Texas sells itself on wide-open spaces.

A new national ranking of the best states for outdoor enthusiasts puts it squarely in the middle of the pack.

SmileHub, a nonprofit that rates charities and publishes data studies, compared all 50 states across 18 metrics - air quality, forest cover, shoreline, hiking trails, campsites, ski facilities, dark-sky areas and more - and ranked Texas 23rd, with an overall score of 42. 86.