![[Image]](a:/pict1.jpg)
Quatorze
A 20-mile bike ride
across the desert brings you to the
ruins of Mariscal Mine
The best winter bicycling in the U.S., may not be in Florida or California but in a huge, sparsely-populated corner of Texas called the Big Bend Country. Here, and in the adjacent Davis Mountains, a choice of road and off-road bike rides takes you through an extravaganza of mountain, river and desert country near the Mexican border. Comfortable motels exist a day's ride apart. And the best time for cycling is when most of the U.S. is buried under snow.
This vast, uncongested region borders the Rio Grande River and reaches north a hundred miles to small western towns like Alpine, Marfa and Fort Davis. Much of it is public land-- including Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park-- while 1,100 miles of dirt roads that web enormous Terlingua Ranch (435 square miles) have also been open to mountain bicyclists.
You can tour this isolated region by road bike. Or you can explore the starkly beautiful back country by riding a mountain bike on jeep and county roads. After spending months here over the years, and writing a guidebook to the area, I recommend a combination of both. That means driving here with both a road and a mountain bike in your car. You then make your base at a motel in frontier communities like Presidio or Study Butte. And each day, you make an out-and-back ride in a different direction.
When you've sampled the rides available from one base town, you drive on to the next town and do the same there.
If you can bring only one bike, make it a mountain bike. Then do the road rides with a mountain bike. It's slower, but you will get more exercise. Another alternative is to use lightweight slicks (26 x 1.25 inches) on your mountain bike for road riding and switch to fat tires (26 x 1.95 inches) for riding off-road.
SCOTTISH COUPLE MAKE 1,500 MILE BIKE TOUR OF TEXAS HILL COUNTRY AND BIG BEND IN 2002.
When cyclo-tourists Joan and Dave Easingwood of Edinburg, Scotland found a copy of my book "Twenty-five Bicycle Tours of the Texas Hill Country and West Texas" in a local bookshop recently, they became intrigued with the idea of spending six weeks touring this vast, scenic region on their bikes. In October 2002, they flew with their bikes to Austin, TX, and set out on a 40-day, 1,500 mile tour through the Hill Country and on through just about all of the Big Bend area accessible to road bikes. Altogether, they spent 25 nights tent camping and 15 nights in motels, including two nights in Ojinaga, Mexico.
Later in their tour, I had the great pleasure of meeting Joan and Dave as they passed through Kerrville TX en route to Austin and their flight home to Edinburgh.. Here are a few quotes from an email they sent after arriving home.
"The many photos we took show the rugged and beautiful scenery. Most of the time, we had excellent weather. The holiday will be remembered for the many kind and friendly people we met on our travels. Yet again, we found the bicycles were a good introduction to meet people--they would ask us where we were going and how far we had come, often amazed at the mileages we quoted. Thanks to your book, we visited Texas and had a wonderful time."
For a free Official Texas road map, click on www.traveltex.com/free.asp/ .
The following websites cover the area:-
BICYCLE BIG BEND.com <www.bicyclebigbend.com>. This exciting new website focuses entirely on road and off-road cycling opportunities in the entire Big Bend area and Davis Mountains. It's published by Big Bend Trail Alliance, dedicated to the development, maintenance and preservation of trails in the Big Bend Area and it covers the great new opportunities for singletrack riding in the Lajitas and adjoining areas. With its splendid photos, this site is essential reading for anyone contemplating a Big Bend cycling vacation. .
DESERT SPORTS at Terlingua <www.desertsportstx.com>. The only bikeshop in the region, rents good mountain bikes and has links to Big Bend National Park (with weather forecast), Big Bend Ranch State Park, and Chambers of Commerce at Alpine, Fort Davis, Marfa and Lajitas. Operated by veteran cyclist and outdoorsman Mike Long, Desert Sports also arranges custom mountain bike tours or bike-kayak-rafting trips.
BREWSTER COUNTY TOURISM BOARD <www.visitbigbend.com/>. Very complete Big Bend information with list of motels, lodges etc and links to other area websites.
ALPINE BIG BEND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE <www.alpinetexas.com/>. Largest city in Big Bend, has motel lists and other area information. Send email and request a copy of the Big Bend & Texas Mountains Travel Guide plus other travel literature, and a road map showing location of Pinto Canyon. Or phone at 1-800-561-3735.
BIG BEND & TEXAS MOUNTAINS TOURISM ASSOCIATION(www.bigbendtexasmountains.com). Request a free copy of the invaluable Big Bend & Texas Mountains Travel Guide, for current year.
Area maps and guidebooks are available in Big Bend National Park at Panther Junction Visitor Center; at the Apache Trading Post at Alpine; at Warnock Environmental Education Center at Lajitas; and at the store in Terlingua ghost town. While the free National Park folder has an adequate map for on and off-road cycling, Trails Illustrated Big Bend National Park topo map shows greater detail.
Almost all the rides described in this website were originally published, in far greater detail, in a guidebook I wrote in 1995 called "25 Bicycle Rides in The Texas Hill Country and West Texas", published as one in a series of cycling guidebooks by Countryman Press/W.W. Norton. The original ride descriptions in the book have been updated on this website. However, the book contained much background information and maps which are not included here. Although out of print, used copies of the book may often be available at <www.amazon.com>.
The Big Bend region is at its best from early October through early May. There's a slight risk of encountering light winter snow at Fort Davis, Alpine or Marfa. It's also advisable to avoid cycling in Terlingua Ranch during the December hunting season; in the Lajitas-Study Butte area during the Desert Challenge mountain bike race, usually held around the third weekend in February; and in the Study Butte-Big Bend National Park area during the college spring break when campgrounds and motels are usually full but off-road trails themselves seem rarely affected.
