By Shannon King
With ranches larger than some states, Texas geography spans the Gulf Coast through the Piney Woods of the east, the great plains of the American bison, the canyons and mountains of the west, and southern into the great Chihuahuan desert. There are 21 state parks in the Lone Star State allowing horses, 22 if you count Palo Pinto Mountains under development at the time of this writing —at least one in every region of the state. In 2019, I set out to solo ride all of them; I did much more.
For us natives, Texas is a religion. A state of mind. The arms of our state span oceans and continents. The image of cowboys and oil wells precedes us, and dust falls in our wake. Years ago, I traveled to Europe and, upon revealing my Texan roots (because we don’t say America, we say Texas when asked where from), was immediately quizzed if I owned a ranch with oil rigs and rode my horse to and from work each day.
I did not, I was ashamed to say. I grew up in a suburb outside of Houston, where I rode bikes, not horses.
But I learned to ride as soon as possible and was not alone in my love of thundering hooves and a flowing mane. Texas is home to more than one million horses— fifteen percent of all the horses in the United States —and many here did grow up riding their ponies to school and back, working cattle ranches, or making a ‘good ole’ living via horseback.
In 1845, way before our time, Texas joined the United States via the Tyler —Texas treaty and penned the option to keep her existing private lands, minimizing what the federal government could obtain. It would be 1996 before the BLM established its only federally managed land in Texas —11,883 acres northwest of Amarillo on the Cross Bar Management Area (CBMA), which is currently landlocked with limited access.
So, with virtually no BLM land, where does one ride in Texas?
Well, a month on the road riding the state parks lit a fire within that has yet to be quenched. A fire that grew into riding national parks, Army Corp parks, and wildlife management areas and birthed what has since become a life of exploration.
I have dug to find new places to ride and ways to feed that fire, and I am proud to share some of my favorites with you. For specific details on amenities and camping options, please —as always —contact the individual parks themselves.
Ride on, Texas!
Texas Panhandle
The Panhandle is a place where rolling grasslands and ochre canyons meet the open country of the north under an endless canopy of blue. A place where descendants of the original southern plains bison still roam and sunsets bleed into rusted earth. Where windblown grass runs by the mile, stopping to rest only at the caprock escarpment with its collection of colorful mesas, buttes, rivers, arroyos, and the second largest canyon in the U.S.—Palo Duro Canyon.
Pro tip: If driving from Fort Richardson to Lake Arrowhead, stop at Murn’s Café in Archer City for the famous queso—smothered hand battered Chicken Fried Steak, the “El Diablo.”
State parks: Palo Duro Canyon State Park | Caprock Canyon State Park & Trailway | San Angelo State Park | Copper Breaks State Park | Lake Arrowhead State Park
Additional state or public lands to ride: Lake Meredith National Recreation Area
Wildlife Management Areas: Gene Howe Wildlife Management Area | Matador Wildlife Management Area
Big Bend Country / West of the Pecos
With its sky islands and vast open stretches, the Chihuahuan Desert is the largest desert in North America and Texas’ last frontier. This is a place where mountains touch the sky, site —lines cross borders, and the Milky Way takes center stage. Follow in the steps of outlaws, Smugglers, and pioneers, through the land featured in Larry McMurtry’s Streets of Laredo and Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men.
Pro tip: This is rugged wilderness. Know your horse. Know your trail. West Texas roads can be endless, with few or no amenities, and hard on tires. Bring extra water —for you and the horse, extra gas, a good spare, and your own battery jumper.
State parks: Big Bend Ranch State Park | David Mountains State Park | Monahans Sandhills State Park | Franklin Mountains State Park
Additional state or public lands to ride: Big Bend National Park | Guadalupe Mountains National Parks, Davis Mountains Preserve, Lajitas Trails
Wildlife Management Areas: Black Gap Wildlife Management Area
Piney Woods of East Texas
Slivers of light cascade through the forest canopy against a patchwork of pines and palmettos —the Piney Woods of east Texas is a rolling terrain of bottomlands, longleaf pine, oaks, and rich, acidic soils carpeted in layers of pine needles. Unlike any other place in Texas, the Piney Woods region is a meeting point of forests, prairies, marshes, lakes, and rivers.
