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Area Attractions

Annie Riggs Memorial Museum back to top

The Annie Riggs Memorial Museum is located at 301 South Main St., Fort Stockton, Texas. Housed in a 1900’s adobe Victorian hotel, the museum features displays of archeology, geology, pioneers, ranching, and period rooms. The gallery features changing displays of regional interest. For additional information call 432-336-2167.

Balmorhea State Park back to top

Balmorhea State Park is located four miles west of Balmorhea on Texas Hwy.17 in Toyahvale. The 1-3/4 acre pool in the State Park is fed by the waters of San Solomon Springs. The pool holds 3.5 million gallons of water, making it one of the world’s largest natural pools! The springs flow at about 20 million gallons a day, and maintains an average temperature of 74 degrees year-around. The depth of the pool (3′ to 25′), temperature, and water clarity make it an inviting playground for the swimmer, snorkeler and scuba diver alike. The pool is open year-round on a swim-at-your own risk basis from 8 a.m. until sunset. Facilities include campsites, a motel, a recreation hall, day-use areas, bath houses and showers. A recent addition to the Park is the Desert Wetlands or “Cienega” which replicates the original wetland environment found at the Springs before the pool was built. The Cienega provides an additional protected habitat for the endangered Comanche Springs Pupfish and Pecos Mosquito Fish which are residents here. Balmorhea State Park is open every day of the year. The 600 acre lake that feeds into the pool is nearby. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. at 512-389-8900 or 800-792-1112.

Big Bend National Park back to top

Big Bend National Park consists of over 800,000 acres of wild land to explore. The park’s three major environments - the Chisos Mountains, the Desert Floor, and the Rio Grande offer an excellent opportunity to experience the diversity of the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem. The park offers superb walking, hiking, and backpacking adventures, as well as scenic driving tours. Bird watchers will be delighted to find that Big Bend has more species of birds than any other national park. Enjoy an adventurous raft trip through the incredible canyons in the park with local river outfitters, or enjoy the scenery and wildlife from outside your room, recreational vehicle, or tent. Rangers or volunteers are on duty at four visitor centers to provide information about the park and to issue back country permits.

Interpretive programs and guided walks are offered daily from November - April, and several times per week during the summer. Maps, books, and other interpretive items are available for purchase through the Big Bend Natural History Association. National Park Concessions, Inc. provides lodging, a restaurant, gasoline, and camp stores. For more information on the park write: Superintendent, Big Bend National Park, PO Box 129, Texas 79834 or telephone 432-477-2251. For further Big Bend National Park information, visit them online at www.nps.gov/bibe/

Big Bend Ranch State Park back to top

Big Bend Ranch State Park, the largest state park in Texas, over 300,000 acres of Chihuahuan Desert wilderness in a remarkably rugged, remote and unpopulated setting. The park extends along the Rio Grande from southeast of Presidio to near Lajitas in both Brewster and Presidio Counties. Embracing some of the most remote and rugged terrain in the Southwest, it encompasses two mountain ranges containing ancient extinct volcanoes, precipitous canyons, and waterfalls. The area has been a crossroads of human activities for over 11,000 years, as diverse people and cultures have been drawn by the abundant resources of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo corridor. For more information, click here.

Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center & Botanical Gardens back to top

Located 4 miles south of Fort Davis on Texas Hwy. 118, the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Botanical Gardens comprises 507 acres of rolling grasslands, igneous rock outcrops and the spectacular Modesta Canyon. Visitors are encouraged to check in at the Visitors Center for admission to interpretive exhibits, a wildscape demonstration garden, a geologic timeline, and a mining heritage exhibit. The 20-acre Botanical Gardens includes over 165 species of plants native to the region; a self-guided tour pamphlet is available. A 1400-sq.-ft. greenhouse shelters over 200 species of Chihuahuan Desert cacti and succulents. Hike into Modesta Canyon or up to Claytonís Overlook for a beautiful view. Dress appropriately for the desert. Hiking shoes, water and sunscreen are highly recommended. The Leapiní Lizards Nature Shop has books and gifts for all ages.

Call 432-364-2499 or visit, www.cdri.org for information on our guided hikes and tours, education programs, and special lectures and workshops. The mission of the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute is to promote public awareness, appreciation and concern for the natural diversity of the Chihuahuan Desert region through research and education.

Davis Mountain State Park back to top

The State Park covers 2,708.9 acres of scenic Davis Mountains. It has many camping facilities, picnic areas, hiking and nature trails, guided bird walks, and a scenic skyline drive. Occasional nature programs are held in the Interpretive Center. 432-426-3337. Location: 1 mile N of Ft Davis on SH 17 to SH 118N, then W on SH 118N for 3 miles.