In this dry desert region, rain is usually not a problem but it can, and sometimes does, rain in winter causing flash floods that block roads for several hours and that make off-road travel impossible for 1-2 days afterwards due to mud. It's also worth knowing that traffic during weekends is usually greater than on weekdays.
Try it if you like. In this desolate and isolated region, hills, headwinds, heat and long distances can sap the energy of even a fit, experienced cyclist. It may be 60 miles (100 kms) from one water source to the next while trees and shelter are few. Thus I suggest touring in a small group with a support vehicle in back, perhaps driven by each rider in turn.
Starting and ending at Fort Davis, a good 7-day itinerary goes like this:-
Day 1: Fort Davis Loop (described later under Fort Davis), 75 miles (120 kms) with overnight at Fort Davis .
Day 2: Fort Davis to Alpine and Marfa, 51 miles (82 kms).
Day 3: Marfa to Shafter ghost town and Presidio, 59 miles (98 kms).
Day 4: Presidio to Lajitas via River Road (TX 170), 48 miles (77 kms).
Day 5: Lajitas to Study Butte and Chisos Basin Lodge, 41 miles (66 kms).
Day 6: Chisos Basin Lodge to Marathon via US385, 79 miles (126 kms). With a tent, you could camp half way at Stillwell's Ranch-- six miles east on TX2627--adding an extra day.
Day 7: Marathon to Alpine and Fort Davis, 50 miles (80 kms).
All roads are smoothly paved and have shoulders except part of the Fort Davis Loop, River Road (TX170), and roads in Big Bend National Park. Much of the information you'll need for cycling this itinerary can be found in the section on BASE TOURING below.
Note #1: with off-road tires, it's possible to add an extra day to Day 3 by cycling south from Marfa on paved Road 2810 and on through unpaved Pinto Canyon to Chinati Hot Springs Resort for overnight, then continuing next day to Presidio on Road 170--but you miss Shafter Ghost Town. See under Ride 6 below for details.
Note #2: From Chisos Basin on Day 6, an alternative way to return to Alpine and Fort Davis is to cycle back to Study Butte and continue north on Route 118 for 8 very scenic uphill miles to Longhorn Ranch Motel and Tivo's Restaurant, 432-371-2541 or 2133, one story, parking near, moderate rates, currently open all year--but check. Stay here overnight then next day continue north on scenic 118 to Alpine and through a very scenic section of the Davis Mountains to Fort Davis.
A LAST WORD= This is a strenuous but extremely rewarding tour on an outstanding world class route that takes you via a dozen colorful frontier towns to two of Texas' most famous ghost towns, then on up to mountaintop McDonald Observatory, and over three of America's most awesomely scenic roads--the Davis Mountains Loop, the Rio Grande River Road, and to remote Chisos Basin--on a wildly scenic bicycling adventure that is unequalled elsewhere in America.
This is the recommended, and only practical way, to sample both on and off-road riding during your Big Bend vacation. You simply drive here with a road and a mountain bike in your car, make your base at a motel in towns like Fort Davis, Alpine, Presidio, Lajitas or Study Butte, and each day take an out-and- back ride in a different direction.
Called Base Touring, this concept gives you a wider choice of rides. It saves moving to a different destination each night. And since off-road rides may become impassable for 1-2 days after rain, you can continue to ride on your road bike. In some cases, this involves riding out and back on the same road but often, the return ride faces new and different scenes. Since you return to the same motel each night, base touring also frees you from having to carry panniers on your bike.
A word about Terlingua Ranch. This huge 435-square mile ranch has been subdivided into small hunting tracts, each owned by an individual. Some tracts have cabins or houses . To access these many sites, an incredible 1,100 miles of dirt roads have been bulldozed. The roads are open to public access but all of the the land is private. Thus far, bicyclists have been welcome to use these roads. So please stay on the roads and off the land, especially land with homes or cabins.
At Terlingua Ranch headquarters is a motel-lodge with cabins, cafe and swimming pool (see Ride 12). It's on East Terlingua Ranch which lies east of TX118 while West Terlingua Ranch lies west of TX118. A mostly-paved county road from TX118 to the ranch is signed as is a county road that loops around West Terlingua Ranch (Ride 10). In 2001, the first 13 miles of road from Hiway 118 to Terlingua Ranch had been paved, leaving only 3 miles still unpaved (and not rideable by road bikes).
The maze of other bulldozed roads are seldom marked and it is distinctly possible to lose your way. Thus I strongly recommend that at every intersection you clearly mark your return route with a cairn or similar marker. It's a good idea to carry a compass and to keep track of your position with a cyclometer. On West Terlingua Ranch I also suggest riding the County Road Loop first (Ride 10) to familiarize yourself with the principal landmarks. Regardless of season, carry at least 3 large waterbottles or two bottles and a camelback. On West Terlingua Ranch, once clear of the highways, chances are you will not see another vehicle, house or human all day. Be self-sufficient: carry a full set of spares and repair tools and have someone along who can use them. It's also a good idea not to ride out here alone ( although I usually do).
Until recently, opportunities for single track cycling were few. But marked single track trails are now available in the Lajitas region; look up the Bicycle Big Bend.com website for info. Cycling on foot trails is not permitted in National Parks. Most off- road rides are on double track jeep trails or wider roads.
A good general rule is to cycle out into a headwind so that, hopefully, you have the wind at your back returning. On dirt roads, head back if rain appears imminent. Some dirt roads become unrideable after an hour of steady rain.
Some rides are accessible only by driving out from your motel and leaving your car parked and locked at the starting point. While I've never had a parked car touched, it might be well to avoid bringing a new, expensive or prestigious car. In any case, I lock the steering wheel as well as the doors.
As a suggestion, you might drive first to Fort Davis, then to Alpine and on to Presidio, Lajitas and Study Butte. Stay overnight at each town while you sample some or all of the rides available. Then drive on to the next base town. By car, it takes only 1-2 hours to drive from one base town to the next. If you can visit only one base town, Study Butte has the best choice of rides. Below is a brief review of the all-day rides available from each base town. I mention the motels I usually stay at, generally because they're less expensive and near the center and they are marked by an asterisk. M = Motel (example: *M. Bienvenidos, meaning Motel Bienvenidos is a motel I usually stay at.) These asterisked motels meet the needs of the average cyclist but I also mention one or two others in case they are full. Also mentioned are campgrounds with tent sites. More expensive and upscale motels may also be available, especially at Alpine.
CAUTION: under new U.S. border security rules, it may now be illegal for Americans to cross into Mexico anywhere but at official border crossing checkpoints such as at Presidio-Ojinaga.
A mountain-rimmed college town with hospital , supermarket and the Agave Natural Foods store south side on 118. (*M. Bienvenido, east side on US90 East, 432-837-3844 or 3454, 2-story, at-door parking, reasonable. Others: Alpine Inn Economy Motel, 2000 East US90, 432-837-3417; tents, Pecan Grove RV Park, 1902 West US 90, 432-837-7175.)
RIDE 1: PAISANO PASS AND MARFA--road bike. Cycle west on the wide shoulder of US90 and ride steadily uphill for 11 miles (18 kms) through juniper-sheathed mountains to Paisano Pass. Continue on across flat Marfa Plain towards Marfa and return the same way. Strong riders might ride to Marfa, then north on flat TX17 to Fort Davis, returning to Alpine on scenic TX118, a total 75 miles (120 kms).
RIDE 2: SOUTH ON TX118--road bike. Cycle south on the wide shoulder of TX118 and wind up a very scenic climb of 877' (263 m) to an elevation of 5,360' (1,634 m). Then continue south through juniper-dotted mountains with several peaks towering to almost 7,000' (2,134 m). En route are two picnic sites and an immigration inspection stop. A total of 60 miles roundtrip (100 kms) is about right.
Highest town in Texas and location of Fort Davis National Historic Site and Davis Mountains State Park (tent camping) with its Indian Lodge. (*M. Stone Valley Motel, in town on 17, one story, moderate, 432-426-3941. Others: Indian Lodge, Davis Mountains State Park, rambling pueblo-style lodge with restaurant , 432-426-3254. Tents, Overland Trail Campground, in town on 17, 432-426-2250.))
RIDE 3: DAVIS MOUNTAINS LOOP--road bike. The Davis Mountains Loop is a 75-mile ride (120 km) through the Davis Mountains to McDonald Observatory and through wooded Madera Canyon (picnic tables) on to TX166, which then loops around Sawtooth Mountain and Mount Livermore. The return ride on TX166 crosses a treeless prairie for 23 miles (37 kms) back to Fort Davis (with possible antelope sightings en route). Because the northern half of the loop is more scenic than the southern half, many people skip the southern half and ride out and back on the northern half (TX118).
Those doing the entire loop often prefer to go clockwise, starting out on TX166 and stopping 60 miles (100 kms) later at McDonald Observatory Visitor Center, the only place on the entire ride with water or soft drinks. A wide shoulder exists only for 16 miles (26 kms) between Fort Davis and McDonald Observatory. The remainder is two-lane though traffic is usually quite light.
The Davis Mountains ride
passes Fort Davis, a well-preserved Army
frontier post
CHISOS BASIN: altitude 5,401' (1,646m)
Surrounded by majestic mountains and accessible only by a paved but steep and narrow six mile (10 kms) road, Chisos Basin is the crown-jewel of Big Bend National Park. Spend at least one night here, if you can, and hike a mountain trail through the beautiful Chisos Mountains. Here is a Visitor Center with maps and advice and a convenience store. (M. Chisos Mountains Lodge & Restaurant, comfortable motel-type units, 432-477-2291. Tent camping is at Chisos Basin Campground, stunning views, 432-477-2251. Advance reservations are advised, especially at the Lodge and on weekends.)
An upscale golf and condo resort beside the Rio Grande with a complex of pricey motel units and with a small foodstore and restaurant, all surrounded by the mountains of Mexico and Big Bend Ranch State Park. To ride your mountain bike on the trails used in the Texas State Offroad Championship races, pedal a mile east on TX170 to Barton Warnock Environmental Center and ask if it is possible--or phone. Also see the Bicycle Big Bend.com website for info about single-track rides. Tip: to avoid the scalping rates, I usually stay at Study Butte's Chisos Mining Company Motel , 17 miles east, and drive, or cycle, back and forth to Lajitas for day rides. If you must stay here, phone 887-LAJITAS for reservations or click on www.lajitas.com/
RIDE 4: RIVER ROAD--road bike. For 30 miles west of Lajitas, River Road (TX170) twists and turns through deep limestone canyons over one of the most spectacular routes in America. Begin by cycling out of Lajitas on to this two-lane shoulderless road. For the next 14 miles, TX170 hugs the bank of the Rio Grande to a series of picnic tables shaded by metal tepees. Immediately ahead, the narrow road twists and climbs a mile-long hill with an 18 percent grade, then descends as steeply. Through a wild jumble of rocks, crags and cliffs, it continues for a total 32 miles (51 kms) to the village of Redford .
Here the grand scenery ends and I suggest turning around and heading back, a long all-day ride of 64 miles (102 kms). Since this is a quite strenuous and often hot ride, you may want to turn around earlier. Compared to riding the entire 48 miles (77 kms) from Presidio to Redford and Lajitas, which takes you through the river canyons only once, this out-and-back ride from Lajitas takes you twice through the most scenic canyon section while eliminating the flat, less-interesting section between Redford and Presidio.
On our 7-Day Tour, cyclists ride from Presidio to Redford and on to Lajitas for overnight, all on TX170. That's far enough in one day for most cyclo-tourists. But if you can pedal on another 17 miles to Study Butte, you can stay at the Chisos Mining Company Motel (432-371-2254) at a fraction of the rates at Lajitas Resort. Again, the 17-mile stretch of TX170 from Presidio to Redford is comparatively level and has 4-feet wide shoulders. Thus anyone looking for a fairly easy day-ride could consider pedaling from Presidio to Redford and back, a roundtrip of 34 miles.
River Road (upper left) soars high above the Rio
Grande Gorge between Redford and Lajitas
MARFA: pop 2,125, altitude 5,000' (1,500M)
A stopover on our 7-Day Tour, Marfa is a quaint border town with a growing reputation as an art center. (M. Riata Inn Motel, East side on US90, 432-729-3800, medium rates AARP disc, one-story, at-door parking. Hotel Paisano, center near courthouse, historic, 866-729-3669, <www.hotelpaisano.com>.)
PRESIDIO: pop 3,500, altitude 2,595' (790m)
A dusty, unlovely, windblown town on the banks of the Rio Grande opposite the much larger Mexican town of Ojinaga, Presidio has three motels and a supermarket. Despite its unimpressive appearance, it offers several all-day road and mountain bike rides. (*M. Three Palms Inn, N side on Biz' 67,two-story, parking near, also has six large, slightly-older park-at-door units, moderate rates, 432-229-3211. Others: Riata Inn Motel, 1 m N on US67, one story, at-door parking, new, medium rates, 432-229-2528.)
Ride 5: SHAFTER GHOST TOWN--road bike. Cycle north from Presidio on US67 and you're headed for an exhiliarating 26-mile (42 kms) ride that climbs to Shafter ghost town and continues to huge Elephant Rock and the lonely entrance to Cibolo Creek Ranch. You return the same way, a 52-mile (84 kms) roundtrip ride on a well-paved two-lane road with 4-feet wide shoulders. Trucks, vans and cars do pass, but not too many, especially between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
From Presidio, you begin with a 12-mile (19 kms) climb followed by a 7-mile (11 kms) descent to the ghost town of Shafter beside the highway. Until 1942, Shafter was a thriving mining town. Any road bike can travel its unpaved streets. A massive church and some houses still remain. Some people still live here. But most of Shafter is a place of memories and crumbling walls. During my 2006 visit I was pleasantly surprised to find the huge cemetary had been cleared of overgrowth and brush, revealing a hundred or more primitive graves, many unmarked but for a pile of rocks but all now identified by a simple white cross; the nearby Historic Site is filled with early day photos of this frontier mining town.
Back on US67, the road winds uphill to a massive rock that resembles an elephant's hindquarters, then continues to the entrance to Cibolo Creek Ranch, founded in the 1850s by pioneer rancher Milton Faver. The return ride provides distant views of Presidio, Ojinaga and the mountains of Mexico.
RIDE 6: RUIDOSA-CANDELARIA--road bike. Cycle northwest from Presidio on TX170 and you're guaranteed an almost traffic-free ride on a narrow, paved road that winds past mountains and ruined adobe houses to a pair of tiny villages on the Mexican border. It's 37 miles (59 kms) to Ruidosa, the first village. Beside a ruined adobe mission church, you'll find a store with water, soft drinks and snacks (check that it's still open before pedaling this far). Ride another 11 miles (18 kms) on a fairly level road and you come to Candelaria, a picturesque adobe village huddled around a catholic church and one-room schoolhouse. Thus it's 48 miles (77 kms) to the end of the road, making a roundtrip of 96 miles (154 kms).
That's a long ride especially if you encounter a headwind on the return. However, there's a way to cycle 50 miles (80 kms) on this same road without ever being more than an hour's ride from your car. Here's how,
Drive to Ruidosa and park at the store. Cycle to Candelaria and back, a distance of 22 miles. (35 kms). Then ride east towards Presidio for 14 miles (22 kms) and return to your car. The total distance is 50 miles (80 kms). Ruidosa is also starting point for Ride 7.
The only overnight accommodation near Ruidosa is Chinati Hot Springs, six miles north of Ruidosa by a signed but fairly smooth unpaved road. You can get there by car or mountain bike but not by road bike. This secluded, rustic cabin resort has hot baths but you must bring your own food; communal kitchen facilities are available. For more info, click on its website Chinati Hot Springs. Make sure it is open before going. Frankly, the current website is not overly informative which is a pity because this place is a real Shangri-La. We believe the phone number is 432-229-4165.
