Hiking the Appalachian Trail is a bucket-list goal for many adventurers. Whether you travel the full 2,000+ miles or only a fraction, the trail offers a challenging and scenic tour of the southern and eastern U.S.

Now, some folks have dreams of creating a trail to rival the original, right here in Texas: the xTx, or Cross Texas Trail.

Charlie Gandy, the man behind the project, says he’s gathering support from landowners and hiking enthusiasts from across the state.

It is amazing what Americans can accomplish without involving the government.

There are, of course, multiple highways that crisscross the Lone Star State, but if you want to bike, run, or ride across the state, you are out of luck … until now.

Bike enthusiast Charlie Gandy, along with his friends at Bike Texas, a nonprofit organization created to promote bicycle access and education, has been working with the state, local, and even federal government, along with private property owners throughout the state, to create a 1,500-mile-long trail stretching from Beaumont, Texas, in the east, to El Paso, Texas, in the west.

A native Texan wants to create the next Appalachian Trail for his fellow adventurers. From CNN, I'm Krista Bo. And this is a special edition of Five Good Things.

“When people attach themselves to something bigger than themselves, they feel better. We'll look back on this and say that was a good use of our time, talent and treasure.” Charlie Gandy

Every spring, thousands of intrepid hikers prepare to test their physical and mental acumen by walking nearly 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine. The Appalachian Trail is one of America's most incredible journeys, along with the Pacific Crest Trail on the West Coast and the Continental Divide Trail in the Rocky Mountains.

Unfortunately there isn't a similar long-distance trail in Texas ... yet. One man is hoping to change that.

Note: This is the first in person in depth audio/video conversation where Charlie lays out the why and the how of his vision for xTexas.

It’s an hour-long conversation with excellent questions from host Frank Colburn.

Charlie Gandy is heading up the xTx project or Cross Texas Trail to bring a massive adventure trail to the state. As Charlie puts it this will be for the "Bold And Daring Always Seeking Success" Visit xtexas.org to learn more and even help with the project!

Charlie Gandy, a retired community designer and state representative, is charting a 1,500-mile trail called the Cross Texas Trail (XTX), stretching from the bayous to El Paso.

Partnering with Bike Texas, he's planning a route that crosses parks, follows rural roads, and offers a variety of Texas terrains.

A philanthropic Texan is currently charting a 1,500-mile trail that covers all of his home state tip to tail.

From the bayou to El Paso, he envisions it as a trail worthy to be counted among America’s current collection of long-distance routes like the Appalachian Trail and Continental Divide Trail.

Describing it as “rugged, rural, remote, and romantic,” Charlie Gandy, a retired community designer and state representative…

Charlie Gandy dreams of a new long-distance hike that takes thru hikers from one side of Texas all the way to the other side. He’s calling the trek the Cross Texas Trail (XTX), and the proposed route is about 1,500 miles from Orange to El Paso. If all goes according to plan, the XTX could be open to long-distance hikers as soon as next spring.

Texas is getting its very own long-distance cross-state thru trail thanks to one ambitious outdoorsman with a vision. The Cross Texas Trail (xTx) would extend 1,500 miles from Orange to El Paso, winding along some of the Lone Star State’s most scenic landscapes, passing towns and many historical sites, gaining roughly 56,000 feet in elevation along the way.

"As a native Texan, I’m a 66-year-old guy who likes to challenge myself to big, hairy goals and adventures — and it seemed to me like it was time for Texas to have its own Pacific Crest-type adventure route."

Gandy and some buddies got together with Bike Texas, a non-profit bicycle advocacy and education organization, to plan a rough but scenic back road, gravel, single track route that stretches all the way from Orange to El Paso.

Last year, shortly after my daughter was born, I started putting £25 a month into a savings account dedicated to building up the funds necessary for her and me to one day hike the Appalachian Trail (AT). This week, however, I learned about an initiative in my native state of Texas that could change our plans.

The Pacific Crest Trail winds for 2,650 miles through deserts, mountain passes, and canyons on the West Coast. The Appalachian Trail, its counterpart to the east, traverses dappled forests and river gorges for 2,200 miles. Somewhere in the middle, the Continental Divide Trail follows the spine of the Rocky Mountains for 3,100 miles.

Spearheaded by bike advocate, former community design consultant, and state representative Charlie Gandy, this trail could place Texas on the map as a premier destination for long-distance hiking. 

“Those of us who like to go cross-country have limited choices in Texas,” Gandy told Texas Monthly in an interview. “We have postage stamp–sized parks where we can go round and round, but not many long distances where we can do more than a hundred miles at a time.”Description goes here

Austin has had its rivalries. In the '60s and '70s, it was the Hicks versus the Hippies. Nowadays, maybe it's the people who live here now versus the people on their way.

In the 1980s, it was Yuppies versus Bubbas. North Side versus South. People looked down their noses at each other from across the river. Even Austin’s acclaimed writers of the time got in on the act.