Bountiful recreation options exist in the Greater Victoria Region!

There is a wide array of recreational activities within the City of Victoria. From a 40 acre Youth Sports Complex, to one of our splash pads in the park, or even attend one of our Toddlers on the Trail.

There is something here for the adventure seeker in everyone!

If golf is your game, you’ll be “under par” in Victoria because three local courses offer more holes of golf per population than the national average! The private member 18-hole course Victoria Country Club offers play on a reciprocal club basis. Riverside Park Golf Course is a 27-hole municipal course nestled in a 562-acre woodland park along the Guadalupe River. Colony Creek Country Club, located on the east side of Victoria, is a private 18-hold course that also invites non-members to tee up on their challenging links.

For those seeking the combination of exercise and outdoor experiences, the Victoria region has many hiking and biking trails for all levels of experience. Fitness enthusiasts love the paved and lighted Lone Tree Creek Hike & Bike Trail, which stretches a little over 2 miles near Victoria East High School. The Athey Nature Trail offers a beautiful walk through the natural areas of Riverside Park as well.

Outside of Victoria, the Angel of Goliad Hike and Bike Trail offers a chance to learn about Texas history while biking or walking. Visitors can use the four-mile paved trail to experience Goliad State Park, Mission Espíritu Santo, Presidio La Bahía and the San Antonio River.

Victoria has 16 parks covering nearly 1,000 acres! The crown jewel of the region's park system is Riverside Park, perfect for family outings and nature lovers of all ages. Covering 562 acres of woodlands, Riverside Park sits on the beautiful Guadalupe River with picturesque exercise trails, hiking areas, nature and jogging trails along with volleyball courts and baseball diamonds. Picnic areas, Bar-B-Q pits and playground equipment suit family enjoyment. And no visit would be complete without a stroll around the scenic rose garden, gazebo and duck pond or a trip to The Texas Zoo.

Only 90 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico and less than 30 miles from the nearest bay waters, Victoria is made for water enthusiasts. On both freshwater and seawater venues, water sports play an important part in the leisure activities of both residents and visitors alike. 

The Victoria Paddling Trail begins in Riverside Park and stretches for more than four miles along the Guadalupe River. The occasional sandbar offers opportunities for either resting or bird watching.  From put-in to take-out, this picturesque trail can be paddled in 1.3 hours depending on flow rates.

Victoria’s proximity to the Gulf of Mexico provides easy access to some of Texas' most beautiful coastlines. Sounds of the surf beckon from Magnolia Beach and Port O’Connor to Rockport and Padre Island offering some of the last natural seashores in the nation. Several freshwater reservoirs are popular for windsurfing, jet skiing, kayaking and a host of other activities, including the Texas Water Safari.

The Texas Gulf Coast has some of the greatest offshore saltwater fishing in the United States. Beachfront fishermen seek tarpon, shark, kingfish and jackfish. Bay fishing targets include speckled trout, redfish and flounder. Deep-sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico tops the list that truly supports the local mantra that “the fish are biting every day.”

A short half hour drive from Victoria is Calhoun County.  There you will find world class fishing in both Port O’Connor and Seadrift communities.  Going east across the bay you will reach Matagorda County, with Palacios for inshore fishing and Matagorda Island offering some of the best saltwater offshore fishing along the Gulf Coast.

Freshwater fishing enthusiasts target the Coleto Creek Reservoir for its bass, channel catfish, and hybrid striped bass throughout its 3,100 acres of freshwater and 190 miles of lakefront shoreline. Lake Texana State Park extends 18 miles up the Navidad River Valley with 125 miles of shoreline, stocked with Florida bass, striped bass, large and smallmouth bass, crappie, channel catfish and bream. Its facilities include ten boat ramps, picnic sites, camping areas and fishing piers.

A wide variety of Texas wildlife thrives in the Victoria area, including whitetail deer, feral hogs, javelina and wild turkey. Avid hunters will find open seasons for the various wildlife nearly year-round. General whitetail deer season runs from November to mid-January. Late season antlerless and spike runs from mid-January to early February. May through September shifts to bird hunting, with numerous species of ducks flocking to the region. Those seeking an exotic trophy can book a hunt at one of many private ranches for game such as axis deer, fallow deer, aoudad sheep, and blackbuck antelope.