Editor’s Notice: That is one in every of a number of tales in ETX View’s 2026 January/February subject that revealed Jan. 10. To lea
Editor’s Notice: That is one in every of a number of tales in ETX View’s 2026 January/February subject that revealed Jan. 10. To learn extra tales and think about the total digital version, visit our ETX View homepage. The rest of particular person tales can be revealed within the coming days.
Straight strains reached from the water’s edge, making a break up mirror reflection of daylight dancing off a whole bunch of skinny loblolly pines rising alongside the lake’s banks. The woody, sharp scent of the forest combined with recent dew lingered as hikers adopted a shaded path cushioned with dry pink pine needles crunching beneath their sneakers.
It reveals the form of easy East Texas scene that reminds Helen Hull, one longtime volunteer, why strolling issues and believes it’s price preserving within the new yr.
At 79, Helen Hull nonetheless leads the East Texas Trekkers Inc., a noncompetitive volksmarching membership primarily based in Tyler part of the American Volkssport Affiliation, that continues to be a singular approach for people to achieve health targets whereas selling psychological well-being, journey and socialization. Hull has served as president since 2011. She mentioned she didn’t hold the position to earn recognition, however stored it as a result of nobody else would.
“We stroll for enjoyable, health and friendship,” Hull mentioned. “I didn’t need to see the membership die.”
Currently, participation has dropped as a result of membership’s membership age, with many members of their 70s and extra members residing farther away.
“We used to have fairly a bunch,” Hull mentioned. “At one time we’d have 40 to 50 folks be a part of us for a standard stroll, however these days about 10 to fifteen folks could be an excellent group for us.”
Volksmarching started in Europe within the Nineteen Sixties, taking root in Germany earlier than spreading throughout america. It’s a type of strolling carried out at designated occasions on pre-marked routes at a participant’s personal tempo. The American Volkssport Affiliation now oversees greater than 1,900 noncompetitive strolling routes throughout the nation with every route mapped, measured and noncompetitive, taking a deliberate break from the strain of racing tradition.
Hull mentioned not like high-fee races or aggressive occasions that dominate fashionable health tradition, volksmarching is gradual, scenic and social. Members stroll pre-marked routes at their very own tempo, free from rankings or strain and the occasions value a $4 charge that helps with the price of insurance coverage, gives 5k and 10k distances with the power to chop it quick, options a wide range of scenic places and consists of acquainted faces at each stroll.
“I’m not enthusiastic about making 25 laps across the soccer discipline with the intention to get in a 10K stroll,” Hull mentioned. “That’s not my thought of enjoyable. I need to see historic issues, nature, waterfalls, viewpoints, forest timber and rock formations.”
Hull mentioned the neighborhood, curiosity and the collective pleasure of East Texas exploration make the membership stand out and information the planning. Walks happen in metropolis facilities, state parks, nationwide parks and historic cities, typically in locations Hull or different officers have personally scouted.
“A variety of the instances, I’ve been heading to 1 place and I drive by means of one other and suppose, ‘Oh it is a cute little city and appears prefer it has some attention-grabbing locations.’” Hull mentioned. “I might then cease to test to see if it does.”
The membership presently hosts about 4 massive occasions every year, together with conventional occasions, which embrace a single path and a window of time throughout which contributors can begin, in addition to year-round occasions that permit walkers select from a number of designated routes at a single location. Every stroll takes a month of planning and incorporates fellowship throughout and after the occasions.
“You simply are available in and enroll, choose up a map, go for a stroll and are available again and you are able to do this with a buddy or with out,” Hull mentioned. “We additionally generally add meals and drinks, so we’ll keep on the market for the social facet and have a good time staying lively.”
A few of her favourite places that the membership hosted occasions at embrace Nacogdoches, Palestine and Tyler State Park – locations Hull mentioned provide views that attracted contributors from throughout North Texas. Over eight years, the East Texas Trekkers had been additionally accountable for establishing every of the walks in Louisiana, spreading their presence into close by states.
Members that buy a brand new walker packet for $5 obtain an occasion ebook, distance ebook, occasion coupons and information. Each of the books are stamped after every registered occasion and as soon as stuffed, the books are despatched to the American Volkssport Affiliation, the place contributors earn a patch and pin. Awards start at 10, 30 and 50 occasions, and proceed for each 25 occasions accomplished after.