Fort Davis National Historic Site back to top

To protect travelers heading westward over the San Antonio - El Paso Road/Overland Trail, the U.S. Army built a fort at the mouth of a pleasant box canyon near Limpia Creek. The new fort was named Fort Davis after the Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis. Fort Davis was active from 1854-1891, except for the Civil War years. Troops from the fort scouted and mapped the surrounding territory, escorted the mail, protected stage coaches and wagon trains, guarded railroad surveyors, and fought against raiding Indians. When Fort Davis was abandoned by the Army, it contained over sixty adobe or stone buildings. The historic ruins were acquired and preserved by the National Park Service in 1961.

Today the Fort Davis National Historic Site is regarded as the most outstanding surviving example of a southwestern frontier military post. The Visitor Center is located in a restored barracks and contains exhibits and a slide program on the fort’s history. The site covers 474 acres and has several miles of hiking trails. A shaded picnic area is available year-round. For additional information write: Superintendent, P. O. Box 1379, Ft. Davis, TX 79734 or call 432-426-3224.

Fort Lancaster State Historic Site back to top

Fort Lancaster State Historic Site is located west of Ozona in Crockett County on 81.6 acres. The fort was established in 1855 to guard the San Antonio–El Paso Road and to protect movement of supplies and immigrants coming to the area. The fort was abandoned March 19, 1861, after Texas seceded from the Union. For more information, click here.

Fort Leaton State Historic Site back to top

In 1848, Ben Leaton built a fortified adobe trading post known as Fort Leaton in Presidio County, Texas. He dominated border trade with the Apache and Comanche Indians before he died in 1851. In 1936, the Texas Centennial Commission placed a marker at the site. Now you can visit Fort Leaton, which now serves as the Visitor Center for the Big Bend Ranch State Park, any day of the week between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Call 432-229-3613 to find out about ongoing historical exhibits or to purchase backpacking and camping permits.

Hallie’s Hall of Fame Museum back to top

Hallie Crawford Stillwell fought drought, disease, the depression, and desperadoes to help settle West Texas’ most formidable land, the Big Bend, in the early 20th century.  “Tough,” she says, “You had to be tough to survive!” To preserve her ranching legacy and pioneering spirit, Hallie’s Hall of Fame Museum was built in 1991. Inside the adobe-walled museum you’ll discover Hallie’s world, abundant with treasures from times past. An authentic reproduction of her one-room ranch home sets the tone for a display of original guns, artifacts, clothing, books, photographs, newspaper clippings, awards, citations, and other memorabilia. Visit this unusual western museum, a major attraction of the Big Bend area. Just seven miles from the main entrance to Big Bend National Park. Twenty-three miles from the Rio Grande and Coahuila, Mexico. Check out Hallie’s treasures any day of the week. Just stop by neighboring Stillwell Store and ask for the key. Location - six miles off U.S. Highway 385 on Farm Road 2627. Just North of the main (northern) entrance to Big Bend National Park. Stillwell Ranch, HC-65, Box 430, Alpine, Texas 79830 432-376-2244.

Historic Fort Stockton back to top

Historic Fort Stockton, 300 East Third St., Fort Stockton, Texas. This post-Civil War site was established in 1867 and operated until 1886. Four original buildings remain, including three Officers’ Quarters and the Guard House. Two enlisted men’s barracks and their accompanying kitchen/mess halls have been reconstructed. The museum is located in Barracks #1 (closest to the Guard House and visitor parking area.

Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center back to top

Be sure to stop at the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center operated by the Division of Travel Information, Texas Department of Transportation at Langtry. This informative stop is located just off U.S. Hwy. 90, 1/2 miles south on Loop 25 between Sanderson and Del Rio. Certified, professional travel counselors serve as goodwill ambassadors as well as information specialists on destinations in Texas in addition to answering the toll-free travel information services line 1-800-452-9292. The Judge is gone, but his saloon, “The Jersey Lilly,” and his home “The Opera House, Town Hall and Seat of Justice”, remain as his lasting legacy to the area.

Stillwell Store back to top

World’s Largest Roadrunner: Paisano Pete is still there. Free parking, free maps and travel literature, rest rooms and water fountains are available and it is all ADA accessible. A well-marked desert garden with approximately 100 species of cacti, trees, shrubs and other plants provides a welcome respite as well as a noted birding area. Don’t miss the welcome oasis in the eastern edge of the Big Bend Country.

Kokernot Field back to top

In 1947, the late area rancher H. D. Kokernot bought his own minor league team (the Alpine Cowboys) and spent over a million dollars to build Kokernot Field. The ballpark uses native stone and wrought iron work, right down to the iron baseballs in the gates and ticket window. Kokernot Field is located on Loop Road, Alpine, Texas.

