West Texas is such a magical place. Towering mountains, dazzling night skies, and a vastness so great, it’s incomprehensible until you experience it firsthand. Hiding somewhere out in that extensive desert landscape, and it’s one of the most remote places in Texas.
Welcome to Big Bend Ranch State Park - not to be confused with the national park of the same name.
PaaschPhotography / iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection / Getty Images
The largest state park in Texas, Big Bend Ranch sits on over 300,000 remote acres near the U.S.-Mexico border.
Flickr/CMy23
You’ll get there via FM 170, also known as Camino del Rio (River Road).
Tim Speer / iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection / Getty Images This scenic drive winds through the towering Chisos Mountains, making for some of the best windshield views (and quirky roadside stops) around.
With almost 250 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails, the park offers boundless adventure.
Texas Parks & Wildlife
Many of the trails feature all sorts of unique rock formations that tell the origin story of the rugged desert landscape.
Mark Newman / The Image Bank Collection / Getty Images
You can also raft, canoe, and fish on the majestic Rio Grande, which meanders through the park.
Texas Parks & Wildlife
Several river access points lie along River Road, and local outfitters offer rafting trips.
Texas Parks & Wildlife
Lodging is available at drive-up, primitive hike-in, and equestrian campsites, as well as a bunkhouse.
Texas Parks & Wildlife All of the sites (besides backcountry) can be reached by vehicle.
The park is also a designated International Dark Sky Park, so it’s perfect for stargazing!
TripAdvisor/TheWuMan
Address: 21800 FM170, Terlingua, TX 79852.
Google Maps The daily entrance fee is $5 for ages 13 and up, and children 12 and under get in free.
Visit the Big Bend Ranch State Park website or Facebook page for more information.
PaaschPhotography / iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection / Getty Images
Flickr/CMy23
Tim Speer / iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection / Getty Images
This scenic drive winds through the towering Chisos Mountains, making for some of the best windshield views (and quirky roadside stops) around.
Texas Parks & Wildlife
Mark Newman / The Image Bank Collection / Getty Images
All of the sites (besides backcountry) can be reached by vehicle.
TripAdvisor/TheWuMan
Google Maps
The daily entrance fee is $5 for ages 13 and up, and children 12 and under get in free.
Have you ever been to Big Bend Ranch State Park? If so, we’d love to hear all about your experience! Tell us in the comments section below. To learn more about the River Road scenic drive, check out our previous article.
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Address: Big Bend Ranch State Park, 21800 FM170, Redford, TX 79846, USA
