Walk Through Texas History
Walk Through Texas History is a FREE, 4-week walking challenge designed to promote physical activity through an educational, fun, and challenging way. Each adult team may include up to 8 team members, all working together to reach designated goals while following along legendary historical paths created by fellow Texans.
How Does it Work?
- Form or join a Walk Through Texas History league at your office, church, school, senior center, or community group. Select the league’s path to define the historical route that all teams in the league will follow.
- Then, form teams inside of your league. Up to 8 team members are encouraged to work together towards the goal of virtually walking along a historical route.
- Each team member logs steps in our online challenge tracker that contribute toward the team’s mileage total.
Year-round participation is encouraged using locally sponsored program activities, as well as with leadership provided by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension employees.
Historical Walking Routes
The Runaway Scrape (416 miles)
Less than a week after the disastrous defeat of Texas rebels at the Alamo, the newly commissioned Texan General Sam Houston begins a series of strategic retreats to buy time to train his ill-prepared army.
Houston arrived in Gonzales, Texas, where the main force of the revolutionary army was stationed and found that the Texan army consisted of 374 poorly dressed and ill-equipped men. Most had no guns or military experience, and they had only two days of rations.
Unprepared to confront the Mexican army with his poorly trained force, Houston began a series of strategic retreats designed to give him enough time to whip his army into fighting shape and defeat Santa Anna’s Mexican army at the Battle of San Jacinto.
Texas Historical Commission
State Historic Sites (540 miles)
The Texas Historical Commission has partnered with our AgriLife Extension’s Walk Through Texas History program to create a virtual experience that will introduce participants to the 36 State Historic Sites.
The Texas Historical Commission preserves and operates 36 State Historic Sites across Texas. These unique places honor Texas history and inspire an understanding of what it means to be a Texan. From American Indian sites to frontier forts to common and elegant homes and the leaders and statesmen who lived in them, these sites enrich people’s lives through history.
This path selection will feature each Texas Historical Commission site as milestones that can be achieved throughout the Walk Through Texas History program. Every 15 miles logged will introduce your team to a new site. Select this route and see if your team can walk 540 miles through Texas history!
Ready to get started?
Sign up now by creating a Howdy Health account.
Need Help?
If you live and work in Texas, please contact your local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension county agent. For everyone else, please review the implementation guide or view the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the help desk.
2025 Walk Through Texas History Program Results
per participant
Selected Participant Comments
“I was able to benefit from this because since I knew I was going to be logging my hours I made sure to really get my steps in. I would also skip on taking the elevator and instead take the stairs. Additionally, I would sometimes park further away from the store I was going to, just to be able to get some more steps in.””
“I found myself benefitting because I felt some competition in getting a good number of steps in to get my team ahead of other teams in the league. It was very fun and easy to help keep us motivated as well so walk more than taking a car or bus when we could, so I was able to get some more steps in making me healthier.”
“My family and I benefitted from participating in Walk Through Texas History because we could go on walks in the afternoon to meet my goals. I was also able to be more competitive with tracking in my steps to beat the other teams that were participating. I was able to meet my activity goal through my apple watch every day and meet my standing goal. This was overall a great benefit for my health.”
“I enjoyed the opportunity to learn about specific historical sites within Texas. Also enjoyed walking with my teammates and tracking our miles while being outdoors.”