Hiking / Where to go
Texas trails live on several kinds of land, each with its own access. The good news for hikers: a lot of it is free or cheap. (For how state-park passes and reservations work, see the Camping hub.)
The backbone of Texas hiking, with trails at most of the 80-plus state parks. You'll need a day pass (or the annual State Parks Pass) to get in, and popular parks fill up. Iconic hikes: the Lighthouse Trail at Palo Duro Canyon and the Summit Trail at Enchanted Rock.
TPWD State Parks ->Free trails with room to roam in East Texas. The Lone Star Hiking Trail runs about 96 miles end to end (around 128 miles counting its loops) through Sam Houston National Forest - the longest continuous footpath in the state.
National Forests & Grasslands in Texas ->Big Bend (the Window, Lost Mine, the South Rim, Santa Elena Canyon) and Guadalupe Mountains, home to Guadalupe Peak - the highest point in Texas at 8,751 feet, an 8.4-mile round trip (start early). Next door, Big Bend Ranch State Park is the largest, most rugged state park in Texas.
NPS Big Bend - Hike Smart ->The everyday option, and often the best for biking: Austin's Barton Creek Greenbelt and the Ann and Roy Butler loop around Lady Bird Lake, Houston's Buffalo Bayou trails, San Antonio's Howard W. Peak Greenway and River Walk, and Dallas's Katy Trail.
TPWD - find a trail ->Old rail lines turned into paths, like the 64-mile Caprock Canyons Trailway in the Panhandle, which runs through the historic Clarity Tunnel.
TPWD Caprock Canyons Trailway ->Because Texas is mostly private land, a lot of the best mountain-bike singletrack is on private property - ranches and parks that welcome riders for a fee. Each sets its own rules, so check before you go.
(confirm access on each spot's own page) ->Trail access and conditions change - especially on private trails - so always confirm on the managing park or landowner's page before you go.
Official sources
State-park trails come from TPWD; free trails from the U.S. Forest Service; the marquee desert hikes from the National Park Service; city trails from your local parks department.
Caution: Trail access, hours, fees, and private-land rules change. Confirm on the managing park or landowner's own page before you make the drive.