RIDE 7: PINTO CANYON--mountain bike. Pinto Canyon offers a strenuous off-road ride of 36 miles (58 kms) roundtrip--up, and then back down, a steep mountain canyon. Start by driving to Ruidosa and park near the store. Nearby, a sign on TX170 points north up a steep dirt road and announces "FM 2810 to Marfa". For 18 miles (29 kms), unpaved FM2810 threads its way up, to and through Pinto Canyon to emerge onto an escarpment called the Rimrock. Here FM 2810 is paved for the remaining 32 miles (51 kms) to Marfa. I suggest turning around when you hit the paving--or sooner if you prefer--and returning down the canyon to Ruidosa and your car. There is only one turn-off, a dirt road that branches left to Chinati Hot Springs. If open, the springs may offer overnight accommodation (see its website in Ride 6) . Neither water nor shelter exists in Pinto Canyon and normally, you're unlikely to meet more than half-a-dozen vehicles.
From Ruidosa, you climb steadily for 9 miles (14 kms) before dropping into Pinto Canyon. The narrow road then cuts between rugged mountains walls. Finally, it heads steeply up to the Rimrock. En route, you may see herds of wild javelina pigs while antelope are common up on the Rimrock.
Tip: Bystaying overnight at Chinati Hot Springs, you could probably ride from Marfa to Presidio via Pinto Canyon
RIDE 8: BIG BEND RANCH STATE PARK--mountain bike. You begin this ride through Big Bend Ranch State Park by driving from Presidio to the park gate, a distance of about 20 miles (32 kms), half of it on a graded county road. En route, stop in at Fort Leaton State Historic Area and pick up a park entry permit (around $6 a day). Drive through the gate into the Park and park your car. Then get out your bike and start riding. It's 20 miles (32 kms) on a smoothly-graded road to park headquarters at Sauceda (water, bunks, tent camping, food). En route, you may see several loop rides open to bicycling. And other bike-able rides lead out from the ranch itself. Try to schedule your visit on a weekday when other visitors are fewer. You return the same way. Some single-track trails are open to cycling in the park. For more info on this state park, click on its website Big Bend Ranch State Park.
A busy mining town until 1970, Study Butte is now home to many fugitives from the big city rat race who enjoy the frontier flavor. At the gateway to Big Bend National Park, Study Butte has two motels, cafes, a foodstore and an interesting Natural Foods store and coffee shop. Four miles west on TX170 (wide shoulders) is Terlingua ghost town, another former mining town and site of Desert Sports bike shop and a dinner theater. Between them, these communities offer no fewer than 8 road and off-road bike rides. (*M. Chisos Mining Company Motel, Highway 170, 432-371-2254--least expensive here, one story, well maintained and ideal for cyclists; no room phones, <www.cmcm.cc>, has cheaper units in rear. Others: Mission Lodge Motel, OK, medium priced, 432-371-2218, also has tent sites.).
Study Butte's business district
clustered below rugged peaks
RIDE 9: TO LONGHORN RANCH MOTEL--road bike. Begin this ride from your Study Butte motel. Head straight north on TX118, smoothly-paved with wide shoulders, and immediately you begin a steady climb into the rugged Christmas Mountains. For 9 miles (14 kms) you climb steadily, with East Terlingua Ranch on your right and West Terlingua Ranch on your left. Signs identify some mountains but with a topo map you can identify many more. Being able to recognize landmarks like Hen Egg, Packsaddle and Willow Peak Mountains can be a real asset when cycling the back country.
Stone gates with numbers are entry roads to Terlingua Ranch. Number 9 marks the Ament Lake Road (Ride 12 ). At Mile 12 you reach Longhorn Ranch Motel and Restaurant, which may close out-of-season. If open, it may have a soft drink machine; and it could be used as an overnight stop by anyone cycling from Lajitas or Chisos Basin to Alpine (something to consider if you want to shorten the 7-day road tour outlined earlier).
Three miles north of the motel, a county road branches right and leads to Terlingua Ranch headquarters and Terlingua Ranch Lodge (432-371-2541 or 2133), 16 miles (26 kms) west. The first 13 miles are now paved and this is the way to drive to Terlingua Ranch but the final 3 miles were still recently unpaved and could not be traversed by road bikes. North of Longhorn Ranch Motel, the terrain flattens and you can ride on 118 as far as you like before returning the same way to Study Butte. (You may not want to do this ride if you also plan to take Ride 10.)
For an easier ride, drive with your bike in your car to Longhorn Ranch Lodge and cycle to Terlingua Ranch Lodge and back, about 32 miles roundtrip without any major hills. The final 3 unpaved miles to Terlingua Ranch may be paved soon, adding an additional six miles.
RIDE 10:COUNTY ROAD-HEN EGG MOUNTAIN LOOP--mountain bike . Looping through a rugged corner of West Terlingua Ranch, this graded County Road roller-coasters across a vast expanse of mountains, canyons, washes and eroded foothills and cliffs. The road is all public but the land on both sides is private. Most intersections are signed (but signs could be defaced or stolen by vandals). As you go along, you'll find that County Road becomes known in turn as: Solitario South County Road; Solitario Salt Grass Draw Road; Solitario Herman's Peak Road; Herman's Peak Road; and finally Hen Egg Road. Cycling this daylong 43-mile loop is a splendid way to familiarize yourself with the area and its landmarks.
From your Study Butte motel, head west for 3 miles (5 kms) on paved TX170 (wide shoulders) and branch right on to a wide, well graded dirt road usually signed as "Solitario South County Road". For the next 30 miles (48 kms) you ride this unpaved County Road. So head generally north and disregard any obvious turn-offs. Soon, the dome-shaped peak of Hen Egg Mountain appears far ahead and if you have a topo map, you can check your position with compass bearings from this landmark.
