minutes from Dallas and Fort Worth — a staycation I always recommend for the family.

6. A Great Getaway in Frisco, TX

Frisco is one of the best places to spend a day or a weekend in North Texas. It features live music, a fun downtown area on Main Street, escape rooms, and more. Be sure to see the Starplex where the Dallas Cowboys train. It’s in a walkable area with plenty of restaurants and boutiques.

7. Dinosaur Valley State Park

Glen Rose, TX, has a beautiful state park to visit for the day or a weekend, with hiking trails, picnic tables, a playground, geocaching, and dinosaur tracks!

Dinosaur Valley State Park is one of the best day trips I’ve been on with kids. But spending a fun weekend camping out would also be fun. If you have the time, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is not too far. It’s great for young kids, but older kids will like it too. Remember that the dinosaur tracks are most visible with low water levels. The park has a store with supplies, some food, and even a small gift shop.

8. Quick Family Weekend Getaways Near DFW – Oklahoma

Three hours north on Interstate I-35N in Oklahoma City is Bricktown, along with several prominent districts, offering something for tourists to see and do. Years ago, my son and I went on a hosted trip and had the best time cruising around the city. Every minute of our weekend getaway, we were busy trying to hit every district they had planned for us.

We had an itinerary from Visit OKC to follow, so we were busy. Oh, and you have to see the purple penguins in the hotel and the white-water rapids ride we took – it scared the you-know-what out of me, but my son loved it. Please read about our weekend escape and the best things to do >>> Our Oklahoma City Family Adventure.

 

9. Lake Texoma

A friend and her family rented a cabin at Lake Texoma from Light House Marina. She told me she’d been cooped up too long at home and needed a quick weekend escape. Texhoma is less than two hours from DFW and has been popular for years. I hear there’s great fishing to do. Esther told me their rented cabin had a full kitchen, bathroom, cable, and AC, but that they wouldn’t return there. They also rented a boat. It sounds fun to me.

10. Carlton Landing on Lake Eufaula

Then you have Carlton Landing on Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma, just under three hours from Dallas on Hwy 75. They have homes to rent.

 

11. Broken Bow Cabins

Have you seen the houses you can rent in Broken Bow, Oklahoma? They are gorgeous! I saw a glimpse of a few on Instagram a while back. Then, I remembered that my niece went there in October. She and her family had a blast and said she would return in a heartbeat. Okay, so Broken Bow isn’t quite a quick family weekend getaway near DFW, more like 4 hours, but still, I’ve heard marvelous things about going there.

Update: My niece did go back, AND so did I! I took my mom along for a mother-daughter getaway – here’s our trip – A road trip to Broken Bow

Ok, just a short drive from DFW, you and your family can have a wonderful time before school starts. Which weekend getaway near DFW do you like best so far?

Mother-Daughter Road Trip to Broken Bow, OK

Another Mother-daughter trip is in the books for us. I try to take my mom on as many road trips as possible. She’s 82 and still likes to get out of the house and go sightseeing and on road trips, but she never goes alone, so she goes with me. Lucky me, I found another person to go to tasting rooms with. For a good wine-tasting afternoon, try any in Broken Bow – there are a few!

After seeing that my niece had been to Broken Bow twice, I decided to go myself. I’ve wanted to go for quite some time and find a place that offers hot tubs with every property, a full kitchen, and a spacious dining room.

12. Turner Falls Park

Turner Falls is only an hour’s drive from my home. I can’t believe it took me this long to get there. I went when I was younger but haven’t returned since – shame on me. My last trip there was with the Boy Scouts – my, oh my, I never thought I’d go camping in a tent, but I did, and it was terrible for me. However, my son and his friends loved it. Here’s our trip info – Camping at Turner Falls – an article on Texas Travel Talk.

Family travel has never been better, and these places are a great way to discover a fun destination you may have never seen before. Grab the whole family and plan today!!

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