Hillsboro, Texas is the county seat of Hill County, sitting where I-35 splits into I-35W and I-35E, an easy commute from Itasca Creek RV Park. It's the kind of Central Texas town that most travelers see only through a windshield, but it's surrounded by some of the region's best outdoor and cultural destinations. Itasca Creek RV Park, just off I-35W on FM 67, puts guests within easy reach of Waco and Fort Worth (each about 45 miles away), Dinosaur Valley State Park, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Lake Whitney, and a dozen smaller destinations worth knowing.
1. Hillsboro Historic Downtown
The Hill County Courthouse, a Second Empire landmark built in 1890, anchors one of the better-preserved small-town squares in Central Texas. The surrounding downtown has antique shops, local restaurants, and the Hill County Cell Block Museum. Worth an afternoon on its own.
2. Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose
The best dinosaur tracks in North America are exposed in the Paluxy River bed here, and you can walk among them in the riverbed when water levels allow. The park also has excellent hiking, camping, and mountain biking. Book ahead; it fills quickly on weekends.
3. Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Glen Rose
A 9-mile drive-through safari with cheetahs, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, and more. They're not behind fences in the way you're imagining, but actually coming to your vehicle window. It's one of the best wildlife experiences in Texas and a genuinely unexpected thing to have within a day trip of an I-35 campsite. Tickets sell out; book online in advance.
4. Lake Whitney State Park
Lake Whitney is a large Corps of Engineers reservoir with some of the cleanest water in Central Texas. The state park offers swimming beaches, boat launches, fishing for striped bass and white bass, and lakeside camping. The surrounding area also has several marinas and private launches.
5. Meridian State Park
Small, quiet, and undervisited, Meridian State Park in Bosque County has a 72-acre lake, hiking through cedar-oak woodland, and camping that books out far less than the more famous parks nearby. Great for fishing (bass and catfish) and birding, especially during spring migration.
6. Waco: Magnolia Market, Baylor & More
Waco is no longer just a drive-through city. Chip and Joanna Gaines put Magnolia Market on the map, but Waco also has the Dr Pepper Museum, Cameron Park Zoo, McLane Stadium tours, Baylor campus, Homestead Heritage (an intentional community with incredible food and crafts), and Waco Surf. A full day-trip, easily.
7. Fort Worth Stockyards & Cultural District
Fort Worth's Stockyards historic district runs twice-daily cattle drives down Exchange Avenue, the last cattle drives in an American city. The surrounding area has honky-tonks, restaurants, and the Cowtown Coliseum. The Cultural District nearby houses the Kimbell Art Museum, Modern Art Museum, and Amon Carter Museum.
8. Clifton, Texas: Arts Community
Clifton is a Norwegian-heritage community in Bosque County with an active arts scene anchored by the Bosque Arts Center. Antique shops, Norwegian bakeries, a surprisingly good restaurant scene for a town of 3,500, and the annual Bosque Arts and Crafts Festival in November.
9. Food and Shops in Hillsboro
Hillsboro's old outlet mall by I-35 closed, and it was torn down in 2025. New restaurants have opened on that site since May 2026. For shopping, head to the antique shops and boutiques around the courthouse square. The town also has full grocery stores for a big restock on a longer stay. Our Hillsboro guide has more.
10. Lake Aquilla
A 3,280-acre reservoir in Hill County operated by the Corps of Engineers: local, low-key, and rarely crowded compared to Lake Whitney. Good bass and catfish fishing, a boat ramp, and primitive camping. Known among locals for good crappie in the spring.
11. Corsicana: Oil Museum & Fruitcake Capital
Corsicana was the site of the first commercial oil well in Texas (1894) and is home to the Petroleum Museum and the Collin Street Bakery, maker of the famous DeLuxe Fruitcake. A quirky, interesting small city with a strong local food scene and antique district.
Your Base for Exploring Central Texas
Itasca Creek RV Park puts you in the middle of this cluster of destinations, and every one of them works as a day trip. A week's stay gives you enough time to check off most of the list.