When most first-time visitors think of the Lone Star State, their heads fill
with visions straight out of old spaghetti-western movies, complete with rolling
tumbleweeds, cacti, scrub brush and hot, sandy plains that stretch for miles. If
that’s the kind of Texas you’re looking for, then the Big Bend Country region is
the perfect place.
Most of this area’s landscape is part of the Chihuahuan Desert. Though it is
arid, this remarkable area also can explode with beauty after a brief rain. The
desert’s mountains, valleys and plains offer a variety of terrain and climates,
and its rugged beauty must be seen to be appreciated.
Bordered by Mexico to the south and New Mexico to the west, the Big Bend
Country covers almost 41,000 square miles from Midland-Odessa to the northeast and Del Rio to the southeast. This is the
place to get away from it all. Embrace the great outdoors and get lost in the
wide-open spaces and mountains. The region has almost 1.17 million acres of
wilderness terrain. Opportunities abound to hike, bike, ride, bird, swim, raft,
camp, photograph, paint and just relax.
Plan to spend time exploring Guadalupe
Mountains National Park, home of the state’s highest point and one of the
state’s most beautiful spots—McKittrick Canyon. Expect to make an extended visit
or several trips to Texas’ first national park—Big Bend National
Park, which is about the size of Rhode Island. See rolling sand dunes and
one of the nation’s largest oak forests at Monahans
Sandhills State Park. Visit Balmorhea State Park
for a dip in one of the largest man-made pools in the United States.
Big Bend Country is the place to learn more about how life was lived on the
open frontier and in the Old West. The sometimes hostile conditions led to the
need for such sites as Fort Bliss,
Fort Davis and Fort Stockton to protect pioneers
and travelers. Visit the forts and seek out other monuments to the past that
helped shape the frontier. Numerous museums throughout the region are dedicated
to preserving the heritage and history of life on the frontier.
This region hosted its share of gunfights, bank robberies, saloons and boom
towns. Langtry is home to the rustic
saloon, courtroom, billiard hall and opera house of Judge Roy Bean, the “Law
West of the Pecos.”
The region also was home to towns that have faded with time, such as Salt
Flat, a small community in Hudspeth County, that was the focus of a bloody
dispute known as the Salt War in 1860s and ’70s. Some of the gray-white salt
deposits may be seen today from U.S. 62/180.
El Paso, the largest United States
city on the Mexican border, merges the past with the future and some of the best
of both sides of the border. Tour historic sites, visit the Tigua
Indian Reservation at Ysleta, watch a performance at the Chamizal National
Memorial, take a trip on the Wyler Aerial
Tramway, or enjoy any of the multitude of activities available here.
This region is also home to unique experiences like seeing the Marfa lights,
enjoying the Terlingua chili
cook-offs, seeing a production at the Globe Theatre of
the Great Southwest in Odessa,
eating a Pecos cantaloupe, hunting
precious minerals at Woodward Agate Ranch
in Alpine and celebrating the music of
Roy Orbison in his hometown of Wink.
One thing to remember before heading into this region: People can drive for
many miles with only the desert landscape for company. To help plan your
adventure, use the information on the following pages about the cities/towns and
their respective attractions. You’re sure to be awed and inspired with the
overwhelming appeal of the Big Bend Country!