Big Bend Ranch State Park

29 galleries

The ultimate Texas getaway - Big Bend Ranch State Park (BBRSP) is where you go when even Big Bend National Park seems too crowded . The 311,000 acre ranch was purchased by the state in 1989 and only fully open to the public in 2007. Its interior headquarters at Sauceda Ranch is reached by a 27 mile dirt road that filters out all but the most dedicated visitors. Dirt roads, bike and hiking trails and exquisitely remote campsites are the hallmark of Big Bend Ranch State Park.

The paved River Road section of the park along TH 170 from Presidio to Lajitas is one of the most memorable drives in Texas - and especially popular for bikers in the spring and fall.

Get information and maps and plan ahead at the Texas Parks and Wildlife website: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/big-bend-ranch

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Cacti

81 images

Big Bend Ranch State Park home to a wide range of cactus of the Chihuahuan Desert. Spring is the prime time for flowers, each in their own time.
Cinco Tinajas

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Precious water is held in a chain of Cinco Tinajas near the head of Leyva Creek. These waterholes provide reliable water for wildlife, birds and insects for much of the year and are replenished by a small spring.
Closed Canyon

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Closed Canyon trail takes you into a narrow slot canyon on an easy 1.4 mile out and back hike. It drains into the Rio Grande / Rio Bravo del Norte which can only be reached by a technical climb down to river level. It's cool in the summer time compared to the surrounding area.
Contrabando Movie Set

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The Contrabando Movie sat sits along the Rio Grande / Rio Bravo del Norte near the base of Fresno Creek. Constructed for the film 'Uphill all the Way' in 1985, it was later used for several additional productions including 'Lone Star' and 'Streets of Laredo.' Severe flooding in 2008 caused damage to most of the set - leading to its demolition in 2015 for safety reasons. Only the Casita building remains as shown in the more recent photos.
Crawford-Smith Ranch

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Ruins of the Crawford-Smith Ranch give quite testament to the will and determination of early ranching families in the Big Bend area - and to the life giving water supplies that nourished them and allowed production of fruits and vegetables along with livestock. Ranch buildings remain as well as a spring in a canyon to the west of the ranch which continues to flow - until it simply runs into the alluvial sands of Fresno Creek.
Flatirons of the Solitario

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Dramatic flatiron formations dominate the southwest edge of the Solitario - a collapsed laccolith eight miles in diameter. As it giant lava dome thrust up, it shattered and deformed the rock layers above in a circular pattern - forming the flatirons and canyons familiar today. It then collapsed leaving the much more gentle hills of the inner Solitario. See photos of the Flatirons under the Fresno Canyon galleries.
Fresno Canyon Overlook

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Fresno Canyon is a significant drainage to the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo river that has a rich history of ranching and mining. It border the western edge of the Solitario and now features an extensive network of trails for horseback, hiking and biking in some of the most remote countryside in Texas.
Fresno Canyon Road

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Fresno Canyon Road reaches from La Posta's volcanic peak down to the Crawford-Smith Ranch. The 4WD road alternates between rocky hillsides and the sandy wash of Fresno Creek. Along the way are trails to Manos Arriba, Righthand Shutup, Los Portales and several remote roads and campsites including the Rincon sites which offer great views of the Flatirons of the Solitario.
Guale Mesa

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Guale Mesa is a vast high plateau in the central region of Big Bend Ranch State Park. Water tanks, pipes and spigots remain from the days when ranching was a way of life on the mesa. Rancherias and Tapado Canyons drop away to the south, exposing the rich valley of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte with the mountains of Mexico beyond.
HooDoos Trail

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Along the River Road section of Big Bend Ranch State Park, easy trails reach to HooDoos near the edge of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte.
Landscapes

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Saudeco Ranch, 27 miles in on a dirt road , is the park headquarters for the vast 311,000 acre Big Bend Ranch State Park. In addition to the ranger station, you'll find a small store with books, maps, snacks and ice. There are no groceries or gas - plan ahead and bring what you need. Across the yard is a bunkhouse that sleeps 30, with men and women on opposite sides. Car and 4WD campsites are located through out the park as well as remote campsites for backpacking.
Las Cuevas Historic Site

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The Las Cuevas historic site is located along the main Big Bend Ranch road near the crossing of Bofecillos Creek. It shows extensive habitation dating back 3,000 years.
Lava Escondito Spring

