A New Long-Distance Hike Is (Hopefully) Coming to Texas

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Charlie Gandy dreams of a new long-distance hike that takes thru hikers from one side of Texas all the way to the other side. He’s calling the trek the Cross Texas Trail (XTX), and the proposed route is about 1,500 miles from Orange to El Paso. If all goes according to plan, the XTX could be open to long-distance hikers as soon as next spring.

Gandy is a hiker, a biker, an urban designer, and a native Texan. He also founded BikeTexas.org, a nonprofit organization focused on bicycle advocacy and education. Now, in his retirement, Gandy is working with Bike Texas to create the XTX. The trail’s advocates envision it being Texas’s very own version of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), the Appalachian Trail (AT), and the Continental Divide Trail (CDT).

Local news reports that Gandy and his team have drafted a route and are currently testing it. The route will need some basic infrastructure, and the scout team is working on gathering allies and sponsors throughout the state to help make the trek not only possible but also as safe as possible for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders.

See the proposed route for the new Cross Texas Trail here: