Museum is handicap acces sible. Gift shop. Donations accepted. Free. North east corner of Sul Ross State University campus. 432/837-8730.
www.museumof
thebigbend.com.
ANTHONY POP. 5,262
ALT. 3,800 MAP L-1/OO-19
Anthony is at Exit 0 on I-10—the “Gateway to Texas.” In 1598, Don Juan de Oñate’s expedition traveled this road, at a rate of only 40 miles in 15 days, to settle Santa Fe.
TEXAS TRAVEL INFORMATION CENTER —This is one of the 12 Texas Travel Information Centers operated by the Texas Department of Transportation for the conve- nience of the traveling public. 8799 S. Desert Blvd. At the Texas-New Mexico state line on I-10. 915/886-3468.
www.txdot.gov.
WET ’N’ WILD WATER WORLD —Water-oriented recreation park pumps a million gallons a day to pro- vide a “volcano” with water slides. Includes a lazy water tube float, restaurant and picnic area. Admission charge. 8804 S. Desert Blvd. 915/886-2222.
www.wetwild.com.
WINERY —Zin Valle Vineyards. See WINERIES listing.
BALMORHEA POP. 504
ALT. 3,205 MAP N-6
The original inhabitants of the area were Mescalero Apaches. The town site was established in 1906 by land promoters in the center of a 10,000-acre tract fed by the San Solomon Springs. Events include the First Friday Monthly Flea Market,
and Memorial Day Festival and Labor Day Festival softball tournaments.
BALMORHEA STATE PARK —This is the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool. Scuba divers love the clarity. The San Solomon Courts offer motel-style lodging. Canals along the Courts lead to a restored cienaga (wetland) where a window provides a view of the un- derwater world. Admission charge. Four miles west on Texas 17 at historic San Solomon Springs. 432/375- 2370.
www.tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/balmorhea.
CALERA CHURCH —Originally named Mission Mary, the rock and adobe chapel was established in 1902. The mission was renovated in 2003 and serves as an all- denominational chapel and is available for exterior viewing. Two miles west of Balmorhea State Park on F.M. 3078.
www.caleratexas.org.
LAKE — Lake Balmorhea—This reservoir on Sandia Creek has picnicking, limited boating, birding and fish- ing (buy a license at Balmorhea State Park). Two miles southeast of Balmorhea via local road. 432/375-2238
BIG BEND NATL. PARK AREA POP. 4,701 (est.) ALT. 1,850-7,825 MAP R-6/7
BREWSTER COUNTY TOURISM COUNCIL: Visitor station is at U.S. 90 and U.S. 385 S. in Marathon.
www.visitbigbend.com.
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK VISITOR CENTERS: Park Head quarters at Panther Junction and Chisos Basin are open year round. Persimmon Gap, Rio Grande Village and Castolon Visitors Center are open Nov.–April. 432/477-2251.
www.nps.gov/bibe.
Communities—Alpine, Lajitas, Marathon, Study Butte and Terlingua in Brewster County; Sanderson in Terrell County; Fort Davis in Jeff Davis County; and Marfa and Presidio in Presidio County—offer a variety of muse- ums, recreation and entertainment. The combined counties cover 14,671.3 square miles. Because of the vast distances between towns, be sure the gas tank is filled while traveling the area.
BIG BEND & LAJITAS STABLES —Explore the Chihua- huan Desert and Big Bend Ranch State Park from the saddle. This full-service horseback riding outfitter of- fers guided trail rides from one to five hours or one to five days. Junction of Texas 118 and FM 170 in Study
PHOTO: J. GRIFFIS SMITH/TXDOT
FINDS Quick EL PASO FORT DAVIS
GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS
MARFA
MIDLAND ODESSA
Pg. 218 Pg. 220
Pg. 224 Pg. 222 Pg. 223 Pg. 224
Butte. 800/887-4331 or 432/371-3064.
www.lajitas
stables.com.