Pro tip: Bring plenty of mosquito repellant and fly spray.
State parks: With the recent closure of Fairfield Lake State Park, no other state parks are available for horseback riding in the Piney Woods region.
Additional state or public lands to ride: Davy Crockett National Forest | Sam Houston National Forests | Big Thicket National Preserve, Sandy Creek Unit
Wildlife Management Areas: Alabama Creek | Alazan Bayou | Bannister | Moore Plantation | North Toledo Bend | Old Sabine Bottom | Sam Houston | White Oak
Army Corp Parks: Ebenezer Park
Central Hill Country
Full of rolling oak and juniper—covered hills, rivers and streams, wildlife, and craggy outcrops, the Texas Hill Country is a mecca for the outdoorsy. Trails and water flow across the Edwards Plateau as easily as wine and music.
Pro tip: Ride the main street in the Cowboy Capital of the World in Bandera, Texas, where hitching posts wait for horses.
State parks: Hill Country State Natural Area | Guadalupe River State Park | Pedernales Falls
Additional state or public lands to ride: LCRA parks of Shaffer Bend, Turkey Creek, Pace Bend, Muleshoe Bend, McKinney Roughs; Onion Creek Metropolitan Park
Army Corp Parks: Willis Creek/Granger Lake, Somerville Lake, Stillhouse Hollow, Canyon Lake
Gulf Coast
Looking for beach rides in Texas? Look no further —with over 350 miles of coastline, the Texas Gulf Coast has got you covered. Barrier islands and salt grass marshes intertwine, dissected only by streams and rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. Sink into the sound of crashing waves and dig your toes in the sand.
Pro tip: Mosquitos can be fierce —Sea Rim sells its own special mix, go with it. Keep an eye on tide tables for unexpected changes. Reduce your tire pressure in loose sand for better traction.
State parks: Sea Rim State Park | Brazos Bend State Park
Additional state or public lands to ride: Padre Island National Seashore, Freeport Beach, Bolivar Peninsula
Texas Prairies and Lakes
Our final Texas region brings us full circle, connecting the northern plains of the Panhandle to the Piney Woods of east Texas. This is a region of cross—timbers and patches of wooded fairy land stretched across expanses of prairie grasslands. A place where dinosaurs once roamed and water still pours freely.
Pro tip: In Mineral Wells, be sure to check out the famous Crazy Water —mineral water believed since the late 1800s to cure whatever ill befalls you, and it is still bottled today.
State parks: Cooper Lake State Park | Ray Roberts Lake State Park | Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway | Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway | Dinosaur Valley State Park | Palo Pinto Mountains State Park under development | Fort Richardson Historic Site and State Park
Additional state or public lands to ride: Lyndon B. Johnson / Caddo National Grasslands
Wildlife Management Areas: Caddo | Gus Engeling | Pat Mayse | Richland Creek | Tawakoni
Army Corp Parks: Benbrook Lake, Joe Pool Lake, Waco Lake, Plowman Creek, McCown Valley, Holiday, East Fork, Reynolds Creek
Ride with me at ConfessionsofaSaddleTramp.com.
For all of the resources on this story, please see :
Texas State Parks to Ride: TPWD.Texas.gov/State-Parks/Parks/Things-to-do/Equestrian
Wildlife Management Areas to Ride: Bit.ly/TexasWMA
Search National Forests to Ride: FS.USDA.gov/ivm/
Search National Parks to Ride: NPS.gov/FindAPark/Advanced-Search
Search Army Corp Parks to Ride: Recreation.gov
Thanks for visiting HTA, Horse Trails of America. We are the association for all who trail ride and travel with horses.
We are your source for horse hotels and layovers as well as trails, campgrounds, tack shops and even emergency evacuation sites when needed. It’s totally free to access the map and add your own reviews and photos. No credit card required but you do need to make a site login to keep the spammers out. We would love to have you join HTA as a premium member when you’re ready. Premium members get The Trail Journal magazine monthly and receive shopping and equine industry partner discounts for many popular brands.
Create your FREE login>> HorseTrailsofAmerica.com
Check out THE Map here>> HorseTrailsofAmerica.com/theMap
Comments