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Texas Overlanding has been growing as a pastime.
Recent decades have somehow encouraged people to use their disposable time and means to pursue more hobbies and activities than ever before. Advancements in automotive designs and technologies, along with growth in aftermarket support, turned many daily driver vehicles into off-pavement adventure rigs. The drivers, they hit up anything from maintained dirt roads to narrow, rutted, or rocky 4-wheel-drive terrain all over the world, but today we’re talking specifically about Texas Overlanding. That’s why we brought in Chris Devereaux, a founder of the Texas Overland group on Facebook.
It’s not so easy here, but it’s very doable!
As big and expansive as Texas is, it’s tough to know where you can and can’t go overlanding. Due to the way Texas was settled and the land ownership laws in place during the early years, only about 1.5 percent of the vast and varied Texas landscape is owned and administered by the federal government through institutions like the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). For a more in-depth look into this interesting history, I encourage you to take a look at this article from the website Wide Open Spaces.
So, there isn’t much “free-to-roam” space in Texas, but it does exist in places like Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, Sam Houston National Forest, and a few more options that you can find in this article by Texas Monthly.
Another issue Texas Overlanding enthusiasts face is finding accessible dirt roads and trails. With so much of the land in private ownership, those land owners through the years have come to expect their county tax dollars to build up and maintain the roadways that serve as access to their holdings. So, the counties have paved the way, if you will, in so many places that asphalt and tarmac are generally everywhere.
Watch this episode on YouTube!
So, where do you turn for places to go and pathways to travel?
Here’s where modern times come through for the adventurers. Groups like Texas Overland on Facebook can be so very helpful. Overland enthusiasts share routes, route conditions, tips and tricks, and even opportunities to get together to learn and grow. Constant conversations on how to travel safely and respectfully are being had online all the time. The last thing they want to see happen is the loss of the precious few opportunities overlanders have in the state.
Chris Devereaux brought up a few other great resources in our conversation, too. Expedition Portal, On-X, Gaia GPS, and more help adventurers to plan trips, navigate, and learn. They’re also great community tools, too.
Helpful links for episode 194 about Texas Overlanding
- Texas Overland on Facebook
- Expedition Portal
- On-X
- Gaia GPS
- Gravel Map
- Shop New RVs
- Shop Used RVs
- Learning Center
- Princess Craft RV
