Texas Hiking and Backpacking Trips

Big Bend National Park: South Rim via Pinnacles

Submitted by: Backpacker Magazine
Hike across twisted, tortured landscape on this 11.2-mile overnighter through the High Chisos Mountains to the South Rim escarpment. Bring plenty of water; this is dry country.

Big Bend National Park: Ernst Tinaja

Submitted by: Backpacker Magazine
Explore Big Bend backcountry on this easy 1.2-mile round-trip through a water-worn canyon to a desert watering hole surrounded by towering layers of rock.

Houston, TX: Lake Livingston

Submitted by: Backpacker Magazine
An introduction to Texas’ second-largest lake, this 13.25-mile round-trip paddle on Lake Livingston’s western shore will have you rubbing elbows with the locals--turtles, snakes and alligators included.

Dallas: Ray Roberts Greenbelt Hike

BACKPACKER Review
Only 30 minutes from downtown, this 7.4-mile out- and-back runs a shady corridor of bottomland hard- woods teeming with deer, armadillos, and songbirds.

Dallas, TX: Cleburne State Park Loop

BACKPACKER Review
Surprise sights--such as a masonry spillway and an elusive armadillo--await on this 5.5-mile loop that encircles Cleburne State Park's Cedar Lake.

Dallas: Dogwood Canyon Trail

BACKPACKER Review
Find an oasis of thick cypress groves, lakeside coves, and nesting bald eagles on this 4.8-mile lollipop loop in Ray Roberts Lake State Park.

Inks Lake

Awsome place, huge lake and 6 mile round trip.

LIVE: Lost Maples State Park

A great 5 mile loop with an awesome swimming hole near the end!

Enchanted Rock

LBJ National Grassland- Blue Trail

LBJ National Grasslands is located near the town of Decauter and North of Fort Worth, Texas. It contains a little of 20,000 acres, numerous ponds, and one large man made lake. The TADRA trail system is approximately 75 miles in length throughout the park.

Enchanted Rock

Caprock Canyon Trailway

Caprock Canyons State Park, 100 miles southeast of Amarillo in Briscoe County, was opened in 1982. It consists of 15,313.6 acres (including the Trailway, a 64.25 mile Rail-to-Trail conversion, acquired by donation in 1992 from a Railroad entrepreneur).

Local Hikes: Midwest

BACKPACKER Review
Hike these long trails in Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Kansas, and Oklahoma, and head south to Texas to see Horned Lizards.

The High Life: Hiking Utah's Highline Trail

BACKPACKER Review
Watch your step on Utah' Highline Trail. The nonstop views and rampant wildlife are distractingly spectacular. Plus: Gaze away on 9 more elevated hikes.

Local Hikes: Midwest

BACKPACKER Review
Discover east Texas's longleaf pine forest; see the Boundary Waters on foot.

Rip & Go: Turkey Creek Trail

BACKPACKER Review
Hike through three ecological zones in east Texas's carnivore country.

Readers' Choice: Southwest

BACKPACKER Review
Your favorite parks, weekend getaways, peak ascents, campsites, and more in the Southwest.

Trip Finder: Southwest

BACKPACKER Review
Your favorite Southwest hikes—from dayhikes to weekenders to multiday trips.

Share your tales of travel & adventure with our step-by-step guide. Upload trail descriptions, photos, video, and more.

Photos + Videos

Packing for a Backcountry Ski Day Kristin Hostetter shows you the essential gear, and how to pack it, for a day of backcountry skiing.	Adjust Your Pack Straps on the Trail Maximize your pack's comfort with a few easy, on-trail strap adjustments.

Life's Short, Hike More!

What makes a backpacker a backpacker? It's not the garage full of gear or piles of guidebooks--it's the experiences, from thru-hiking a long trail to pushing your personal envelope to inspiring a child's love of wilderness. Here we present BACKPACKER's new Life List: 10 experiences to add to your tick-listnow--and the key skills you need to nail them.