We have compiled a list of various excursions that Frisco residents can drive to and from on a tank of gas or less.

The main attractions include a variety of options, and readers can use the "While you're there" feature for extra things to see and do while in the area.

This list is compiled based on an average of 25 miles per gallon and an 18-gallon gas tank, so be sure to do calculations based on your own specific vehicle.

Our mileage calculations are based on round trip.

Beaver's Bend



  • 332-milesFull-tank trip

  • 4350 Oklahoma 259A, Unit D, Broken Bow, Oklahoma

  • 580-494-6300 www.beaversbend.com

  • Hours: 8 a.m.–8 p.m. (Forest Heritage Center Museum)


Beavers Bend is more than just a park; it is home to memorials and other features that honor the past. In the Forest Heritage Center Museum, known as the Wood Art Captial of Oklahoma, visitors can find antique forestry tools, homestead memorabilia and other forestry items.

While you're there:


The Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area provides visitors with the chance to hunt, fish and camp.

Mineola Nature Preserve



Spread out across about 3,000 acres, the preserve is an area that allows people to take in nature and history. A railroad bed from the 1880s is located on the property, allowing visitors a chance to experience something historic.

While you're there:


Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, the Mineola Historical Museum provides visitors a look into the past.

Hydrous Wake Park



  • 16 miles1/8-tank trip

  • 280 E. Eldorado Parkway, Little Elm, Texas

  • 214-310-1105 www.hydrouswakeparks.com

  • Hours: Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–dark, Sun. noon–7 p.m.


The Little Elm Hydrous Wake Park welcomed its first wake boarders to Lake Lewisville last year. The location features a Sesitec cable system for advanced riders and two beginner cable systems that pull the riders from overhead. Six participants can use the system to wakeboard, wakeskate, ski or knee-board at the same time, but beginners must ride solo.

While you're there:


Friends and family can grab a meal and a drink at Towers Tap House, the water park's restaurant. They offer 16 beers on tap and variety of food.

Sixth Floor Museum



  • 54 miles1/4-tank trip

  • 411 Elm St., Dallas, Texas

  • 214-747-6660 www.jfk.org

  • Hours: Mon. Noon–6 p.m., Tue.–Sun. 10 a.m.–6 p.m.


Photographs, sound clips and memorabilia in the former Texas School Book Depository building chronicle President John F. Kennedy's life. Kennedy was fatally shot in Dealey Plaza on Nov. 22, 1963. The law enforcement agents who searched the depository found evidence of a sniper on the sixth floor.

While you're there:


Visit the Dallas Holocaust Museum or visit the Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse, which serves up USDA Prime beef in Dallas' West End.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center



  • 214 miles3/4-tank trip

  • 2299 CR 2008, Glen Rose, Texas

  • 254-897-2960 www.fossilrim.org

  • Hours: 8:30 a.m.–5:29 p.m. (last car admitted)


Going on a safari to see giraffes, rhinoceroses, cheetahs and wildebeests doesn't require a passport, just a trip to Glen Rose. The wildlife ranch spreads out across roughly 1,800 acres with about 1,000 animals, including native species.

While you're there:


Visitors can follow the paths on which dinosaurs once walked in the bed of the Paluxy River at Dinosaur Valley State Park or check out Dinosaur World and its display of more than 100 life-size dinosaurs.

Frank Buck Zoo



  • 110 miles1/2-tank trip

  • 1000 W. California St., Gainesville, Texas

  • 940-668-4539 www.frankbuckzoo.com

  • Hours: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.


Visitors to the Frank Buck Zoo get the chance to feed giraffes every morning at 10:30 for $1 per piece of food. At the petting zoo and elk exhibit, zoo-goers can give food from feeders to the animals. In addition to the giraffes, kangaroos, sloths and zebras are on exhibit.

While you're there:


The food at Sarah's on the Square is traditional American fare. The Gainsville Outlet Shops and Kinne's Jewelers provide shopping options.

Choctaw Casino and Resort



At the Choctaw Casino and Resort, visitors have many entertainment and food options from which to choose. The Poker Lounge gives players a place to concentrate on the game without the distraction of the main casino. It includes 30 private tables on a separate floor, and it features monthly and special tournaments.

While you're there:


Play a round at the Silverado Golf Course or visit The Hollow Tree Gifts and Tearoom.

Texas Discovery Gardens



  • 61 miles1/3-tank trip

  • 3601 Martin Luther King Junior Blvd., Ste. 250, Dallas, Texas

  • 214-428-7476 www.texasdiscoverygardens.org

  • Hours: Mon.–Sun. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.


Nature lovers can explore the 7.5-acre Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park. Within the gardens lies a two-story butterfly house and insectarium, which contains tropical rainforest plants, beneficial bugs, aquatic life and butterflies roaming about the insectarium.

While you're there:


People looking for a place to explore while staying out of the summer heat can visit the Children's Aquarium at Fair Park.

WinStar World Casino and Resort



Just across the border in Oklahoma lies WinStar World Casino and Resort. It offers many popular electronic games, including "Betty Boop," "Ice on Fire," "Hangover" and "Wheel of Fortune," that are located in eight gaming plazas. Some of the table games at WinStar include blackjack, pai gow poker and midi baccarat. Casino favorites craps, roulette, poker and keno are also offered.

While you're there:


Play a round at the WinStar Golf Course.