Where to find the trails.

The backbone of Texas hiking, with trails at most of the 80-plus state parks. You'll need a day pass (or the annual State Parks Pass) to get in, and popular parks fill up. Iconic hikes: the Lighthouse Trail at Palo Duro Canyon and the Summit Trail at Enchanted Rock.

Free trails with room to roam in East Texas. The Lone Star Hiking Trail runs about 96 miles end to end (around 128 miles counting its loops) through Sam Houston National Forest - the longest continuous footpath in the state.

Big Bend (the Window, Lost Mine, the South Rim, Santa Elena Canyon) and Guadalupe Mountains, home to Guadalupe Peak - the highest point in Texas at 8,751 feet, an 8.4-mile round trip (start early). Next door, Big Bend Ranch State Park is the largest, most rugged state park in Texas.

The everyday option, and often the best for biking: Austin's Barton Creek Greenbelt and the Ann and Roy Butler loop around Lady Bird Lake, Houston's Buffalo Bayou trails, San Antonio's Howard W. Peak Greenway and River Walk, and Dallas's Katy Trail.

Old rail lines turned into paths, like the 64-mile Caprock Canyons Trailway in the Panhandle, which runs through the historic Clarity Tunnel.

Because Texas is mostly private land, a lot of the best mountain-bike singletrack is on private property - ranches and parks that welcome riders for a fee. Each sets its own rules, so check before you go.