In One Year, He Saw All the State Parks
His 140,000-plus followers did too.
By April Cumming
Photos by John Sorsby
What would you do if you won the lottery and didn't have to worry about money? This was the question John Sorsby asked himself as he approached his 35th birthday.
Sorsby spent the better half of his 20s working in corporate sales in Austin. He often took road trips out to the Big Bend region to break away from the fluorescent lights and constant phone calls of that world. In his early 30s, he decided to break away for good, building and operating two off-grid campgrounds in West Texas.
When he decided to sell both campgrounds in the summer of 2023, he found himself with more time and flexibility - his version of the lottery.
“I knew if I could figure out a way to scrape by financially, I'd have an awesome year,” he said of his decision to visit all 88 state parks in a year. “Worst case scenario, I would gain some valuable skills around content creation. Best case scenario, I would actually make a living from it.”
On Oct. 17, 2023, just three days after turning 35, he posted a Reel on Instagram announcing his yearlong quest.
“I like a good challenge. Putting a goal behind it is just to incentivize myself to do more of what I love,” he wrote in the caption, which garnered hundreds of comments: birthday wishes, awe and envy, clapping hands and fire emojis - and the occasional ask if he had room for one more.
On Sorsby's Instagram (@jsorsby), he can be seen starting his journey running through the trails at Lockhart State Park, like a kid getting their first taste of freedom: climbing haphazardly high into an oak tree, jumping across creek boulders. Sorsby can be heard narrating historical tidbits about the Comanches, the Battle of Plum Creek and how the park came to be.
“I was surprised by how much I also enjoyed learning the local history of all the different places I visited,” Sorsby says. “Once you start digging in, you'll find there are so many interesting stories in your area that you've never heard before.”
Sorsby has attracted a community of more than 144,000 followers on Instagram. On Oct. 14, 2024, he celebrated his 36th birthday by visiting his 88th state park: Devils River State Natural Area.
“I've had so many people message me that they've now visited a park near them that they'd never been to before because they watched one of my videos. I'm just grateful I can play a small part in that,” he says.
