Trail Building Resources for Community Leaders
The xTexas Trail is more than a line on a map—it’s a living expression of the soul of this state. From rugged canyons to piney woods, from horse towns to small-town cafés, the xTx is built by Texans, for Texans.
If your town or county is thinking about improving the trail segment near you—whether that’s rerouting off pavement, adding horse access, or creating a safer entry into town—we want you to know: there are excellent resources ready to help.
Keep scrolling to learn more!
Economic Development Resources
Trail Map for Rural Development in America Whitepaper by Outdoor Recreation Roundtable
Rural Economic Development Toolkit by Outdoor Recreation Roundtable
Rural Development Toolkit Mapping Project by Outdoor Recreation Roundtable
2025 Outdoor Participation Trends Report by Outdoor Industry Association
Texas Outdoor Recreation Plan 2025-2030 by Texas Parks and Wildlife
Trail Building Resources
Trail Maintenance and Construction Notebook by USDA Forest Service (2025)
Trail Competencies Skills Library by Trail Skills Project
Resources by Trail Type by Trail Skills Project
Grants for Trail Planning, Building, and Maintenance
Recreational Trails Grants by Texas Parks and Wildlife
Trails Capacity Program by American Trails
Adventure Forever Grants by onX USA
Take It One Step Further
If your town or county sits along the xTexas Trail and you’re dreaming up ways to improve local access, we’d love to partner with you.
Learn what it means to become a Trailhead Community — towns that proudly welcome trail users and help shape the xTexas experience.
“We joke that the real core to rural economic development are the three B's, which are ‘broadband’, ‘blues’, and ‘beer.’ And if you have those, the rest of it kind of falls together. You could probably add ‘boats’ and ‘backpacks’ and all of the types of outdoor things that allow for quality of life to be strong.”
-Matt Dunne, President and CEO, Center for Rural Innovation
