Big Bend, Lajitas, and Ft. Davis, TX

scottyb

Well-known member
We can't wait until racing season starts to try out the new TV, so we decided to take a much overdue trip to the Big Bend area. We will leave on 4/6 and return on 4/14. I spent much of my youth with my grandparents and relatives along the Rio Grande in the 60's and 70's. Wow! It's been over 30 years. I have no doubt that it has changed tremendously since I was last there in the late 70's, and prior to any developement. Just curious about peoples findings and comments on more recent trips. Any special places of interest, hiking, 4 wheeling, rafting, horseback riding?
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
With that big rig of yours, you'll probably have to stay in the village at Big Bend. One section there has electric, but it is like camping in a parking lot. We always take generators and stay in the park. They have flush toilets, water spotted around the campground and a dump station. Have fun because it should be great this time of year and you will just be missing the spring breakers.
 

scottyb

Well-known member
Yeah, I was afraid that i would never be able to get it into some of the places we used to tow the 24' TT's. We camped at the foot of the Mariscal Canyon on several trips. Each morning we loaded the 1 and 2 man rafts and drove around the mountain to the head of the canyon, then floated through the canyon, back to camp. I can remember being in there for a week and never seeing a park ranger or another person, for that matter. It was an incredibvle experience that i would love to relive, but I think we will be limited how far off the beaten path we can get with this rig.
 

scottyb

Well-known member
Our itinerary is set. We will start off with 3 nights at Rio Grande Village in the park w/o hookups. The asphalt parking lot didn't look very appealing so we will be boondocking. We plan to drive some of the jeep trails in the Mule, check out the Chisos basin, do some hiking, and possibly do a canoe trip. I want to drive the river road to Solis and Talley and probably check out Cottonwood Park and the Santa Elena Canyon on the way to Lajitas.

Then it's 3 nights in Lajitas at the Maverick Ranch RV Park. We plan to tour Big Bend Ranch SP and drive the River Road toward Redford. There's a slot canyon (Closed Canyon) I want to visit where my grandparents and I used to take picnic lunches then take naps, in the heat of the day, because of the shade and cool breezes. There was a spring across the road from the old Trading Post (the only form of civilization for miles) where we filled our water jugs. I would like to see if I can find it, if it is still accessible. There was also a shelled out rock house just off the highway and along the river bank that we used for a base camp site. That was when I was very young. Lots of memories of the Lajitas area.

On the way out, we are stopping at Davis Mountains State Park for 2 nights. They have sites to accommodate big rigs with full hookups. I was only there a couple times, but remember how cool (temps) it was. It was a summer getaway for people in west Texas. Now it's time to de-wintwrize and prepare the rig. I have a couple small projects to complete on it before leaving.
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
Sounds good. If you can fill up before you get into the park because when I was there last spring fuel was 4.75 a gallon. The only fuel there is a single station near the park headquarters. I have a fifty gallon tank so I was ok. I think I filled up at Fort Stockton or Marathon.
 

scottyb

Well-known member
Funny you should mention that. I was just remembering one of my trips there as a teen, when I was on fumes by the time I got back to civilization, and it was late at night. A Titan fuel tank is being installed in my truck at this moment. I will top off in Marathon.
 
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