Snaking across salt flats, through canyons and over hills, County Road gradually curves around to the right. At about 20 miles (32 kms) from TX170 it becomes one lane wide, is called Hen Egg Road, and crosses a shallow, muddy creek. The steep rocky mass of Hen Egg Mountain now thrusts skywards on your left. And for the next few miles, Hen Egg (County) Road climbs through low canyons to finally emerge on TX118 about 1.5 miles south of Longhorn Ranch Motel (and its restaurant, usually open).
Here you turn right and ride downhill on the wide shoulder of TX118 back through the Christmas Mountains to Study Butte and your motel. This 11-mile (18 kms) section is identical with the road described in Ride 9. Because this ride takes you far from the beaten track, I suggest letting someone know where you have gone. At every intersection mark, your return route with cairns or arrows so you could find your way back out.
RIDE 11: SAWMILL MOUNTAIN LOOP--mountain bike. This strenuous 20-mile (32 kms) loop takes you on unmarked bulldozed roads through a wild and rugged section of West Terlingua Ranch. Part of the return route follows the County Road (Ride 10). If you have already ridden Ride 10, you'll have a good idea of the terrain and landmarks of Ride 11. Four topo maps cover the area and while they don't show all the roads, they could be useful for identifying mountains, creeks and other landmarks. In the 7.5 quad series, they are "Terlingua", "Amarillo Mountain", "Yellow Hill" and "Hen Egg" and they should be available at the store in Terlingua. Except on County Road, there are no signs and for several hours you and your bike are swallowed up in the silence.
Start by cycling 4.5 miles (7 kms) west from Study Butte to Terlingua ghost town on the wide shoulder of TX170. Then take the steep dirt road that climbs north out of Terlingua. Disregard side roads and head generally north. Soon, Sawmill Mountain (3,797' or 1,158 m) appears on your right. As the road weaves up and down, it becomes quite rough at times.
Stunning vistas open as you climb out of Sawmill Canyon and you cross eroded badlands towards the huge distant bulk of Hen Egg Mountain. Sawmill Road then plunges into another canyon, passes an old-timer's cabin marked "Hilton" with a reversed N, then enters a T-junction (*X*) with unmarked Tanque Tierra Road. Turn right and follow Tanque Tierra Road across a steep, eroded canyon to another T-junction, this time with County Road. On the signpost here, County Road is called "Solitario Herman's Peak Road". (This is all explained in Ride 10.) Turn right here and pedal generally downhill for 11 miles (18 kms) back to TX170. It's 3 miles (5 kms) east back to Study Butte. Or, as many cyclists do, you can cycle 1.5 miles west to Terlingua and enjoy an after-ride drink on the porch of Terlingua Trading Post.
Once you're familiar with the region's landmarks, you can add an 11-mile (18 kms) extension around Yellow Hill. To do so, refer back to the junction marked (*X*) in the previous paragraph. Turn left here (instead of right) and follow unmarked and unidentified Blue Ridge Road around Yellow Hill to a T-junction where it meets the County Road (identified on the road sign as "Herman's Peak Road"). Turn right here and head generally downhill on County Road back to TX170.
If at any time in this area you have any difficulty finding the route, turn around and follow your cairns or markers back to Terlingua. Do not ride through a single intersection or junction without clearly marking the way back.
RIDE 12: LAKE AMENT ROAD TO TERLINGUA RANCH--mountain bike. Lake Ament Road is a spectacular one-lane dirt road that winds for 11 miles (18 kms) through the saw-toothed Christmas Mountains from Highway 118 to Terlingua Ranch Lodge. From the ranch, you could loop back to TX118 by the fairly level County Road, a ride of 16-miles. In 2006, 13 miles of this two-lane road had been paved and the remaining 3 miles of dirt should be paved soon. Alternatively, you could return same Lake Ament Road that you came on--experiencing this superbly scenic and virtually car-free road a second time.
If you like, you can ride your mountain bike from Study Butte up the long 9-mile (14 kms) hill on TX118 to where the Lake Ament Road begins at Terlingua Ranch Gate 9. The Lake Ament ride then adds 22 more miles (35 kms). Or you could drive to Gate 9 and park inside the gate. Or you could drive to Longhorn Ranch Motel and cycle back about two miles to Gate 9.
From Gate 9, the narrow dirt road climbs steeply over a mountain ridge and down to a basin. Here Lake Ament is impounded by a dam. Surprisingly smooth and with little gravel, the road twists and climbs over mountain passes then descends past a windmill to a T-junction. Turn right here and it's just another mile to Terlingua Ranch Lodge, a quiet retreat with cabins, RV and tent camping, a bunkhouse, and a cafe with swimming pool; 432-371-2416, <www.terlinguaranch.com), 32 units, some with connecting doors, cafe is closed Su, Mo, Tu, Wed. If you like, you could stay overnight; or perhaps have lunch
Assuming you cycle back the same way, you pass the Matterhorn-shaped cone of West Corazone Mountain and descend the long, steep hill back to TX118. Altogether it's 22 miles (35 kms) roundtrip from Gate 9, 26 miles (42 kms) from Longhorn Ranch Motel, and 42 miles (67 kms) from and back to Study Butte.
