Offroading / overlanding in Texas?

[Dunnage Garage]

My wife is wanting to move to Texas in a few years. Is there BLM and public places to go offroading/overlanding or rock crawling? I've heard much of the land in Tx is privately owned and you can only go to a couple of private offroad parks.

 

[Aina]

Almost no BLM, I have lived in TX for almost 40 years now (grew up here) I learned to wheel here too but I do most of my wheeling in other states now TBH. As emulous74 said you just have to look a bit harder and be prepared to drive a bit further. There is lots to do in the lone start state and I still need to visit big bend :)

 

[Dunnage Garage]

Almost no BLM, I have lived in TX for almost 40 years now (grew up here) I learned to wheel here too but I do most of my wheeling in other states now TBH. As emulous74 said you just have to look a bit harder and be prepared to drive a bit further. There is lots to do in the lone start state and I still need to visit big bend :)

Thanks for the information.

 

[Sparksalot]

There are places to go around Texas. These are shots from three recent trips with @emulous74 @Mrprotaganist and others in east Texas and the hill country. Most of these are county or FS roads.

 

[Downs]

If you've ever spent any time in the western US traveling/camping/wheeling you are going to be sorely disappointing in Texas. My go to spots are Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma, specifically the Ouchita and Ozark Ntl Forrests, They're 3-6 hours away depending on where I'm going and it beats what's available in Texas with exception of maybe Big Bend which is a long drive from anywhere in Texas. Texas is only about 4.6 percent public land with an even smaller fraction of that being available of vehicle use.

I have had luck setting up gravel road runs but you need to get used to being on a gravel or dirt road between two fences or pieces of private property.

The OHV parks are ok if you are into that kind of thing. Personally I dislike being trapped in a confined area with tons of other yahoos from all over the state trying to do the same thing. And most of those places are setup for dedicated off road vehicles and increasingly it seems side by sides.

What part of Texas are you heading towards?

The closest area I consider to be "fun" for any kind of camping is Broken Bow/Hugo Lake. Some of the OUchita Ntl Forrest extends out around the lake mostly on the north and west side. Lots of FS/dirt roads to explore and plenty of areas to camp. It's about 2 hours away.

 

[Offroadnutz]

If you want rock crawling try Katemcy rocks. Barnwell mountain is ok too. For overlanding Big Band ranch state park, Big Band national park, or Padre island. Otherwise Texas pretty much sucks for offroaders and overlanders my opinion.

 

[Downs]

If you want rock crawling try Katemcy rocks. Barnwell mountain is ok too. For overlanding Big Band ranch state park, Big Band national park, or Padre island. Otherwise Texas pretty much sucks for offroaders and overlanders my opinion.

I'll be honest I love Big Bend it's got it's own charm but if I'm going to drive that far it's the same amount of time from my house to Big Bend as well as Lincoln Ntl Forrest and Carson National Forrest in New Mexico and I'd much rather go to those places in NM.

 

[Offroadnutz]

I agree. For me Big Bend is a one and done time to move on...In NM you could almost endlessly explore. No shortage of places to see. Im planning on doing the Foothills of the Rockys trail sometme this year.

 

[Downs]

I ran the first section of the NMBDR from Dell City, Tx to Cloudcroft back in March. Loved it.

 

[Stormcrow]

The OHV parks are ok if you are into that kind of thing. Personally I dislike being trapped in a confined area with tons of other yahoos from all over the state trying to do the same thing. And most of those places are setup for dedicated off road vehicles and increasingly it seems side by sides.

Totally agree. You see the sights in the first hour, spend the rest of the day driving around in circles, and then wind up back where you started without actually getting anywhere. OHV parks are great to practice your offroad driving skills but unless you're super into just running trails without any actual destination, they get old fast. If you're on Facebook, there's the Texas Overland group and they have a bunch of back road routes in the Files section. Except for the OHV parks, the best you're going to find here in Texas is county and forestry roads - really nothing like what you see in New Mexico and westward.

 

[Dunnage Garage]

I'll be honest I love Big Bend it's got it's own charm but if I'm going to drive that far it's the same amount of time from my house to Big Bend as well as Lincoln Ntl Forrest and Carson National Forrest in New Mexico and I'd much rather go to those places in NM.

Thanks for the information. I'm currently in Nebraska and there isn't anywhere in the state...I was hoping Texas would be better.

 

[Dunnage Garage]

Totally agree. You see the sights in the first hour, spend the rest of the day driving around in circles, and then wind up back where you started without actually getting anywhere. OHV parks are great to practice your offroad driving skills but unless you're super into just running trails without any actual destination, they get old fast. If you're on Facebook, there's the Texas Overland group and they have a bunch of back road routes in the Files section. Except for the OHV parks, the best you're going to find here in Texas is county and forestry roads - really nothing like what you see in New Mexico and westward.

Good to know.

 

[Dunnage Garage]

I ran the first section of the NMBDR from Dell City, Tx to Cloudcroft back in March. Loved it.

Nice. Thanks....I'll look into that trail

 

[Kevin Chase Claypool]

Recently went to Big Bend with the wife. We took on Black Gap and then did Christmas Mountain. Check out our YouTube channel, we've been chronicling or journeys.

 

[Graeman]

Thanks for the information. I'm currently in Nebraska and there isn't anywhere in the state...I was hoping Texas would be better.

We used to live in Texas and we love Texas(my wife born and raised San Antonian). Back before 9/11 we used to go to Fort Hood and wheel all day there on their trails, so much fun as hundreds of people would show up to wheel for the day. After 9/11 they shut that down and that left the beach and private ohv areas. Sold the 4x4 and moved to Arizona. You can go pretty much anywhere in AZ to wheel and they have a huge variety of trails and scenery to choose from everything except beaches. Here you can water ski and snow ski in the same day - just 3 hrs away from each other. I have lived in the Phoenix area for 14 years and just recently moved to Tucson and I am loving it down here so much better. Check us out you may like it here too.