“It’s a beautiful incentive when you wish to journey and see issues,” Hull mentioned. “For those who’re curious and also you need to journey round East Texas, now we have many strolling routes to only get out and see what’s on the market. That’s been my incentive all these years.”
By means of the American Volkssport Affiliation, Hull has walked 25,000 kilometers and took part in additional than 2,600 occasions, embodying the spirit of the membership she joined in 2008. Hull mentioned she has walked in each state capital within the U.S., each county in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah and each parish in Louisiana.
“Our membership is only a ‘Get on the market and stroll’,” Hull laughed. “But it surely actually does make me need to go and discover extra.”
By means of her experiences, she encourages anybody enthusiastic about assembly new folks and having fun with or starting easy train to present the membership a attempt. The walks typically spark sudden connections, Hull mentioned, together with the time a wet day in Longview led a participant to name a buddy at an area museum, which opened its doorways for a free tour and meal for the group.
“The man who was down there mentioned, ‘Only a minute, I feel I do know any person,’ and when he got here again they opened up the museum,” Hull mentioned. “We went in and dried off they usually did a guided tour for us and advised us all about it.”
Hull mentioned trying forward, she hopes to see extra participation on the subsequent stroll in Nacogdoches on March 28, 2026 to proceed the custom of exploring environment. To seek out data on the membership people can go to walktx.org/EastTexasTrekkers/.
“It’s only a matter of socialization and staying involved with pals,” Hull mentioned. “Our walks have taken me to locations that I by no means thought of and it helps you have got a bunch to actually get on the market and see the attention-grabbing locations you reside close to.”
Hikers stroll a path across the lake Friday, January 1, 2016 at Daingerfield State Park through the annual Texas Parks and Wildlife First-Day Hike. (Les Hassell/Marshall Information Messenger File Picture)
Texas State Parks
Whether or not you’re strolling or mountain climbing the paths, having a picnic, tenting or staying in a single day, kayaking, fishing or simply having fun with the view, there are such a lot of parks in Northeast Texas and past throughout the state for outside lovers to take pleasure in.
Abilene State Park
Atlanta State Park
Balmorhea State Park
Bastrop State Park
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park
Large Bend Ranch State Park
Large Spring State Park
Blanco State Park
Bonham State Park
Brazos Bend State Park
Buescher State Park
Caddo Lake State Park
Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway
Cedar Hill State Park
Choke Canyon State Park
Cleburne State Park
Colorado Bend State Park
Cooper Lake State Park
Copper Breaks State Park
Daingerfield State Park
Davis Mountains State Park
Devils River State Pure Space
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Eisenhower State Park
Enchanted Rock State Pure Space
Estero Llano Grande State Park
Falcon State Park
Fort Boggy State Park
Fort Parker State Park
Fort Richardson State Park
Franklin Mountains State Park
Galveston Island State Park
Garner State Park
Goliad State Park & Historic Web site
Goose Island State Park
Authorities Canyon State Pure Space
Guadalupe River State Park
Hill Nation State Pure Space
Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Web site
Huntsville State Park
Indian Lodge
Inks Lake State Park
Kickapoo Cavern State Park
Lake Arrowhead State Park
Lake Bob Sandlin State Park
Lake Brownwood State Park
Lake Casa Blanca State Park
Lake Colorado Metropolis State Park
Lake Corpus Christi State Park
Lake Livingston State Park
Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway
Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway
Lake Tawakoni State Park
Lake Whitney State Park
Lockhart State Park
Longhorn Cavern State Park
Misplaced Maples State Pure Space
Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Web site
Martin Creek Lake State Park
Martin Dies, Jr. State Park
McKinney Falls State Park
Meridian State Park
Mission Tejas State Park
Monahans Sandhills State Park
Mom Neff State Park
Mustang Island State Park
Palmetto State Park
Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Pedernales Falls State Park
Possum Kingdom State Park
Purtis Creek State Park
Ray Roberts Lake State Park
Resaca de la Palma State Park
San Angelo State Park
Sea Rim State Park
Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Web site
Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Studying Middle
South Llano River State Park
Stephen F. Austin State Park
Tyler State Park
Village Creek State Park
Wyler Aerial Tramway
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