Texas--Big Bend and Rio Grande Gorge
Date: 2004-12-12
Head south out of Fort Stockton via U.S. 385 to get a long stare at the
real Texas. West Texas tumbleweeds and armadillos crossing the highway
for a couple of hours will get you warmed up for the scenery ahead. There
is natural beauty unlike any other in the somewhat barren landmass that
lies between Fort Stockton and Big Bend National Park, but Big Bend country
is the best.
Head west, about 125 miles south of Fort Stockton, on Route 118 into Big Bend. The best part of this drive starts at Santa Elena Junction in the park and is one area worth seeing. They call it The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and it's a 32-mile trip through the 801,163-acre Big Bend National Park. Drive south from the Santa Elena Junction into Big Bend National Park, and Burro Mesa is on your right and the Chisos Mountains are on the left. Continue south to Sotol Vista, which offers views of the Santa Elena Canyon and the fertile floodplain of the Rio Grande. Pass the Mule Ears Peaks formation, Tuff Canyon, and the Cerro Castellan rock towers on your way to the Chihuahuan Desert. Tuff Canyon is made of gray, volcanic ash rock, and Cerro Castellan is a pile of volcanic rock towers that stand around 1,000 feet.
Be sure to stop at Castolon, an old Army compound, where a frontier trading post is still open for business. Here, the road crosses the floodplain. Adobe buildings, marking former farms, remain throughout the area. One of the most scenic views in any part of Texas and the Big Bend country lies about eight miles just past Castolon at the Santa Elena Canyon Overlook. Here you can view the Rio Grande as it separates Texas and Mexico flowing through a 1,500-foot-high breathtaking limestone gorge. A trailhead for the 1.5-mile trek into the mouth of the canyon lies at the road's end.
Starting Point:
Fort Stockton, TX
Distance of Drive:
189 Miles
Must Eat:
Burrito Inn
805 N Alamo Street, Fort Stockton, TX 79735
Phone:915-336-3141
Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.
Good Stop For: Great Mexican dishes
Best Time of Year for Drive:
Year round
Points of Interest on Drive:
Big Bend National Park
The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive
Santa Elena Canyon Overlook
Chisos Mountains
Tuff Canyon
Rio Grande
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