Road Trip in Big Bend, Texas

Ruth Brindle • 24 February 2020

Take a road trip in the ‘wild’ west that combines desert and mountain landscapes

Heading south in west Texas towards the Rio Grande and the Mexican border takes you to the Borderlands, the wild frontier and an area where distances between towns are long and the desert and mountain scenery is spectacular.

But as publicity for one of the towns along the way puts it “it’s tough to get to and tougher to forget”.

Fly from London Heathrow to Dallas/Fort Worth then on to Odessa and after an overnight stay set off on the road trip that you’ll never forget. Take in these highlights along the way.


Fort Davis

Fort Davis National Historic Site, nestles beside the Davis Mountains and between 1854-1891 was a crucial outpost of protection for travellers, settlers and mail coaches from marauding Apache and Comanche Indians. A tour around the barracks, home at one time to 700 African American troops of the 9th US Cavalry gives a vivid insight into their lives in contrast to the comparative luxury of the offers’ quarters. The ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ got their nickname because the Indians likened their hair to the curly tuft on a buffalo’s head.

Also visit: the cute and tiny town of Fort Davis, the highest hamlet in Texas, now the centre of a ranching area, and enjoy the best ‘Java’ from the Big Bend Coffee Roasters. Browse a charity thrift store and visit the nearby, McDonald Observatory, a stargazing hot spot.

Alpine

With a population of 6,000, the largest town in the Big Bend region it’s home to Sul Ross State University and Big Bend Museum. At 4,475ft above sea level it has mild summers and looks really cool with its late 19th and early 20th century architecture and street murals, one of which celebrates actor Dan Blocker, better known as Hoss Cartwright in TV’s Bonanza series.

Also visit: Hancock Hill and hike up to write in the notebook at The Desk that three students hauled to the top in 1981. Stay at: the Quarter Circle 7 Hotel.


Terlingua

A great base for touring Big Bend National Park and definitely a step deeper into the Badlands of the Chihuahuan Desert. Terlingua Ghost Town is intriguing - a ‘town’ of a few homes, a shop and a restaurant.

It looks like a mix between a hippy commune and a Mad Max film scene. Its famous old cemetery is filled with the graves of mercury mine workers from the 1930s.

Right from the start in Terlingua you know you are here to have a good time! It is alive with music in the restaurant and outside on the porch in front of the Terlingua Trading Company, once the mining company’s store.

Guitars are left outside for any would-be musician to take up and play and you can enjoy listening to an impromptu jam from a group of singers.

On the first Saturday in November the town’s population swells to 10,000 with ‘chilliheads’ who flock in for two world-famous chilli cook-offs. In neighbouring Study Butte there is a well-stocked supermarket and ‘gas station’ to help visitors buy essentials and fill up for the miles ahead into the jewel in the crown of this region, Big Bend National Park.

Highlights: dining at the Starlight Theatre restaurant and sitting on the porch. Stay at : the quirky and individual Perry Mansion.

Big Bend National Park

The park is one of the most remote areas of the lower 48 states. It has more species of birds (450) and other wildlife than any other park. Last year it celebrated the 75th year since dedication and its 800,000 acres nestle in the ‘bend’ of the Rio Grande river on the Texas-Mexico border.

With a 6,000ft difference between its highest peak to the desert low point, there can be extreme temperature differences. In November there can be 80 degree heat one day and ice the next. This is a wild place loved by 440,000 visitors each year.

Taking the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive gives you extended desert and mountain vistas.

Highlights: Santa Elena Canyon, the Chisos Basin and views on the Lost Mine Trail. Stay at: the Chisos Mountain Lodge to be at the centre of the park, www.visitbigbend.com

Big Bend Ranch State Park

Just a short drive from Terlingua enjoy a fun and relaxing river trip along the Rio Grande with Big Bend River Tours. The knowledgeable guide will even prepare a picnic on the riverbank along the way. There are tours suitable for all abilities, www.bigbendrivertours.com


Marfa

Heading back north takes you to Marfa, a haven for artists and those who love art, drawn by the influence of minimalist artist Donald Judd who moved to Marfa from New York in 1971. Visit the Chinati and Judd foundations. Also look for the Marfa Lights in the sky. Are they UFOs, swamp gas, ball lightning, or wandering spirits?

Highlight: A stay at the historic Hotel Paisano, where Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean stayed during the filming of Giant in the 1950s.

Fact box

For more information on Big Bend and Texas, visit www.traveltexas.com

America As You Like It ( americaasyoulikeit.com/ 020 8742 8299) has a seven-night fly-drive to West Texas from £1,415 per person, including return flights from London to Midland, one night in Midland, two nights in Alpine, two nights in Terlingua and two nights in Marfa, plus economy car hire.

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