FAR WEST TEXAS — Hikers, bikers and horseback riders will one day have a new adventure to cross off their bucket lists in the form of the Cross Texas Trail, or xTx (“ex-Tex”) — a 1,500-mile trail across Texas from Orange to El Paso. End to end, the route winds through all types of terrain from swampy bayous and sky islands to salt flats and sand dunes.
The ambitious route is the Lone Star State’s answer to the thru-hiking triple crown — the Pacific Crest, Appalachian and Continental Divide trails — which draw outdoorspeople from all over the world and have inspired countless books and films.
While Texas is home to a range of natural wonders, only 4.2% of the largest state in the lower 48 is public land. Most of that 4.2% is concentrated in the remote western fringes, leaving whole ecosystems and cultural zones out of reach for would-be thrill skeers — many of whom might write off the entire state as a destination for outdoor recreation.
Founder Charlie Gandy likes to think of himself as the “catalyst” rather than the leader of the project, connecting ranchers and adventure seekers and volunteers toward an innovative vision. “We’re rebooting Texas,” he said. “We’re opening up peoples’ minds to what they couldn’t see before.”
“Rebooting” is, of course, a punny reference to hiking footwear, but also to Gandy’s attempt to push the boundaries of what a thru-hiking trail could be — and to reconfigure the state’s reputation as gated and fenced-off.
Gandy and his wife, Melissa Balmer, cut their teeth on bicycle advocacy, pushing folks to get active on two wheels through a nonprofit called Bike Texas. The xTx is an extension of that work, bringing sightseers on two feet and four hooves into the fold.
Since a September write-up in Texas Monthly, around a hundred people have signed up to help volunteer. Gandy hopes that the trail will be a “five-year, $5 million” project that could see boots on the ground by the end of the decade.
While much of the xTx will attempt to connect state and national parks, the gaps in between will be filled by participating local ranches. The ultimate goal is for a carefully-crafted seasonal route with watering holes and places to stay staged strategically along the way. “The route I have created is target-rich with things Texans and visitors to Texas are interested in,” Gandy explained.
One particularly unorthodox part of the plan: Gandy would like to see Starlink internet connectivity along the xTx, both for safety reasons and to be able to offer interpretive materials along the way.
Presidio County rancher and attorney Pene Ferguson is among the first wave of landowners to hop on board. The White House Ranch, passed down through the women in her family for the better part of a century, is located along a particularly scenic and history-rich stretch of Casa Piedra Road.
The ranch is located along the old Chihuahua Trail, a major trade route through modern-day Far West Texas through northern Mexico that predates white settlement in the area. Long before county seat Marfa was a boom town, the nearby Alamito settlement boasted almost 400 residents by the early 20th century.
Ferguson still runs cattle to pay the bills but has also begun to experiment with a more 21st century revenue stream: running a short-term rental. Faced with the question of what to do with an old ranch house in need of repairs, the family opted to restore the building and open it up to guests looking for an off-the-beaten path experience.
By taking part in the xTx, she’d like to be able to share her family’s land and its story with the public — something that the vast majority of visitors to the nearby Big Bend parks would otherwise never be exposed to. “It’s very precious to me because of my family background,” she said. “I’m always thrilled when I find someone who finds it interesting too.”
Gandy is hoping that even more ranchers hop on board — working directly with landowners, he believes, is a uniquely Texan strategy to get the ball rolling. “Ninety-six percent of the land [in Texas] is in private hands and a lot of it is really jewel-like, like a national park,” he said.
Until then, he hopes that more people will connect with the project through their website and through social media to spread the word. The route is still in flux, and local knowledge will be essential to finalizing the path. “This is an adventure route,” he explained. “It’s the toughest way across Texas.”
Ferguson is hoping to see that vision come to life, having watched generations of folks come through the Big Bend looking to make their mark. “We’ve seen a lot of big ideas out here,” she said.
For more information, visit xtexas.org.