Best Off Road and Overland Trails in Texas

Texas has many off-road and overland trails to enjoy with your 4×4, overland, Jeep or soft-roader vehicle. While most land in Texas is privately owned – there are still places you can get the tires dirty and roam free!

NOTE: The Forest Service is closing trails at an alarming rate. Some of the trails below may no longer be open. Proceed with caution – confirm status before traveling.

Table of Contents:

Texas Off Road and Overland Trails

Texas Hill Country Overland Route
Hidden Falls OHV Loop
Old Ore OHV Road
Black Gap OHV Trail
Kelly’s Pond Loop (10/21/21: status unknown, may only be FS roads or motorcycle trails and not 4×4 trails)
Glenn Spring OHV Trail
The River Road OHV Trail
Old Maverick OHV Route
Big Bend Ranch OHV Trail
Paint Gap Road
Williams Ranch Road OHV Trail
Texas 450 Loop
Texas Cheeseburger Loop
Merus Adventure Park – VR4
The Texas BBQ Crawl
Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area Loop
Padre Island National Seashore Trail

Off-road and OHV Parks.

Check out the latest Overlanding Gear!

Off Road and Overland Trails Descriptions:

Texas Hill Country Overland Route – One of the most famous Texas overland trails, this paved and unpaved trail snakes its way through spots like Llano and Mason and other scenic towns in the Texas Hill Country. It’s also known for its multiple water crossings including the well known James River Rd crossing on the Llano River. It can be done over a few hours or enjoy spots along the way and turn this into a full weekend drive.
Hidden Falls OHV Loop – Actually a combination of trails at Hidden Falls, this is a great way to experience the full perimeter of the large Hidden Falls park. The North Pole trails can be medium to difficult, especially with a long wheel base or without a suspension lift, so plan accordingly. If you are uncertain if your vehicle can tackle the terrain they have many other trails for all vehicle types.
Old Ore OHV Road – Trail is known for beautiful vistas and desolate landscape. Running north/south through Big Bend National Park, this 26 mile long trail can be run in a stock 4×4 vehicle with good tires when conditions are dry and normal. If it has recently rained or snowed traction can quickly deteriorate. Some obstacles will present a clearance challenge but careful tire placement will get most vehicles past it without damage. Pinstriping is likely as the trail narrows in spots.
Black Gap OHV Trail – coming soon
Kelly’s Pond Loop (10/21/21: status unknown, may only be FS roads or motorcycle trails and not 4×4 trails)
Glenn Spring OHV Trail – coming soon
The River Road OHV Trail – coming soon
Old Maverick OHV Route – coming soon
Big Bend Ranch OHV Trail – coming soon
Paint Gap Road – coming soon
Williams Ranch Road OHV Trail
Texas 450 Loop – using Lufkin as its epicenter, the 450 Loop uses forest roads, unpaved and paved roads to complete a large circle in East Texas. Dense forests and lakes make this a fun drive to be tackled in one day or over several. The Angeline National Forest and Davy Crockett National Forest offers many hiking and camping spots along the way.
Texas Cheeseburger Loop – Located in central Texas, the Cheeseburger loop has morphed, twisted and turned over the years but generally loops through Sam Houston National Forest and towns like Madisonville to the north and Montgomery and Navasota to the south. It’s made up of forest roads, dirt/gravel roads and paved highways. Some of the unpaved sections can get quite muddy after heavy rains and some have been known to be impassable. There is even a bridge that washed out a few years ago requiring a detour. The beautiful forested scenery makes this a beautiful trek and it is conveniently located to San Antonio, Austin and Houston.
Merus Adventure Park – VR4
The Texas BBQ Crawl
Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area Loop
Padre Island National Seashore Trail

Texas Off-road and OHV Parks Descriptions

Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area
Canadian River OHN
Escondido Draw Recreation Area
Hidden Falls
- Hidden Falls outside Marble Falls is a great place for off road and overland adventurists (although it’s more of an off road park). It’s a large place where you can spread out and find trails for your experience and rig while enjoying the scenic rolling hills of the Texas Hill Country. They also have RV, tent and cabin options. Check out our trip to Hidden Falls!
CreekSide Offroad Park OHV Trail
Merus Adventure Park
- Merus Adventure offers epic overlanding and off roading and is one of the few places you can drive off road in Palo Duro Canyon outside Amarillo. It offers epic trails of all levels along with camping spots on top of and down in the canyon. VR4 is an epic trail driving along the rim of the canyon and is a great introduction to the park. Check out our epic trip there!
Northwest OHV
- Northwest OHV is located outside Bridgeport, TX and offers trails of all difficulty levels. What is lacks in amenities if makes up for in proximity to the Dallas Fort Worth area at just an hours travel time. It’s a great place to wheel for the day if you live nearby. Check out our trips there!
Wolf Caves
- Located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, Wolf Caves offers extreme off road challenges. Most terrain here is intermediate to expert – some even requiring “rear steering” capability! It’s tough for sure but a great off road trail destination! Here was our trip to Wolf Caves.
Katemcy Rocks
Lonestar Off-road Park
Redneck Off-Road Heaven (In Oklahoma, but close to the Texas border)