T H E B I G B E N D A R E A
G E N E R A L I N F O R M A T I O N
The following websites provides very useful information about the Big Bend area and the National and State Parks:
www.nps.gov/bibe
www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/big_bend_ranch
www.visitbigbend.com
www.historic-terlingua.com
Additional sites are listed below relating to various activities. We have
only used some of these businesses, but provide them for your review.
The temperature in the Big Bend area can often exceed 100 degrees during
the day. Please consider this in planning your trip.
The following websites provides very useful information about the Big Bend area and the National and State Parks:
www.nps.gov/bibe
www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/big_bend_ranch
www.visitbigbend.com
www.historic-terlingua.com
Additional sites are listed below relating to various activities. We have
only used some of these businesses, but provide them for your review.
The temperature in the Big Bend area can often exceed 100 degrees during
the day. Please consider this in planning your trip.
D R I V E S & H I K E S
RIO GRANDE RIVER DRIVE - BIG BEND STATE PARK: This is one of the most beautiful drives that you will ever take. It begins at Study
Butte and Terlingua ghost town at the junction of Highways 118 and 170. Once you reach Lajitas, Highway 170 follows the Rio Grande
and provides remarkable views of the US/Mexican border area with magnificent mountains of various colors and forms. You can visit
the Contrabando movie set right on the Rio Grande.
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK: The national park has 6 separate car tours.
The routes and sights are described in "Road Guide to Paved and
Improved Dirt Roads of Big Bend National Park" which is available at the park.
H I K I N G: We recommend that visitors use hiking trails in the National and State Parks. Although Terlingua Ranch has many roads,
they are unmarked and are not easy to navigate.
BRING PLENTY OF WATER FOR ANY HIKE. DECIDE WHAT YOU NEED AND THEN TAKE MORE.
RIO GRANDE RIVER DRIVE - BIG BEND STATE PARK: This is one of the most beautiful drives that you will ever take. It begins at Study
Butte and Terlingua ghost town at the junction of Highways 118 and 170. Once you reach Lajitas, Highway 170 follows the Rio Grande
and provides remarkable views of the US/Mexican border area with magnificent mountains of various colors and forms. You can visit
the Contrabando movie set right on the Rio Grande.
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK: The national park has 6 separate car tours.
The routes and sights are described in "Road Guide to Paved and
Improved Dirt Roads of Big Bend National Park" which is available at the park.
H I K I N G: We recommend that visitors use hiking trails in the National and State Parks. Although Terlingua Ranch has many roads,
they are unmarked and are not easy to navigate.
BRING PLENTY OF WATER FOR ANY HIKE. DECIDE WHAT YOU NEED AND THEN TAKE MORE.
R A F T I N G O N T H E R I O G R A N D E
Kayaking, canoeing, and rafting down the Rio Grande is a popular way to see some of the magnificent limestone canyons of the area.
Various "outfitters" provide equipment, a shuttle service, and guided tours.
www.bigbendrivertours.com
www.farflung.com/tx/
Kayaking, canoeing, and rafting down the Rio Grande is a popular way to see some of the magnificent limestone canyons of the area.
Various "outfitters" provide equipment, a shuttle service, and guided tours.
www.bigbendrivertours.com
www.farflung.com/tx/
B I C Y C L I N G
Numerous web-sites describe biking in the Big-Bend / Terlingua area. These include
www.bicyclebigbend.com
www.desertsportstx.com
Numerous web-sites describe biking in the Big-Bend / Terlingua area. These include
www.bicyclebigbend.com
www.desertsportstx.com
T H E G R E A T E R B I G B E N D A R E A
There are many things to see in West Texas. Some are absolutely unique to the area. We recommend the following, realizing that
most visitors have time constraints:
O J I N A G A: Visit Mexico. The border crossing is located in Presidio. see: www.ojinaga.com
Also, a visit Peguis Canyon is well worth the time - 25 miles from Ojinaga. see: http://ojinaga.com/Peguis/peguis.html
P I N T O C A N Y O N R O A D: This is a truly spectacular drive for those that have a 4-wheel drive, rough terrain vehicle.
The drive (FM2810) begins at Ruidoso, by the Rio Grande, approximately __ miles from Presidio. The road takes you through the Pinto
Canyon and to the top of the Chinati mountains. Ultimately, Pinto Canyon Road takes you to Marfa.
M A R F A: Marfa is primarily known for three reasons:
1) "Giant" with James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson was filmed here. There is a tribute to the movie at the Hotel Paisano
where some of the stars stayed.
2) The Marfa Lights are a phenomenon that have not been scientifically explained. A visit to the "viewing area" gives you an
opportunity to see these bouncing lights that sometimes change colors. The lights are not visible every night, but are frequently
seen. Marfa holds an annual Marfa Lights Festival over the Labor Day weekend.
3) Chinati and Donald Judd Foundations. Donald Judd, the great minimalist sculptor came to Marfa, purchased an old army fort and
other buildings in town, and proceeded to create a museum for large-scale installations. The inastalations were created by Donald
Judd, Dan Flavin, John Chamberlain, Carl Andre, Ilya Kabakov, Roni Horn, John Wesley and others. The artists were aware that the
work was intended to be on permanent display and therefore challenged the artists to create installations that would withstand the
test of time. The Chinati Foundation provides tours of the museum Wednesday-Sunday, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
www.chinati.org
The Judd Foundation also provides tours of Donald Judd's "Compound." This museum shows where and how Judd lived and worked, as
well as some of his inspirations.
