West Texas Loop: Marfa, Marathon, Big Bend, and Fort Davis

For various reasons, friends are once again cancelling flights and researching road trips for Spring Break. Several people have inquired about hiking the gorgeous Big Bend area. Ask and you shall receive! Here are some West Texas travel tips and activities to help guide you.  While the last time I visited the area was March 2018, similar-minded friends (looking at you, Emily Thawley!) have more recently enjoyed the area or are heading there soon and contributed to this article. 

This trip does involve some logistical planning based on the limited access to cell service, gas stations and restaurants. People often underestimate just how big and spread-out West Texas is. On the flip side, this national park is relatively uncrowded because it is so remote. The closest airport is four hours away in Midland, TX.

Clothing-wise, pack extra blankets and cold weather gear for nighttime if going between November and March. Outfits with multiple layers will be your best bet. If you are only visiting neighboring Marfa, Fort Davis, the Marfa Lights Viewing Area, or Marathon, TX, pack everything you need before leaving. Marfa only has a Dollar General, a 24-hour convenience store, and a couple of small grocery stores with limited supply. Marathon and Fort Davis only have a drug store and touristy gift shops. If Alpine is on your itinerary, then you will have a much easier time finding groceries and other necessities. You will also need to bring some cash. Many of the restaurants in Marfa are cash only.  The town has three ATMs and none are major banks.

We visited Big Bend, Marathon, Fort Davis, Alpine, and Marfa in early March and the weather was spectacular. The afternoons got up to the 70’s with bright blue skies, but the nights were cold and usually drop to the 20’s or 30’s.

Park Planning Trips

• Download the park newspaper before your trip. This has tons of useful information, including maps with popular trails. Hikes are listed in the newspaper as easy, moderate, or strenuous, which is useful for tailoring your excursions to the fitness level of your group. We only tackled easy to moderate hikes on our trip because my twins were only eight at the time. 
• Check out the park map, also in the newspaper, and plan your routes before entering the park. The only Wi-Fi available in the park is at the Chisos Mountain Lodge and the Rio Grande Village Store. This makes using Google maps tricky.Keep in mind you will be in the Chihuahuan Desert. That means you might come across critters, both indoors and out. Snakes, scorpions, and other wildlife are part of what makes this area so wonderfully wild. Please be aware of your surroundings and watch your step. 

Where to stay when visiting Big Bend National Park

We stayed at the legendary Historic Gage Hotel in Marathon. Outside of camping and park lodging, it was the closest accommodation to Big Bend at the time, and a 45-minute drive to the park.  We loved our meals and time in the hotel’s famous White Buffalo Bar at this 45-room hotel, as well as our time at its neighboring art galleries. Most of our time in Marathon was spent biking around the block and enjoying the hotel’s 27-acre landscaped native garden. Unfortunately, our brief visit didn’t allow for time at the hotel’s spa or heated pool. 

Another option available now (but not during our 2018 visit) would be to stay in Terlingua, a ghost town 5 minutes away from the park and home of the Starlight Theater Restaurant and Saloon, a great spot for brunch and live music. If they don’t have an open table, walk over to Café Chili Pepper for good food and good wi-fi (a rarity in the area!), High Sierra Bar and Grill, La Kiva, DBs Rustic Iron BBQ, Big Bend Motor Inn Cafe or Rio Bravo Mexican Restaurant.

Click on this link for homes in Terlingua. I would love to stay at Willow House Terlingua and take in the views of the Chisos Mountain Range.

Feeling adventurous? Check out:

• The Local Chapter, Big Bend and book a yurt.

• The Summit in Terlingua

• Basecamp Terlingua and book a bubble (yes, a bubble!), Wi-Fi router included. Keep in mind that it books up months in advance. Because this did not exist during my visit, I am sharing a photo directly from the Basecamp Terlingua site! Staying in one of Basecamp Terlingua’s two bubbles was described as staying in a “deluxe, transparent tent with the amenities of a hotel room.” Sleep masks recommended!

Last but not least, if you are looking at routes, check out The National Geographic write-up on the area. 

If adding on to your trip, here are some honorable mentions worth checking out:

Fort Davis Area

• The McDonald Observatory is an astronomical observatory located near Fort Davis. Check out the Star Parties they host Thursdays through Saturdays.

I suggest getting those tickets early, we waited until that week and they were sold out. You can get tickets here. 

• Let your kids run wild at The Fort Davis National Historic Site while they learn about the Indian Wars and frontier posts. 
• Where to stay and eat in this area: Indian Lodge! Both the lodge and the Black Bear restaurant were closed for renovations during our visit, but I have heard wonderful things about both. I believe the restaurant only serves breakfast and lunch.

Marfa

• The Chinati Foundation is a contemporary art museum in Marfa, Texas based upon the ideas of its founder, Donald Judd, an American minimalist artist.
• Marfa Lights Viewing Platform
• There are several art galleries and restaurants along Highland Avenue worth checking out. They don’t keep consistent times, so check in advance before heading out! Side note: the historic Hotel Paisano has the best margaritas in the area!
• Where to stay: We stayed in a large trailer at the quirky and trendy El Cosmico, but our friends stayed at the St. George Hotel in Marfa and loved it. They were not comfortable staying at El Cosmico after reading the pipes and the outdoor bath house can freeze between November and March (we got lucky on our trip and it ended up not being an issue). Another option would be to stay at the Cibolo Creek Ranch just 30 miles south of Marfa for a resort style experience.

Happy Travels!