Visit to our Neighbor

Just to the west of Big Bend National Park is Big Bend Ranch State Park.  It is a little more than a third the size of the national park at 500 sq mi.  There is one paved road in the whole park, it is FM 170 and it parallels the Rio Grande as it courses through 40 miles of the park between Lajitas and Presidio, TX.  The interior of the park is a hiker and trail bike paradise (in the winter).

On one of our days off we packed a lunch and headed west to visit our neighbor.  Arriving in Lajitas at the Barton Warnock Visitor Center we were both happy to see that the State Park system had done a fine job in building a visitor center that was a worthy representation of the heritage of this remote desert.  I have not been bashful about my disappointment in the architecture in the national park, the state park got it right.

A well thought out structure using clay tiles for the porch roof, rough-hewn timbers, stucco and limestone.

The rear of the visitor center as seen from atop a display at the back of the property.

The interpretive displays in the visitor center are top notch.  They cover archeological history, geology, human history, and the plants and animals currently inhabiting the park.  Touring the park by car leaves you no decisions to make.  There is just one paved road, it is most definitely not meant for wide loads and there is no room for your attention to wander or sight see if you are the driver.  It takes concentration to not cross the center line or fall off the shoulderless edge of the narrow road.

We drove about 25 miles of the 40 miles the road takes through the state park.  This would be a great road to do on a motorcycle.  There are whoop-dee-doos, hills and winding stretches, fun to drive in Big Gulp but would be a blast on a bike.  There were also several turn-outs.  One in particular was the Teepee picnic tables.  It was several hours past lunch time but this is where we finally got to stop and eat a bite.

There were three widely-spaced picnic tables and each even had a grill if you knew to plan ahead and bring charcoal.  Another nice feature is that these tables are situated right next to the river.

U.S. on the right, Mexico on the left.  The river is running just as green here as it is 60 miles downstream on the far end of Big Bend NP.



The river flows out of a canyon just upstream of the teepees.  The road leaves the side of the river at this point and starts climbing over a pass.

Look close just below and to the right of center.  That is a sliver of the road as it starts a 16% grade up the side of the cliff and over the pass.

The road that we had been following as it hugged the river now went its own way.  The river had cut a canyon through volcanic rock millions of years ago, the Texas Dept of Transportation had to go over the top of it.

Part way up the pass and looking back towards Lajitas

At the crest of the pass looking at where the road begins a 16% downgrade, and northwest towards Presidio.

Not quite as much rain in these parts.  The desert looks like a desert.

From the top of the pass there is a good view of the canyon and river.

Lajitas is just over the horizon.

Presidio is just over the other horizon.

The day was getting long in the tooth so we reversed course at the top of the pass and started working our way back home, 60 miles away at speeds of 25 to 45 mph.  It is going to be awhile before we get there.

About 40 miles away from Panther Junction we rounded a corner and were treated with a "wow" view.  We had never seen the Chisos Mountains from this side or from this far away.  It did not seem like 40 miles but it was.

The high point to the right of center is Emory Peak, highest point in the park.  The big, almost flat-top block to the left of center is Casa Grande.  The bottom of the basin, and our visitor center is at the base of it.

At first I was not too sure about this place, but after being here for a little more than a month now, it is starting to grow on me.