Big Bend National Park

We first stayed 3 night at the Stillwell Ranch just east of the park. 

  

 

Hallie Stillwell's Hall of Fame Museum

Hallie Crawford Stillwell, who drove a covered wagon into Alpine, Tex., in 1910, worked as a teacher and then settled down and became a Big Bend legend as a sharp-shooting ranch wife on horseback. As a rough rancher, chatty newspaper columnist, justice of the peace, chili cook-off queen and mistress of a museum devoted to her life, Mrs. Stillwell, who was known as Miss Hallie far beyond the sweeping curve of the Rio Grande, became a Texas tourist attraction.

  Big Bend is one of the largest,  most remote, and  least-visited  national  parks  in the  lower  48 United States.

The park has more than 100 miles of paved roads , improved dirt roads accessible for most vehicles, miles of primitive dirt roads for high-clearance vehicles lead across washboards and boulders, through canyons and creek beds, past old settlements and cemeteries. In addition to marvelous panoramic vistas, many of these roads access hiking trails, primitive roadside campsites, and the river.

 Old Ore Road

 This backcountry road follows the historic route used in the early 1900s to transport ore from Mexican mines to the railroad station at Marathon, Texas.

McKinney Ranch - 1880 to 1910 

Tinaja Carlota 

Tornillo Creek 



 

 Rio Grande

 



 

 Mariscal Mine was a mercury or quicksilver mine that included two dozen structures along the valley flats and on the hillside.

 

 

 

 



 

Black Gap Road 

 

 Javelina skull
We saw a family of Javelinas with a baby,  Coyote,  Road runners,  Hawks,  Turkey Vultures and a  4 point Buck Mule Deer.  Some too fast for the camera and others that you just wanted to take a few moments to enjoy without fussing with the camera

 

Luna's Jacal is a prime example of primitive house-shelter built by the early pioneers.

 

 

 Remains of Rice Ranch

 

 

Mule Ears Peaks

Sam Nail Ranch 

 

 

As you walk the trail towards the head of the canyon, Crown Mountain looms majestically to the south.  As the canyon narrows, the vegetation changes radically from the desert plants to large ponderosa pines, oaks, bigtooth maple and Texas madrone.



 

 

 

We then moved to Study Butte RV Park for 4 nights on the West side of the park.

 (pronounced Stu-dee)

 Has to be the friendliest place we have stayed

 

  

 

 You have to understand about porches in the desert. They offer shade in a sun-scoured landscape, they offer nice views, usually, and with any luck, you can purchase a cold drink somewhere nearby and consume it in good company. The porch in the Terlingua Ghostown may be the greatest porch anywhere. An ever-changing cast of regulars and passers-through share shade and stories.  Local musicians gather to play music nightly.

  

 

 Starlight Theatre Bar and Grill

 Monday night is two burgers for the price of one.