Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
As for lodging, you can choose from a range of different experiences around the resort,
from motel rooms to condos to RV camps. Among the nicest guest rooms are those in the
high-ceilinged Officers' Quarters , a complex modeled after the original at Fort Davis.
WORTH A TRIP
SCENIC DRIVE: RIVER ROAD
West of Lajitas, Rte 170 (also known as River Rd, or El Camino Del Rio in Spanish) hugs the Rio Grande
through some of the most spectacular and remote scenery in Big Bend country. Relatively few Big Bend visitors
experience this driving adventure, even though it can be navigated in any vehicle with good brakes. Strap in and
hold on: you have the Rio Grande on one side and fanciful geological formations all around, and at one point
there's a 15% grade - the maximum allowable. When you reach Presidio, head north on US 67 to get to Marfa.
Or, if you plan to go back the way you came, at least travel as far as Colorado Canyon (20 miles from Lajitas) for
the best scenery.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Big Bend Ranch State Park
At 433 sq miles, Big Bend Ranch State Park ( 432-358-4444; www.tpwd.state.tx.us ; off Rte 170; adult peak/
nonpeak $5/3, child under 12yr free) takes up almost all the desert between Lajitas and Presidio,
reaching north from the Rio Grande into some of the wildest country in North America.
As massive as it is, this former ranch is one of the best-kept secrets in Big Bend country.
It's full of notable features, most prominently the Solitario, a geological formation that
sprang up 36 million years ago in a volcanic explosion. The resulting caldera measures 8
miles east to west and 9 miles north to south.
Access to the park is limited and a permit is required, even for hiking along the well-
traveled FM 170. If you're coming from Big Bend, you can learn all about the region
when you buy your permit at the Barton Warnock Visitor Center ( 432-424-3327;
www.tpwd.state.tx.us ; FM 170; 8am-4:30pm) , located at the eastern entrance of the park, 1 mile
east of Lajitas on FM 170. This interpretive center is staffed by some of the most know-
ledgeable folks in the region and offers tons of information on the region's history, geo-
logy and landscape. Call for a schedule of interpretive programs ranging from desert wild-
flowers to the habits of bats.
If you're coming from the west, pick up your permit at Fort Leaton State Historic Site (
432-229-3613; FM 170; 8am-4:30pm) , 4 miles southeast of Presidio. This restored adobe built
in 1848 once served as a trading post but is now the western entrance to the park.
 
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