Balmorhea State Park was constructed by the CCC in the early 1930s to put folks to work during the Depression.
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
Marfa Lights
If you are ever out in West Texas at night, you should spend an hour or two waiting for the “lights”. Native American residents knew about Marfa Mystery Lights long before the first...
Davis Mountains in West Texas
The beautiful Davis Mountains in West Texas are often referred to as “the Alps of Texas.” Davis Mountains State Park is located in the foothills of the Davis Mountains only four miles...
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park in Texas.
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.
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.
Mount Livermore in the Davis Mountains
Pine forests in the Chihuahua Desert!
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...
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...
Marfa by Drone
A look at Marfa, Texas and the Presidio County Courthouse in the Big Bend Region of Texas.
The Rim at Chilicote Ranch
View looking Southwest from The Rim at Chilicote Ranch. Somewhere in the valley below runs the Rio Grande, separating Texas in the foreground from Mexico in the background. Near Valentine, Texas...
McDonald Observatory
We traveled to the McDonald Observatory to see the heavens on The Texas Bucket List.
El Cosmico, Marfa
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...
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.
Davis Mountains State Park
Davis Mountains State Park is a 2,709-acre state park located in the Davis Mountains in Jeff Davis County. The park elevation is between 5,000 and 6,000 ft (1,500 and 1,800 m) above sea level.
Flying Over Big Bend
Given it's 801,163 acre size, it's hard to comprehend all that is Big Bend.
Hwy 17 into Balmorhea State Park
Picturesque Highway 17 in West Texas. The road into Balmorhea State Park.
Trent at Sunset
Trent, on Interstate Highway 20 twenty-three miles west of Abilene in northwestern Taylor County, was established in 1881 and served as a halfway station on the Texas and Pacific Railway between...