One of the best ways to stay cool this summer is to spend some time at a Texas Lake.  Go boating, swimming, camping, cliff jumping, diving, or just take your lawn chair and plop in the water and sit and chill for a while.  Head to a campground for a weekend of getting wet or pick a nearby day use area and enjoy a lakeside picnic. 

• rent a boat, party barge, waverunner, and some water toys and spend some time tubing, boarding, fishing, cruising, swimming, or rafted up in one of the party coves - use our  Boat Rentals Page to find where to rent a watercraft
• hire a fishing guide to get you out on the water and help you catch a big fish - Lake & River Fishing Guides 
• our Cool Lake Maps will help you find some fun things to do on some of our favorite lakes
• the Texas Lakes Map is an easy way to find a nearby lake and read our review of the lake 
  
  

Check out our Favorite Texas Lakes - our top rated lake is Lake Texoma which has a little bit of everything including: a variety of resorts and lodging, good beaches, pretty clear water, lots of camping, houseboat and boat rentals, and some bars and restaurants.

• go sailing - it doesn't get much better than cutting through the water with the wind in your face on a beautiful day and on a great lake - take a lesson, rent a sailboat, or go for an evening cruise - find these and more on the Sailing Page
• launch your kayak or rent one and paddle the rivers, bays, or bayous - check out our Kayaking Page to find rentals, lessons, paddling trails and more
• get underwater in one of the scuba dive parks, lake diving spots, or offshore diving locations - use our Snorkeling and Diving Page to help you find where to go - any of the listed dive shops can help 
• for most of us it's a long trip, but spend some time in the Big Bend area and raft down the Rio Grande through some beautiful scenery
• tube any of the Texas rivers - the Guadalupe is the most popular and always cool and refreshing on a hot summer day, but you'll find lots of other places to tube on our Tubing Page 

Texas Outside Favorites - tubing the Guadalupe, diving the offshore rigs, kayaking down the Colorado River, and an evening cruise with Sail With Scott on Lake Ray Hubbard

• the best way to enjoy the lake for a day or a week is to rent a houseboat - check out our Houseboating Page to learn more
• rent a fishing cabin, all of which are on or very close to the water, or stay in a lake cabin, resort, or lodge
• pick a lake campsite for a weekend - here is our list of Lake Campgrounds or use one of our regional or city maps in our Camping Section to find a nearby campground on a lake

Some Texas Outside Favorites include: Houseboating on Lake Amistad, Canyon of The Eagles, and Lake of the Pines for some of the best lake camping.

Summer time is beach time in Texas and you have several choices from Galveston to South Padre Island.  You'll find a variety of beach front accommodations and lots to do when you're at the beach.  Some recommendations:

• try camping on the beach in Port Aransas - Top Ten Things To Do In Port Aranasas kayak the Galveston Bay with Artist Boat
• go bay or off-shore fishing
• try surfing, kitesurfing, or windsurfing
• just set your chair in the sand and chill