RIDE 13: TO SANTA ELENA CANYON ON OLD MAVERICK ROAD--mountain bike. Starting near the west entrance of Big Bend National Park, Old Maverick Road winds gradually downhill for 13 miles (20 kms) to emerge on a paved park highway near the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon. Unpaved but with few grades, this two-lane road traverses harsh, barren hills. . .a land that a century ago was green with natural grasses and with fields of grain and vegetables. But overgrazing destroyed it all. Nowadays, the road may still be washboarded, which discourages motor vehicles, but bikes can usually avoid most of the ripples as well as the gravel which the Park Service insists in spreading on unpaved roads.
At Mile 7 (11 kms), you pass the "jacal" or Mexican style house, of pioneer farmer Gilberto Luna who raised vegetables here until he died in 1947 at age 109. And at Mile 10.3 (16 kms), a short side road leads to the remains of Terlingua Abaja village. As with all park roads, it is clearly signed and easy to follow.
Ahead lies the towering mountain wall of Terlingua Fault, split by a huge gash that is Santa Elena Canyon. Old Maverick Road ends at a paved park highway just a short distance from Santa Elena Canyon. You can leave your bike here and walk through this beautiful river canyon on foot.
In the opposite direction, the paved road runs east for 7 miles (11 kms) to Castolon Campground (water) and a mile beyond to Castolon Store (soft drinks, snacks). In any case, you return to Study Butte by the same route that you came by.
From Study Butte, it's a mere 5 miles (8 kms) by paved road to the start of Old Maverick Road. If you drive, parking exists. But most cyclists prefer to ride their mountain bikes to and from Old Maverick Road and many go as far as Castolon Store and back to Study Butte in a day.
Strong riders may turn this out-and-back ride into a loop tour thus. Start early and bike or drive to Old Maverick Road parking area. Then continue east on the paved but shoulderless park road for 13 miles (21 kms) to Santa Elena Junction. Turn right here and cycle gradually downhill for 22 miles (35 kms) on the shoulderless but aptly-named Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to Castolon Campground and Store. From here, it's another fairly level 8 paved miles (13 kms) to Santa Elena Canyon Overlook. From here on, you return on the unpaved Old Maverick Road as described above. It's best to start early and ride DOWN Ross Maxwell Drive to avoid some of the RV traffic which appears later in the day. You could, of course, tent camp overnight at Castolon Campground.
RIDE 14: TOWARDS MARISCAL MINE ON BLACK GAP ROAD--mountain bike. Traversing a starkly beautiful but waterless, uninhabited and rarely-patrolled corner of Big Bend National Park, this 4-wheel drive road offers a full day of vigorous cycling for most mountain bikers. Though it eventually leads to Mariscal Mine, only the strongest riders get this far. Most wisely turn around after cycling 15 miles (24 kms) at the intersection of Elephant Tusk Trail. While the roundtrip of only 30 miles (48 kms) doesn't seem far, be aware that the return ride includes climbing an elevation gain of 1,000' (305 m) on a rough dirt road.
To reach Black Gap Road from Study Butte, drive east through the National Park to Panther Junction Visitor Center and continue east on the paved highway towards Rio Grande Village. Thirty miles (48 kms) from Study Butte, a sign points right to Glenn Springs Road. There's a parking area down this road but personally, I prefer to park half-a-mile farther down the paved highway at Chihuahua Desert Lookout. It has space for only two cars. Then cycle back to Glenn Springs Road.
You ride Glenn Springs Road for 9 miles (14 kms) as it curves below the great crags of the Chisos Mountains and drops down a series of low, rock ledges into the ghost town of Glenn Springs. Once a thriving frontier community, Glenn Springs was raided in 1916 by 70 mounted Mexican bandits. You can still see the ruins and the crude wooden crosses in the cemetary.
Black Gap Road branches right here, a jeep trail so rough and deeply-eroded that even 4x4 drivers hesitate to tackle it. Even so, it presents few problems to experienced mountain bikers. Or you could walk it. Plunging down the rocky "Gap" the trail winds on through badlands and canyons to the Elephant Tusk Trailhead. A foot trail leads to the sheer-sided mass of Elephant Tusk Mountain which looms above the desert.
Most riders turn back here because, from here on, deep gravel covers the road. However, strong, well-equipped riders may prefer to continue another 7 miles (11 kms) to Mariscal Mine, a former quicksilver mine and smelter with many buildings still intact. Once here, it's possible to cycle another ten miles (16 kms), partly through deep gravel, to the junction of Glenn Springs Road, then to cycle north up Glenn Springs Road to the turn-off for Black Gap Road and on up to where your car is parked (follow your map). Total distance this way is 47 miles (76 kms) and again I repeat, it should be attempted only by strong, experienced and well-equipped riders. Caution: in 2006 I found considerable gravel on Glenn Springs Road.
Crude wooden crosses mark
graves of victims of a Mexican bandit
raid on Glenn Springs in 1916
RIDE 15: TO MARISCAL MINE VIA RIVER ROAD--mountain bike. This is an easier way to reach Mariscal Mine but requires a longer drive to the starting point. From Study Butte, drive east on the paved park highway to Panther Junction Visitor Center then continue east past Glenn Springs Road to where a sign on the right says, "River Road." Drive down River Road to a parking area on the left. To get here from Study Butte requires a one-hour drive of 45 miles (75 kms), though it's only 5 miles (8 kms) from Rio Grand Village Campground.