Marfa also supports a number of commercial galleries, including inde/jacobs, which is operated by the owners of the getaway.
inde/jacobs provides works on paper by the Chinati artists, as well as other minimalist and pop artists.
www.indejacobs.com
Marfa also has very good restaurants, including the Pizza Foundation, Cochineal, Maiya's, the Brown Recluse for great coffee, Squeeze
Marfa and the Food Shark for the lunch hour, and others. Lodging can be found in the previous owners various apartments and
charming casita (www.marfaretreat.com), the Thunderbird Hotel or the Paisano Hotel.
For general information on Marfa, visit:
www.marfa.org & www.marfatx.com
McDonald Observatory, Ft Davis: McDonald observatory offers various activities, including "star parties," which provide visitors
with general information about the observatory, astronomy, and the opportunity to view the stars and planets through high-power
telescopes.
www.mcdonaldobservatory.org
There are many things to see in West Texas. Some are absolutely unique to the area. We recommend the following, realizing that
most visitors have time constraints:
O J I N A G A: Visit Mexico. The border crossing is located in Presidio. see: www.ojinaga.com
Also, a visit Peguis Canyon is well worth the time - 25 miles from Ojinaga. see: http://ojinaga.com/Peguis/peguis.html
P I N T O C A N Y O N R O A D: This is a truly spectacular drive for those that have a 4-wheel drive, rough terrain vehicle.
The drive (FM2810) begins at Ruidoso, by the Rio Grande, approximately __ miles from Presidio. The road takes you through the Pinto
Canyon and to the top of the Chinati mountains. Ultimately, Pinto Canyon Road takes you to Marfa.
M A R F A: Marfa is primarily known for three reasons:
1) "Giant" with James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson was filmed here. There is a tribute to the movie at the Hotel Paisano
where some of the stars stayed.
2) The Marfa Lights are a phenomenon that have not been scientifically explained. A visit to the "viewing area" gives you an
opportunity to see these bouncing lights that sometimes change colors. The lights are not visible every night, but are frequently
seen. Marfa holds an annual Marfa Lights Festival over the Labor Day weekend.
3) Chinati and Donald Judd Foundations. Donald Judd, the great minimalist sculptor came to Marfa, purchased an old army fort and
other buildings in town, and proceeded to create a museum for large-scale installations. The inastalations were created by Donald
Judd, Dan Flavin, John Chamberlain, Carl Andre, Ilya Kabakov, Roni Horn, John Wesley and others. The artists were aware that the
work was intended to be on permanent display and therefore challenged the artists to create installations that would withstand the
test of time. The Chinati Foundation provides tours of the museum Wednesday-Sunday, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
www.chinati.org
The Judd Foundation also provides tours of Donald Judd's "Compound." This museum shows where and how Judd lived and worked, as
well as some of his inspirations.
Marfa also supports a number of commercial galleries, including inde/jacobs, which is operated by the owners of the getaway.
inde/jacobs provides works on paper by the Chinati artists, as well as other minimalist and pop artists.
www.indejacobs.com
Marfa also has very good restaurants, including the Pizza Foundation, Cochineal, Maiya's, the Brown Recluse for great coffee, Squeeze
Marfa and the Food Shark for the lunch hour, and others. Lodging can be found in the previous owners various apartments and
charming casita (www.marfaretreat.com), the Thunderbird Hotel or the Paisano Hotel.
For general information on Marfa, visit:
www.marfa.org & www.marfatx.com
McDonald Observatory, Ft Davis: McDonald observatory offers various activities, including "star parties," which provide visitors
with general information about the observatory, astronomy, and the opportunity to view the stars and planets through high-power
telescopes.
www.mcdonaldobservatory.org
R E A D I N G A B O U T T H E W. T E X A S A R E A:
There are numerous books about the Big Bend area, hiking trails, at the retreat. The following books are
recommended if you would like to learn about the area before your trip. We will update this list as we read
truly good books. We will not bore you with mediocre recommendations.
Many of the books are available from Marfa's own amazing bookstore: www.marfabookco.com
Quicksilver: Terlingua and the Chisos Mining Co. by Kenneth Baxter Randolph. Terlingua was a one company
town run by Howard E. Perry. This book provides historical information relating to all aspects of life in Terlingua
until Chisos Mining Co. declared bankruptcy in 1942. Surprisingly intriguing. www.amazon.com
Photography Books:
Big Bend Pictures. Photographs of the landscape and people of Big Bend by James H. Evans
Ribbons of Time: The Dalquest Research Site. Photographs by Walter Nelson. The photographs are taken of a
remote canyon and its surroundings that are approximately 15 miles due west of the retreat. The natural
beauty, although smaller in scale, is equivalent to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, etc.
There are numerous books about the Big Bend area, hiking trails, at the retreat. The following books are
recommended if you would like to learn about the area before your trip. We will update this list as we read
truly good books. We will not bore you with mediocre recommendations.
Many of the books are available from Marfa's own amazing bookstore: www.marfabookco.com
Quicksilver: Terlingua and the Chisos Mining Co. by Kenneth Baxter Randolph. Terlingua was a one company
town run by Howard E. Perry. This book provides historical information relating to all aspects of life in Terlingua
until Chisos Mining Co. declared bankruptcy in 1942. Surprisingly intriguing. www.amazon.com
Photography Books:
Big Bend Pictures. Photographs of the landscape and people of Big Bend by James H. Evans
Ribbons of Time: The Dalquest Research Site. Photographs by Walter Nelson. The photographs are taken of a
remote canyon and its surroundings that are approximately 15 miles due west of the retreat. The natural
beauty, although smaller in scale, is equivalent to the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, etc.
Vilis & Clifford at the
Rio Grande Overlook
Rio Grande Overlook
The three pictures above were taken by the Indian Head Mountain area of Big Bend National Park. The Chisos Mountains are in the
background of the picture to the right. The pictographs and petroglyphs can be accessed by a walking trail near Study Butte.
background of the picture to the right. The pictographs and petroglyphs can be accessed by a walking trail near Study Butte.
