Wild Camping in the US – advice for an Englishman, please!

Hiking across a private ranch in Texas probably won't work for a variety of reason. You won't get shot but the chance that someone will see you and call the police or come to run you off personally is pretty high. "Wild Camping" just isn't part of the culture. If someone sees you on the wrong side of the fence they are going to assume you're up to no good because no one does that.

Here is what you can do

-Paddle a river and camp below the high water line i.e on a gravel bar.

-There is a trail being built in the Austin area, not a complete wilderness but its public access.

-Bike along a public road in Texas. Some roads are more conducive to this then others. Do some research there are some popular routes.

Texas is a great place, but I doubt wild camping would be welcomed.

Much appreciated.

Depends on where you are with respect to the patchwork of land ownership in the States. Wild camping on National Forest land is generally legal within certain limits (minimum distance from trails and water sources, for example). Same for BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land. Trying to wild camp on private land in Texas might get you shot.

The term you probably want to look up if you're researching is "dispersed camping" – as usual we're separated by our common language.

Bear in mind that we don't have any equivalent to the public right of way laws that encourage hillwalking in the UK. Private land is presumed to be private without explicit permission.

"Trying to wild camp on private land in Texas might get you shot."

WOW!

You probably won't get shot but the assumption would be you're up to no good if you're walking through the middle of a private ranch. They would not see you and say "oh another walker" they'd think you're poaching or (in south Texas) a smuggler.

Don't be scared off, just follow the local laws. If you want to camp check out Big Bend and the Guadalupe National Park. Very nice place. You need to camp in designated site but its worth it. The Guadalupes are very nice and not that crowded.

If you really must hike and camp I know a place that hosts mountain bike races on a private camp in the Hill Country. They have 1400 acres and might let you camp on it as a paying guest. Depends on dates though, if its summer season you don't want to be there.

del

Hi Rick
I will have a hire car so I can zip around from place to place.
But what I really want to do is hike (and / or possibly cycle / packraft) in beautiful places and camp as basically as is possible / legal to do.
Thank you very much for your advice.
Alastair

If you have a packraft and a bike you could do a cool raft/bike trip on a publicly accessible river and backroad in Texas. I've thought about trying that myself. Howeve do your research because we've had a drought and many rivers will be low.

del

There are some hiking trails on mostly state and county public lands but they are mostly day use areas (think you can pay to "car-camp" though – a former assignment sent me there 1 week out of every month but always required a hotel stay). Not sure of the status longer 100-mile plus one being connected which starts to the south of Austin that was in the Texas thread. That area of Texas is mostly privately owned and, yeah, I wouldn't cross property lines. Texas cities are pretty mellow in the tourist areas/some burbs but the rural areas can be "gun city". My female college German instructor (decades ago) tried to do a "Sound of Music" hike on a TX farm (…."all this open land"…) but was escorted off by a gun-wielding property owner …. and she was a cheery Bavarian type of German.

Add: Not sure how popular established campgrounds are around Austin and San Antonio as most people will be attracted to the nightlife and restaurants of those two cities, requiring a hotel. Then there's the seasons. Texas is hotter than Hades in the summer (my former organization did a "fun-ruck" around Lake Travis just south of central Austin one June or July – we had to start at 3 AM to beat the heat). There were some people fishing the wee hours, a couple of couples coupling in the moonlight as we hiked by … but no one was sleeping by the banks).

Texas definitely doesn't have the amount of public land that states further west do. I'd second the recommendations for Big Bend and Guadalupe Mtns.

I found this website that looks like a good starting point:

http://www.briangreenstone.com/austin/trails.html

Bon voyage and welcome to the colonies :)

Wow – all these complicated restrictions make me even more admiring of Scotland's (and Scandinavia's) Right To Roam policy.

It's also interesting for me to see how it feels to be a 'novice' about an area.
People often email me for advice about wild camping and it feels like no big deal to me. So this is a reminder of how everyone is a novice at some time and it's good to try to help them find their way to be comfortable in the great outdoors.

Hi Alistair,

I'm new to Texas myself – having moved here in September (I live in Austin, by the way, if you need a contact) and I have been STRUGGLING to find good places to do quick weekend hikes around here. Yes, Big Bend is AMAZING and there's no one there. Yes, there are established sites and zone sites, but no worries – you won't see another soul. It's not a campground, they are individual sites that are far apart. You also won't see any water. That's the bad part, but easily managed.