Well marked, smooth and level, River Road heads southeast past the massive rock wall of San Vicente Mountain in Mexico. On across wide salt flats and over slickrock surfaces, you cycle past the junction of Glenn Springs Road to Mile 16 (26 kms). Deep, loose gravel then covers the final 4 miles (6.5 kms) to Mariscal Mine. Most 1.95" tires provide sufficient flotation to ride on the gravel but pedalling is quite strenuous.
At Mile 20 (32 kms), a foot trail leads to Mariscal Mine. The smelter and other buildings are still intact and you can explore them on foot. You return the same way, a roundtrip of 40 miles (64 kms) on an unpaved road with light traffic that usually takes 7-8 hours. Caution: in 2006 I found considerable gravel on River Road.
Tip: cyclists pedaling Rides 15 or 16 could tent camp overnight at Rio Grande Village Campground in Big Bend National Park (432-477-2251).
RIDE 16: OLD ORE ROAD--mountain bike. This moderately-strenuous out-and-back ride takes you into the high desert of Big Bend National Park--through canyons and past the towering limestone cliffs of Alta Relex--to an isolated region settled by a pioneering family in the early 1900s.
To drive here from Study Butte, follow the same route as in Ride 15 to River Road, then continue another 1.5 miles down the highway to where Old Ore Road branches off to the left. Drive on a short distance to a highway tunnel. Just before reaching the tunnel, park on a paved parking area on the right. Then cycle back a short distance to Old Ore Road. Or you can park a short distance up Old Ore Road.
Well-signed and with few turn-offs, unpaved Old Ore Road heads north over a hill to Mile 5 (8 kms). Here, a side road leads right for half-a-mile to Ernst Tinaja, a natural rock water tank in a canyon and well worth seeing. Few cars continue north of here. At Mile 7 (11 kms), Old Ore Road winds up a long narrow canyon. You will now be riding the original road used to haul ore from Mexico to Marathon. At Mile 12 (19 kms), you begin to ride under the high cliffs of Alta Relex and they parallel your route almost to Telephone Canyon at Mile 15 (24 kms).
Depending on conditions and your ability, I suggest turning around between Miles 15 and 20 (24 and 32 kms) and returning. Beyond here, the land was settled by the McKinney family in the early 1900s and you pass the remains of their ranch house, corral and wax-gathering operations. Finally, the road drops into McKinney Canyon (back country camping).
At this point, the average intermediate rider should turn around and head back to the car. Depending how far you go, you will enjoy a 30-40 miles (48-64 kms) ride past endless panoramas into a region of Big Bend Park where even few Texans have ever ventured.
RIDE 17: STILLWELL'S RANCH TO LA LINDA, MEXICO--road bike. It's 64 miles (102 kms) by paved road from Study Butte to Stillwell's Ranch, start of this ride. But anyone willing to drive this far can cycle for 22 miles (35 kms) down scenic paved road FM2627 to the Rio Grande River. Here, on the U.S. side of the river, I found Heath Canyon Guest Ranch with rooms, bunkhouse, TV and tent camping, and a tiny cafe with Mexican food (432-376-2235). The ranch caters to canoeists who travel downriver through Boquillas Canyon. In fact, a few small trucks hauling canoes constituted most of the traffic I met during my 44-mile (70 kms) roundtrip ride.
To reach Stillwell's Ranch, drive to Panther Junction Visitor Center in Big Bend National Park, then take the park highway north for 31 miles to the junction of FM2627. Drive six miles east on FM2627 to Stillwell's Ranch (432-376-2244). Here a small store and showers serve the ranch's RV and tent campers. Beside the store is Hallie Stillwell's Hall of Fame Museum, displaying relics and memorabilia of early ranch life, and honoring pioneer ranchwoman Hallie Stillwell who was born in 1897. "Miss Hallie" was still at the ranch the first time I cycled here.
From the ranch, you cycle 22 miles down paved and shoulderless FM2627, through wild desert and mountain country to La Linda. You return the same way. It's all downhill to the river and all uphill on the return--an elevation gain of 1,000' (304 m). FM2627 formerly led over a bridge across the Rio Grande to the village of La Linda in Mexico. But since 9/11, crossing the border here has been illegal.
TERLINGUA GHOST TOWN: pop 125, altitude 2,500' (750m)
Don't miss this famous ghost town, located beside FM170 just 5 miles west of Study Butte (FM170 has 4-feet wide shoulders from Study Butte to Terlingua and Lajitas). Originally a mining camp for the region's mercury mines, Terlingua became a ghost town when the mines closed down in the 1940s. But big city refugees and artists rediscovered it in the 1970s. And though it remains a picturesque place of crumbling adobe walls, many tumbledown ruins have been converted into hillside homes, the Starlight Theater flourishes next to the Terlingua Trading Company' Store (local maps and books), and there's a restaurant and overnight accommodations. Tip: it's only 4 miles by bike to the more affordable Chisos Mining Company Motel, east on FM170. (M. El Dorado, two-story motel, some at-door parking, medium rates 432-371-2111, www.eldoradohotelterlinguatx.com>. Good for a splurge is the romantic La Posada Milagro, in center, 432-371-3044 or 432-386-6496.)
Half a mile east on FM170 is Desert Sports, Big Bend's only bike repair and rental bike shop, run by veteran outdoorsman and mountain biker Mike Long. Mike can also arrange self-guided canoeing trips and other outdoor recreation trips. 432-371-2727.
In conclusion: all over the Big Bend Country, desert cactus and other plants burst into bright red, white, blue and yellow flowers after a rain. And roads are lined with spindly ocotillo, tall century plants, yuccas and other desert flora, most of which bloom in season.
Schematic Route Map--Not to
Scale