big bend or guadalupe natl park for the day?

[KCHAR]

Figured I'd hit one of these places on my way back from El Paso. Anyone ever been to either?

[zora04]

i like ft davis. big ben is beautiful too, but the observatory in ft davis is awesome. they have late night star parties as well.

[KCHAR]

i like ft davis. big ben is beautiful too, but the observatory in ft davis is awesome. they have late night star parties as well.

So the alpine/marfa area is pretty cool?

[Chas_svo]

So the alpine/marfa area is pretty cool?

There is a lot to see. The loop that the observatory sits on is nice. Some great wildlife at times, javalinas and antelope, sometimes mule deer. Balmorhea pool is nice, and the mountain scenery is great. Nothing is close out there, so be warned. Many of the small towns have no gas after 5, and it's high as hell then. You understand "expanse", you just need to go drive it.

[GrayStangGT]

If your in Alpine stop and eat at Reata. The observatory is cool if you have never been there.

[Rick Modena]

No country for old men...

[ram57ta]

Balmorhea is cool (literally). Me and my dad did a west texas trip when I was about 13 and we hit up Hueco Tanks outside El Paso (didn't require permits then), Mcdonald Observatory (we stayed at the lodge and had reservations to look out the big telescope but it was too humid so they wouldn't open the dome), Fort Davis, Terlingua (not much to see honestly), Marfa (go at night and see the Marfa lights...and TAKE A JACKET), as mentioned before Balmorhea (was the largest natural spring fed swimming pool in Texas when we went and camped...temp is about 70 degrees year round...and if you dive...take your gear and dive the caverns in it...crystal clear water), we ate lunch one day in Saragosa (the town was obliterated by an F4 tornado in 1987), Sonora Caverns to the East is pretty damn cool, Guadalupe Mtns National Park and Guadalupe Peak is just East of El Paso. Theres more but you'll have to look it up.

[Downs]

Take this route. What are you driving/riding?

Alpine and Marfa are north of the good stuff Ft. Davis not included. Marfa is cool for the Marfa lights but other than that you aren't missing much in Alpine or Marfa.

The road between Presidio and Study Butte is 60 miles long and awesome you can also stop in Lajitas if you want to see a really cool resort. Follows right along the Rio Grande. There is an entry for Big Bend NP just south east of Study Butte. The only road in town runs that direction. Terlingua is a GREAT place to stop go and visit and have a burger and a beer at the Starlight Theater you WILL NOT be dissapointed. Maybe stop and check out the Prada store before you start heading down south of Ft Davis.

If you want to know more about the area just ask I've been down there a bunch of times and try to avoid staying in Alpine as it's not that great and is a good clip from the good stuff.

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=3640+Dark+Sky+Drive,,+Fort+Davis,+TX+(McDonald+Observatory+Visitors+Center)&daddr=Presidio,+Tx+to:Lajitas+Resort,+Lajitas,+TX+to:Terlingua,+TX+to:Unknown+road+to:I-10+E&hl=en&ll=30.126124,-102.925415&spn=2.717496,5.410767&sll=30.789627,-102.786713&sspn=0.337402,0.676346&geocode=Fdkj1AEdoLTM-SHTn-lCxnZB_g%3BFaIPwwEdTmjH-SnlMXV1DnvuhjFLN707f5glpw%3BFRN_vgEdvX7Q-SGFIdPaXeW7xg%3BFXJpvwEd7fHS-SkD64FYdPnthjFgwXW5wHBLEw%3BFbK1vgEdar_X-Q%3BFeZe1wEd2tfe-Q&oq=laji&t=h&gl=us&mra=mi&mrsp=5&sz=11&z=8

The Road you see in the background is the "River Road' between Presidio and Terlingua/ Study Butte. It's nice and twisty most of it's length

[Alex]

Is it cooler there due to higher elevation?

[Downs]

Only in the "Basin" and maybe up at the Observatory. The rest is high desert type area and hot in the lower elevations.

This time of year is probably around 100 or more during the day down low and low 80s up in the Basin. Still worth going though I've ridden a motorcycle though there in 104 degree temps and was alright. Just drink lots of water and have some onboard.

On the river road when I still had my Beemer.

[Alex]

What or where is the basin?

[Rick Modena]

Man that looks like a bad ass trip. Only worries would be fuel.

[Downs]

It's in Big Bend NP. Checkpoint E on the googlemaps link I posted.

You go up a mountain a bit then drop back down a bit into a large "basin" shaped area that has a lodge and is the trail head for a bunch of hiking trails. The pictures I posted above where I'm standing on a trail is on a trail in the Basin.

If you have time the South Rim is really cool but is a good hike from the parking lot. So is the highest point in the area which is Emory Peak at around 7800 feet ASL. I hiked up there but the pics I got sucked because it was almost completely dark by then. We had to hike back down to our campsite 2 miles away in total darkness with nothing but headlights and handheld flashlights.



There's actually plenty of fuel out there.

It's only 60 miles from Presidio to Study Butte which has a gas station. Big Bend NP is HUGE though and takes a bit to get across. I you have a fuel range of less than 120 miles I'd b stopping all the time for fuel. Once you leave Study Butte and head north it's 80 miles I think to Alpine which has fuel but nothing between Study Butte and there but a lot of desert and a Border Patrol Checkpoint. Big Bend has fuel in the park at Panther Junction which is basically dead center in the park.

[JFurst]

Go north and visit Cloudcroft NM

[Chas_svo]

Good pics Down. There are lots of fuel stops during the day. I promise you that after 5, fuel is hard to find. Many of the ranches you were driving by out there are my families, or were.