I've checked out Colorado Bend state park and Lost Maples State Park, both of them Hill country and both rather nice. Not big long trips, but enough to get away and sleep in a tent and get some miles under your belt in two days. I've heard good things about Government Canyon a bit further south closer to San Antonio but I've not been yet.

You'll find the long mileage further west into Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains. Seriously gorgeous country and if you can do it I highly recommend it.

But other than that, no, Texas doesn't appreciate your tramping on other people's land. They like private property here and they mean it. The one thing I just can't stand about this place, that's for sure.

Texas is another country :) The national forests in Pacific Northwest are less restrictive and large enough for some exploring.

The free access rules in the UK are much a result of small parcels of farmland with no direct access. With inheritance issues and farmers owning a patchwork of small parcels, it was (and is) a much different approach to farming. Only our old colonial towns had commons.

If you look at a detailed map of Kansas, you will see a fine grid of access roads based around the homesteaders farm land. The smallest homestead tracts were 160 acres (640 acres per square mile).

MDry land ranching requires huge tracts of land and cattle rustling is a real thing, both adding to the unique Texas "culture." :)

Its not that bad, its just that different land agencies are different and face different challenges in managing recreational use. The canyon lands in Utah have to be managed differently the forestland in Virginia for example.

To keep things simple

-National Forest land is pretty much free to "wild camping" with a few exceptions (motly in CA)

-National Parks normally require a backcountry permit and camping in designated sites. Normally its not a big hassle, just stop at the office near the trailhead and get your permit. Its normally a good chance to chat with rangers and get their ideas on the best places to go.

-State Parks are typically smaller piece of land along a river or lake and are mostly for car camping.

The Brian Green's blog is a very good resource. There is some nice day hiking but overnight hiking is somewhat limited in the Hill Country. If you can get to Big Bend, Big Bend State Park or the Guadalupes you'll have a great time.

Edit – Let me know if you want to go further afield. I can tell you about hiking in Arkansas and New Mexico but I imagine you don't want to go that far.

del

Good grief Rick we'll scare the poor guy away, "I could handle the rattlesnakes and guns but then I heard about the pollen and that was the final straw.."

I've lived in the Hill Country and most of us were fine, its just a seasonal allergy thing. Bring some benedryl or something like that just in case.

That's a great summary. Thank you.

Thank you very much!
I've only got a week spare.
Following all this information I'm considering jumping on Amtrak and heading for Big Bend…

Another vote for Guadalupe NP, though it's closer to car camping than true backpacking because of a shortage of water. A decent overnight is Lost Maples State Park in the Hill Country. You'll need reservations to camp.

I was in Dallas last week [and I lived there for 25 years before moving here] and it's great spring weather now. Driving around in a convertible, preferably with a pretty girl, sounds appealing too.

If you plan on Big Bend or Guadalupe, be aware that it's at least an eight-hour drive from the Hill Country.

del

I've done almost every trail in the Guadalupe Mountains and love them. I don't consider them "car camping" they are plenty wild.

You'll have to pack all your water in because the park is dry. But the scenery is amazing. Just bring a sturdy pack that can handle a gallon of water per day. You don't need a tent though, I'd just bring a tarp. Its pretty warm now too so you can go pretty light on insulation.

If you have time I'd do a day hike up Guadalupe Peak. Then I'd do a loop in "Bowl" as its called, basically a high mountain basin that gets enough moisture to support a pine forest more like what you'd typically see in the Rocky Mountains. I'll try to post some trip reports soon. You can buy park maps online (and maybe at REI stores in Austin) but they are also available at the park office. Plan on getting there during office hours to grab a permit, map and chat with a ranger.

I don't know if there is an Amtrac to the trailhead in Big Bend. If there is I imagine driving yourself would be about as fast.

You can get to Alpine on Amtrak and then you will need to rent a car there and then it is a two hour drive south. Guadalupes would mean probably renting a car in El Paso then an equally long drive. I would just keep your rental car and drive the 8 hrs out to Big Bend (farther to the Guadalupes), unless of course you are then headed further west on Amtrak.

Guadalupes only allow camping in designated sites. Big Bend has designated sites in the Chisos mtns. only, the rest of the 800,000 acres is open "zone" camping as long as you are 1/2 mile away from a road. Getting hot out there now down low (below 5000') but from your desert experience that should be no problem.