Big Bend Country, Texas travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

Big Bend Country is a region in Texas. It is also referred to as the Big Bend region.

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: Nov–Mar. Summer highs reach about 104°F; winter lows dip to about 36°F. Very hot (Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jul and Sep. (climate data from nearby Big Bend National Park)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
MAF Midland International Air and Space Port, Midland — 142 mi away. Directions
ELP El Paso International Airport, El Paso — 236 mi away (major hub). Directions

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Sample 3-day trip

Day 1: Del Rio — Whitehead Memorial Museum, Amistad National Recreation Area, The Firehouse.
Day 2: Trans-Pecos — Wet'n'Wild Waterworld.
Day 3: Permian Basin — explore the town.

Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.

Photos

Places in Big Bend Country

Del Rio

City / town · 21 listings

Trans-Pecos

Region · 1 listings

Permian Basin

Region

Understand

The Big Bend area of Texas represents one of the last vestiges of open frontier that once encompassed the entire state. Outside of the major cities the area is largely unmolested by development; one can experience a small taste of what the unexplored state once resembled. Geography varies widely, from wide open prairie grasslands, to vast desert expanses. Far western Texas is quite mountainous; it is home to Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas. The flatlands of the Permian Basin remain a center for petroleum production for the US. The wildlife is also representative of an outsider's expectation; during the daytime hours it is not unusual to see a roadrunner or armadillo wandering alongside the road, and at night the far away wail of a coyote is commonplace.

Far western Texas, in contrast to the eastern portion, is quite sparsely populated. For example, Loving County, which is on the New Mexico state line, is the least populous county in the United States, claiming a mere 56 residents. Brewster County, in the Big Bend, is larger in land area than the state of Rhode Island yet is home to only slightly more than 6,000 residents; over 4,000 of whom live in the county seat of Alpine. Keep in mind when vacationing in the area that towns and cities are often a hundred or so miles apart, so embarking on a drive in the open Big Bend country without a full tank of gas and necessary provisions is not advised.

Regions

Permian Basin

Grassy oil-drilling region extending west to the Pecos River.

Trans-Pecos

West of the Pecos river, a large sweeping area that is part of the Chihuahua Desert.

Cities

Alpine
Del Rio
El Paso
Fort Davis
Marathon
Marfa
Midland-Odessa
Lajitas
Presidio

Other destinations

Big Bend National Park
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Hueco Tanks State Historic Site
Monahans Sandhills State Park

Get in

Del Rio International Airport (DRT) at Del Rio.
El Paso International Airport (ELP) at El Paso.
Midland International Airport (MAF) at Midland, considered the gateway to the Big Bend region.
San Angelo Regional Airport (SJT) at San Angelo.
There is also an airport for private planes at Lajitas.

Get around

As stated before, cities and towns are few and far between. There are two major interstate highways which cross the area, I-10 and I-20, but most of the remaining roadways are two-lane blacktop and tend to be quite desolate. These highways are fairly easily navigable and are for the most part paved, so a full tank of gas and a map or GPS should suffice in keeping a visitor to the area on track.