If you find yourself in Marfa looking for an interesting place to stay, check out El Cosmico. It's an out of this world stop on The Texas Bucket List that provides visitors with a unique place to lay...
West Texas
West Texas is Big Bend. Sandwiched between Mexico and New Mexico, the area integrates Hispanic culture into the American mix. The Pecos and the Rio Grande rivers are just two of the natural attractions in this part of the state, the latter forming a natural border between Texas and Mexico. In Big Bend National Park, one of the largest national parks in the United States, guests can hike, float on commercial float trips on the Rio Grande, camp and birdwatch.
The largest center in the region is El Paso, a city with easy access to its sister city of Juarez, Mexico. Attractions in El Paso include Fort Bliss, the Ysleta, Socorro and San Elizario missions, and the El Paso Museum of Art. Other areas of interest in this region include the Amistad National Recreation Area, Guadalupe Mountains National Park and the city of Del Rio.
Map of West Texas Points
Things to See & Do in West Texas
Hwy 17 into Balmorhea State Park
Picturesque Highway 17 in West Texas. The road into Balmorhea State Park.
Davis Mountains Scenic Drive
TX 118 Fort Davis to I-10, Van Horn
Franklin Mountains
Franklin Mountains in El Paso looking Northwest from Hondo Pass and Eclipse St.
Rio Grande River in Big Bend
Rio Grande River in Big Bend near Terlingua. Photo by Cornelia Leicht
Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend
Santa Elena Canyon, on the Rio Grande in southwestern Brewster County, is one of the most famous canyons in Big Bend National Park.
SH 118 in West Texas
State Highway 118, or SH 118, is a 155.3-mile state highway in the U.S. state of Texas that runs from Big Bend National Park north to Kent and passes through the towns of Study Butte, Alpine...
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
The world's largest coral reef.
Fort Davis National Park
Established in 1854, Fort Davis was important in guarding and establishing America’s western frontier. Troops stationed at this historic military post served to protect emigrants, families...
Lake Balmorhea / San Solomon Springs by Drone
A look at a couple of the water holes in Balmorhea.
Marfa, Texas: There’s No Place Like Here
Here's a neat place to visit: Take a trip to the West Texas Chihuahuan Desert, where the road-side town of Marfa is an oasis for everything from stark cubes to crewelwork.
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park in Texas.
Rio Grande River, Big Bend
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico–United States border. According to the...
The Borderlands of Texas
Crowned with a sky so wide that it threatens to define infinity, the Big Bend region of Texas is situated roughly west of San Antonio, east of El Paso, and north of the mythic Rio Grande river. It...
Flying Over Big Bend
Given it's 801,163 acre size, it's hard to comprehend all that is Big Bend.
McDonald Observatory
We traveled to the McDonald Observatory to see the heavens on The Texas Bucket List.
Glass Mountains in West Texas
The Glass Mountains in West Texas extend from Cathedral Mountain in northern Brewster County to Monument Draw in southern Pecos County, roughly between Fort Stockton and Alpine.
Ernst Tinaja, Big Bend
The Ernst Tinaja in Big Bend is the largest of a series of tinajas or natural water holes in this canyon. Because it rarely goes dry, it is a reliable source of water for desert wildlife. Photo Tom