Lajitas Resort back to top

The “Ultimate Hideout”: Imagine a place where the Comanche Indians once roamed, Pancho Villa led raids across the Rio Grande, cowboys sat around an open campfire, and miners drank whiskey at the Trading Post; all among dramatic Chisos mountain vistas and the borderland majesty of the Rio Grande River. Tucked away in West Texas between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend State Park lies this exquisite, 25,000-acre private estate where a cast of infamous characters made history and the Old West inspires the rugged luxury of Texas’ first destination resort.To find out more, visit Lajitas at www.lajitas.com.

Marathon back to top

Marathon is located in a broad basin between the Glass Mountains and the Del Norte-Santiago range to the south. This area is a transition zone between the grasslands and the thorny chaparral of the Chihuahuan Desert. The Ouachita fold - whitish rock bands to the south of Marathon - were formed 250 to 290 million years ago, about the same time as the mountains in the eastern United States. The “young” Del Norte-Santiago Mountains that were formed 40 to 60 million years ago are part of the southern Rocky Mountains that continue the Sierra Del Carmen. In 1980, the historic Gage Hotel was restored and reopened for business. This marked the beginning of a new phase for Marathon as a gateway to Big Bend National Park. Since then the town has enjoyed modest growth, with additions to the Gage and other attractive visitor accommodations. Long-time residents and newcomers alike have refurbished older buildings and generally beautified the small main street of Marathon. A growing artists community has established a variety of studios and galleries. Local eateries provide good food with flavors of West Texas, Mexico and other nearby regions. The shops along Highway 90, spruced up with sand-colored sidewalks and limestone flower planters, offer regional gifts, books, arts and crafts from all over the Southwest and Mexico, ranching memorabilia, clothing and souvenirs.

McDonald Observatory back to top

Almost 150,000 visitors each year make the trek up Mount Locke in the heart of the Davis Mountains to the University of Texas McDonald Observatory. Visitor activities include daily solar viewing, daily observatory tours, star parties three nights a week (Tuesday, Friday and Saturday shortly after sunset), and one night a month the 107- inch telescope is opened to the public (Public Viewing Night). Reservations are required for Public Viewing Night. The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), atop Mt. Fowlkes is now operational. The HET is unique; inexpensive, yet innovative and powerful. Its 432-inch mirror is one of the largest in the world. The University of Texas McDonald Observatory is located 16 miles NW of Ft. Davis on Texas Hwy. 118. For more information call 432-426-3640, 877-984-7827  or visit http://McDonaldObservatory.org

Museum of the Big Bend back to top

For over 70 years the Museum of the Big Bend has been collecting and exhibiting the artifacts of the vast Big Bend region. Here, man has traveled and lived for over 11,000 years. Throughout that time, four distinct cultures emerged and shaped the history and heritage of the area. The exhibits of the museum capture and contrast this human history, and encompass the contributions of the cultures of the American Indian, the Spanish, the Mexicans and the Anglo-Americans. Today at the museum of the Big Bend, both adults and children will enjoy experiencing and learning about yesterday on the Last Frontier of Texas.

Admission is free. For information call 432-837-8730.

Overland Trail Museum back to top

The Overland Trail Museum is located two blocks west of Stone Village Motel in Ft. Davis, Texas. Operated by the Fort Davis Historical Society, the museum is housed in an original stage stop, and has clothing, pictures, furniture, cooking utensils and tools donated by descendants of local families. To schedule a tour call 432-426-2011.

Seminole Canyon State Historical Park back to top

Seminole Canyon State Historical Park is located 45 miles west of Del Rio near the confluence of the Pecos River with the Rio Grande River. The park contains the Fate Bell Cave Dwelling. This is one of the oldest cave dwellings containing some of North America’s oldest pictographs, dating back 4,000 years. Guided Tours and other hiking/bicycle trails are available with camping and educational exhibits provided. For more details call Park Info: 800 -792-1112.

Terlingua back to top

Terlingua is located four miles west of Study Butte on Texas Hwy. 170. In the late 1800’s, Terlingua was inhabited by a handful of sheep herders living in a precarious relationship with Apache and Comanche Indians who moved through the country. Mercury was discovered in 1890, and before long, a thriving town arose. Despite the hard life, millions of dollars in quicksilver were removed from the mines before they played out. Remnants of the town in the form of roofless rock and adobe buildings now stand quietly by the roadside. Places of special interest include the old cemetery, protected mine shafts, and the restored theatre-restaurant.

Area resorts invite travelers to stay and take advantage of the many nature hikes and photographic opportunities. Terlingua serves as a window into the past with its ghost towns and trading posts. LA POSADA MILAGRO guesthouse, located atop the Ghostown hill, features rustic luxury accommodations at an affordable price. Guest enjoy sun decks, fire pits and an extraordinary view overlooking old Terlingua and Chisos Mountain range. The Ghostown’s largest “dry-stack” stone Restoration, La Posada Milagro is only a short stroll from La Sirna Gallery, the StarLight Theatre and the Terlingua Trading Company.

Would like to add an area attraction that you don’t see here? email:  meredith.horn@bbtco.com