The State-Wide XTX Trail: A New, Adventurous Way to See "The Real" Texas

Plenty of trails in the United States climb mountain passes and skirt jewel-colored lakes. But a new route across the midsection of Texas does something those trails don't — it swings past places known for barbecue, wildflowers, and two-stepping, plus the state's most famous (and long defunct) house of ill repute.

The 1,500-mile Cross Texas Trail, or XTX, as advocates call it, starts in the city of Orange, nestled in the Piney Woods of East Texas, and picks up 56,000 feet of elevation as it makes its way toward El Paso. It dips into the Hill Country, known for its spring wildflowers and clear creeks, and cuts through some of the state's most remote and rugged terrain in the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas. Right now, the trail is not much more than a line on a map that connects existing roads and trails, and there are no posted signs yet. However, the route will develop over the coming years.

Charlie Gandy, a bicycle advocate and community design consultant who once served as a state legislator, hatched the idea for the trail last year while hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail in California. He stitched together the route using already existing trails through state and national parks, gravel roads, and other paved roadways. Gandy, who lives in Washington State but is working with the non-profit Bike Texas on the project, envisions it as a way for hikers, cyclists, and equestrians to get a close-up look at a state known for its brash independence, fascinating history, and diverse terrain.

Anyone can walk, bike, or ride across the state now, but an official route would keep them off the busiest roads and steer them toward reliable water sources, Gandy says. And in a state that's more than 96% privately owned, a designated route makes it easier to explore.

The trail takes users near places with uniquely Texan stories to tell, like the now-defunct Chicken Ranch whorehouse in La Grange, a historic dancehall in Gruene, a privately-owned ranch near Marfa, and Big Bend National Park.

Gandy recommends traveling it from east to west to take advantage of prevailing winds, and doing it in winter when the heat is less intense.

Organizers have raised more than $60,000 for the project so far, and are working to ensure water sources at least every 15 miles along the way. Longer-term plans call for adding simple shelters every 50 miles, and privately-run, pay-to-stay glamping facilities every 100 miles.