It was like I suddenly realized, you’re an adult and you can just get in your car and drive wherever you want, whenever you want.”
John Sorsby fell in love with the solo travel life in 2016 after a trip to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. That’s when he said he decided to make traveling a priority.
Growing up in Houston, Sorsby came from a very active family. He and his sister played sports throughout their lives and spent ample time outdoors. His skills on the football field took him to New Mexico State University then back to Texas. He graduated from Texas State University in 2011. For him, the dream of being a professional athlete morphed into becoming an entrepreneur.
“I spent most of my 20s working corporate sales jobs and was always trying to scheme up some business or idea on the side. In 2018, I started working on plans for an off-grid glamping campground in West Texas, and for the next five years or so, I spent the majority of my time building and running campgrounds near Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park,” Sorsby said.
After selling the Big Bend campground site and closing the Guadalupe Mountains campgrounds he ran with a business partner, Sorsby had the freedom to work from any location. On his 35th birthday, he reflected on what he wanted for the upcoming year. Channeling the memories from his childhood of taking weekend road trips to state parks and historic sites in Texas, he set a goal of visiting every Texas State Park in one year before his birthday in October. That meant visiting between seven to eight state parks per month. This goal required hours of painstakingly planning out the logistics.
The Texas State Park website has an interactive map which was only the beginning. From there, Sorsby searched for every historic site and attraction near each park.
“I have a massive Google Doc I’m always adding to that is sorted by region and has all the different parks and places I want to visit,” Sorsby shared.
While the planning stage is vital when it comes to park closures or construction along the route, Sorsby says he intentionally leaves some aspects to spontaneity. This flexibly allows him to discover and learn the area in real time. Exactly like other visitors who just so happened to stumble across the attractions.
At the time of writing (late-summer 2024), he had visited more than 60 of the nearly 90 Texas State Parks.
Left John admiring the overlook view in South Llano River State Park | Courtesy John Sorsby Right Pictographs on the walls of the Fate Bell Shelter. The prehistoric artists painted images on the wall of Fate Bell Shelter, probably using a brush made from a twig and paint made from minerals mixed with animal fat or plant oil. | Courtesy Portal to Texas History
When asked about his favorite park or attraction he has visited so far, he says he’s still trying to figure out the perfect answer. The Big Bend region is his “favorite area on earth.” This region encompasses the Big Bend Ranch State Park, the Big Bend National Park, the Davis Mountains State Park, and the Balmorhea State Park.
“Seminole Canyon State Park near Del Rio, Hill Country State Natural Area near Bandera, and Colorado Bend State Park are three that I think are very underrated. Caddo Lake State Park and Devil’s River State Natural Area are the two I haven’t been to yet that I’m most excited to visit,” Sorsby said.
Educating others about the Lone Star State is also very important to him. He has shared every visit and discovery on his Instagram page, @JSorsby, which has currently amassed nearly 100,000 followers. His videos have garnered millions of views from people who use the inspiration and education to pursue their own travel goals.
“My favorite feedback is when people say they’ve lived somewhere their whole life but learned something new about their area from my videos. Or maybe looked at something from a different perspective. There is beauty and an interesting story in every place once you start to look for it,” Sorsby shared.
He does not take the gravity of his platform lightly. If he had to boil it down to two simple messages, it would be the following:
“Go walk on a trail outdoors somewhere. Without fail, my overall mood is improved every single time I get outdoors and get on a trail. Being active in nature is good for us in so many ways. If you live in Texas, then you probably live within an hour of a state park and certainly an easy drive to local parks.
Left Hill Country State Natural Area | Courtesy John Sorsby Right Seminole Canyon view looking towards the overlook shelter and the Pecos River, in the Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site. | Courtesy Portal to Texas History
Things aren’t as scary as you think. Going somewhere by yourself can be intimidating if you haven’t done it, but I encourage people to go to the Texas State Park website and see what park is closest to them. Bring a bunch of water and some snacks and just drive out there for a couple hours. The park rangers at the visitor center will help find the best trail that works for you. It will be a day well spent, and you’ll have a sense of accomplishment afterwards,” Sorsby said
Sorsby says he never set out to inspire others, but he’s thrilled that he is making an impact.
“It’s been so gratifying that this has evolved to where I now can hopefully inspire people to get outdoors and be active, to learn more about their local area, and to take pride in the beauty of their state,” Sorsby stated.
Even without the millions of views or thousands of followers, Sorsby said he would be doing exactly the same thing.
“I’d just like to thank anyone that has followed me on Instagram or watched any of my videos. By doing that, you’ve enabled me to do exactly what I want to be doing with my life. That’s an incredible gift y’all have given me,” Sorsby shared.
Editor’s note: John accomplished his goal of visiting every Texas State Park within a year before his October 2024 birthday!