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK —The National Park Ser- vice is celebrating its centennial in 2016. This national park encompasses 801,163 acres of magnificent con- trasts. Basic facilities include visitor centers, post of- fice, National Park Service campgrounds, a trailer park, store-gas stations and a restaurant-gift shop-lodge in the Chisos Mountains Basin. Advance reservations are strongly advised, especially for holidays and spring break. Chisos Mountains Lodge: 432/477-2291.
www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/lodging.htm. The Chisos Basin is at an elevation of 5,400 feet
and trails go higher. The basin and higher Chisos offer backpacking, day hiking, wildlife watching, camping, hotels, restaurants and ranger programs. There is a cost for personal ranger-guided tours, which are first-come, first-served. Open daily. A permit, available at park visitor cen-
ters, is required for all primitive and back-country camping; plus for river users. The national park is ac- cessible from Marathon via U.S. 385 (70 miles), from Alpine via Texas 118 (108 miles), and from Marfa/Presi- dio via U.S. 67 and F.M. 170 (156 miles). Admission charge.
www.nps.gov/bibe. PET OWNERS TAKE NOTE: It’s best to leave your
pets at home. Pets are not permitted on any trail, in the back country or on the river. Pets are al- lowed in developed campgrounds and primitive roadside campgrounds but must be on a leash at all times. Because of wild animals roaming the park, do not leave any pet unattended. Because of extreme heat, do not leave pets locked in cars.
HALLIE’S HALL OF FAME MUSEUM —Houses memen- tos found on the late Hallie Stillwell’s ranch. Stillwell’s book, I’ll Gather My Geese, recalls her life as a teacher and rancher in and around the rugged national park- lands. Nearby is Stillwell RV Park and Store. Just north of Big Bend to F.M. 2627, then east to the facilities. 432/376-2244.
http://stillwellstore.com.
RIO GRANDE FLOAT TRIPS —Licensed river outfitters in area towns provide one- to nine-day float trips through the remote canyons of the Rio Grande. Reser- vations required for lengthy trips. (Brewster County Tourism Council).
www.visitbigbend.com/activities/ river-trips.
SCENIC DRIVES —El Camino del Rio, Spanish for “The River Road,” is the local name for F.M. 170 that stretch- es from Lajitas northwest to Presidio and beyond. Driv- ers are cautioned about steep grades, sharp curves, occasional loose livestock and low-water crossings; special alert for large RVs or trailers.
STUDY BUTTE —Rich deposits of mercury were discov- ered around 1900, and the mining town came into being around the Big Bend Cinnabar Mine, managed by Will Study. It was closed in the early 1940s. Today, visitors pause to absorb silent impressions
of a colorful past, and occasional rockhounds search tailing heaps for cinnabar, agate and other rocks.
TERLINGUA —Mercury was discovered here in 1890, and soon a thriving city of almost 2,000 was devoted to extracting the rich red ore (cinnabar). Today, the hundreds of wooden shacks are gone; many rock and adobe buildings stand roofless with walls crumbling. Some modern residents have come of late—leisure homes, a country store, a few accommodations, a cou- ple of restaurants, and the Terlingua Ranch Resort. On the first Saturday in November, about 5,000 “chili- heads” converge on the area for the International Championship Chili cook-offs.
CRANE POP. 3,756
ALT. 2,850 MAP M-9
CRANE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: 409 S. Gaston. 432/558-2311.
The city was founded in 1927 after the discovery of a large underground pool of oil. It is the seat of Crane County.
MUSEUM OF THE DESERT SOUTHWEST —Exhibits include Native American, cowboy and Horsehead Crossing artifacts; Castle Gap fossils; and petroleum industry memorabilia. Free. 409 S. Gaston. 432/558-2311.
DEL RIO POP. 34,651
ALT. 948 MAP R-11/TT-20
DEL RIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: 1915 Veterans Blvd. 830/775-3551 or 800/889-8149.
www.drchamber.com.
Del Rio bills itself with “Explore Del Rio, Home of Lake Amistad.” It is the seat of Val Verde (green valley) County with more than 3,000 square miles. Abundant hunting is available for white-tailed deer, wild turkey, javelina, dove and quail. Enjoy fishing, boating and water sports on Amistad Reservoir. It is home to Southwest Texas Junior College and Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College. With about 400 archaeological sites, the area is
among the nation’s richest in aboriginal cave paintings. See Amistad National Recreation Area and Seminole Canyon State Park in LANGTRY.
AMISTAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA —This the U.S. portion of the International Amistad Reservoir. Boating, waterskiing, fishing, birding, camping, hiking, swimming and archaeological sites are attractions.
Terlingua ghost town is located west of Big Bend National Park.
217
BIG BEND COUNTRY
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