El Paso to Austin Bike Tour: West Texas and the Hill Country

Description

This El Paso to Austin bike tour crosses Texas in twelve stages: from the Rio Grande area near El Paso through Sierra Blanca, Van Horn, Marfa, Marathon and Sanderson, then into the Hill Country and on to Austin. The route follows long West Texas roads, passes settlements with wide gaps between them, and runs through ranchland, dry washes, rail corridors, canyon edges and small highway towns. From Langtry and Del Rio, the Rio Grande country becomes more present; later the route is shaped by the Nueces River, Frio Canyon, RM 337, Kerrville, Fredericksburg and Johnson City. A ride for cyclists looking for long distances, open country, small towns, Hill Country climbs and a clear point-to-point route. Create an account to see all stages, maps, GPX files and route details.

Tour Details

This tour includes detailed day-by-day descriptions, accommodation recommendations, points of interest, difficulty ratings, and expert tips for completing this amazing cycling adventure...

Route

This tour works through contrasts that are easy to feel from the bike. In the west, the riding is shaped by long highway sections, open shoulders and large distances between the few settlements. Water, food and daylight need to be planned properly. On several stages, there are few spontaneous stops; wind, heat and limited shade can matter more than the elevation profile. Between the long connection sections, the route has clear reference points: Marfa’s mix of railway town and art scene, t...

Start Point

El Paso

End Point

Austin

Country

United States

Regions

Bastrop, Fayette, New Mexico, Texas

At a glance

Distance

1,105 km

Difficulty

Medium

Road type

—

Duration

12 days

Tour Itinerary

Day 1

El Paso - Sierra Blanca

130 km502 m

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Day 2

Sierra Blanca - Van Horn

53 km131 m

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Day 3

Van Horn - Marfa

120 km365 m

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Day 4

Marfa - Marathon

90 km301 m

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Day 5

Marathon - Sanderson

89 km200 m

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Day 6

Sanderson - Langtry

97 km472 m

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Day 7

Langtry - Del Rio

96 km532 m

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Day 8

Del Rio - Camp Wood

128 km499 m

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Day 9

Camp Wood - Leakey

35 km384 m

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Day 10

Leakey - Kerrville

97 km1,095 m

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Cultural & scenic highlights

Travel access

Travel to start

Very easy access

You have several good options for arrival: Train Station by train or El Paso International Airport by flight or Gateway West\Adabel by coach. Choose the one that fits your origin and bike setup best.

Major rail hub

Train Station, 14 km

Airport

El Paso International Airport, 11 km

Coach / bus hub

Gateway West\Adabel, 0 km

Travel from finish

Very easy access

You have several good options for leaving the tour: Train Station by train or Salado Airport by flight or 1200 11th/Lydia by coach. Choose the one that works best for your next destination and bike setup.

Major rail hub

Train Station, 1 km

Airport

Salado Airport, 75 km

Coach / bus hub

1200 11th/Lydia, 0 km

The Curated List

Packing List

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