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Pictographs highlight the hike to Lava Escondito Spring off the Cinco Tenajas Trailhead. Under a protective rock shelter is a wall of ancient artwork along with nearby grinding stones and other artifacts. The area is near a spring and creek offering precious water and protective shelter. La Mota Mesa is nearby, offering a highly visible landmark for the area.
Lefthand Shutup

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Lefthand Shutup drains the Solitario to the east, passing through countless geologic layers in its two to three mile range.
Leyva Creek

30 images

Leyva Creek runs to the northwest in central Big Bend Ranch State Park. It offers excellent horseback and hiking access and has many seasonal water holes or tinajas. Here are a selection of photos from a spring hike when the tinajas had precious water and the cottonwoods were beautifully green.
Longhorns

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Los Portales

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Marked by a series of caves, Los Portales offers a drainage pathway into the Solitario from Fresno Creek with a dramatic limestone creekbed at the entrance.
Manos Arriba

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Possibly 1,000 to 2,000 years old, the handprints at Maños Arriba are testament to ancient Native Americans who lived in these lands near the life giving waters of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo.
McGuirk's Tanks

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McGuirk's Tanks provided a water basin on the western side of the Solitario for livestock. The campsite sits below a small rise that gives great views of the surrounding hills of the interior Solitario. It is a good location for hiking the Outer Solitario Loop and Righthand Shutup.
Ojito Adentro Spring

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Remote Ojito Adentro Spring provides a reliable water source in the parched Big Bend Ranch State Park. A short desert hike and rock scramble reward the hiker with a quiet grotto with dripping water and growing ferns.
Righthand Shutup

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Righthand Shutup is one of the major drainages of the Solitario. Hiking through is like walking through the layers of geologic time. The name 'shutup' comes from the description of a narrow and relatively closed canyon where cattle could be 'shutup' with relatively little fencing across the mouth.
Rio Grande / Rio Bravo

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Big Bend Ranch State Park's River Road traces the Rio Grande / Rio Bravo del Norte from Fort Leaton, near Presidio, to the Barton Warnock Visitor Center near Lajitas. The river offers a precious lifeline in the Chihuahuan Desert that has brought people together for over 10,000 years.
River Road

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Big Bend Ranch State Park includes the River Road, one of the most scenic drives in Texas as it follows the Rio Grande / Rio Bravo del Norte from Presidio to Lajitas. Highlights include Fort Leaton, Closed Canyon, the Contraboando Movie set ruins, close up access to the river and the Barton Warnock Visitor Center near Lajitas. The well known Big Hill climbs to an iconic view of the river as it flows through the rough Colorado Canyon.
Road To Nowhere

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Where else but in the middle of the Solitario would you find the Road to Nowhere - a 2.2 mile out and back track built by prospectors and then abandoned. In addition to spectacular vistas of the central Solitario it features the NOWHERE sign and the OTHER SIDE OF NOWHERE sign on its back. Selfies required!
Sauceda Ranch

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Headquarters for the interior section of Big Bend Ranch State Park is Sauceda Ranch, a sprawling complex that served as the home for the largest ranch in the area. After a stint as a hunting lodge, the bunkrooms and dining room facilities are available for park visitors. They offer a comfortable stay in one of the most remote areas of Texas.
Solitario

7 images

From the air, Solitario looks like a giant impact crater eight miles in diameter. It is actually a collapsed laccolith or volcanic dome that thrust hundreds of millions of years worth of rock upward, creating a ragged ring. It then collapsed, leaving a center of rolling hills surrounded by rugged canyons and flatirons.
Tres Papolotes

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Tres Papolotes - Three Windmills - attest to the importance of this location as a watersource within the Solitario during the ranching days. A large tank remains full, powered by a solar pump, to provide for wildlife in the area and as a reminder of its historic importance. The campsite includes tables with overhead shade - and the luxury of a pit toilet. The location serves as a trailhead to the Lower Shutup and several mines and other trails including the Road To Nowhere.
Wildflowers

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Big Bend Ranch State Park encompasses two distinct regions and ecosystems. The River Road from Presidio to Lajitas closely follows the Rio Grande / Rio Bravo del Norte and includes floodplains, farm fields and riparian habitats. The vast interior section includes a variety of desert habitats ranging from river level at 2,300 feet to the Oso Mountains at 5,135 feet. BBRSP can magically bloom when the spring rains are just right.
Winter

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Al Braden Photographer