Terlingua
Campground
Paisano Village RV Park & Inn
This was a very nice place that we called home for a couple weeks. The owners have done a nice job making improvements and even expanding across the road. The bathroom is worth commenting on; it is a combination bathroom and walk-in shower with tile from floor to ceiling and they really keep it clean!
Things to see
Big Bend National Park
Be aware that there are NO dog-friendly hiking trails in this national park.
Go to the hot springs. We walked across the Rio Grande (really, about 20 feet and knee deep this time of year) and bought a plate of tacos from a very friendly Mexican family for $10.
We also recommend the Fossil Discovery Exhibit. It is small but very informative!
It is a great place to see herds of tarantulas crossing the road as you drive through the park. Ok, so not really herds.
Big Bend Ranch State Park
Be aware that there are only two dog-friendly hiking trails in this state park.
Hiking
Big Bend Hoodoos Trail
Short hike down to the Rio Grande River. We were able to get up close and personal with a hoodoo (look it up 😉)! Dogs allowed.
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/texas/big-bend-hoodoos-trail?ref=result-card
Big Bend Hot Springs Trail
Very rustic hot springs pool right along the Rio Grande river. The river was very low and we were able to walk across it and enjoy homemade tacos from a Mexican family set up under a small canopy. The gentleman was very nice and we got a chance to practice our Spanish (although he spoke English quite well). There were several homemade items set out for sale (the locals cross the border at night and put out their items) with buckets for you to pay (on your honor). We bought the cool scorpion pictured to the left. No dogs allowed.
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/texas/big-bend-hot-springs-trail
Closed Canyon Trail
Short hike through a deep canyon. The trail was closed just short of getting to the Rio Grande river and the U.S./Mexican border. Dogs allowed.
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/texas/closed-canyon-trail
Lajitas Loop 3
There are several loops in this location. We hiked loop 3 but it would also be a great place to ride mountain bikes. Very flat and uneventful but a great place for Polly to get some exercise. Dogs allowed.
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/texas/lajitas-loop-3
Santa Elena Canyon
Hike and/or kayak this. We did both. The river bottom is quite mucky, sinking up to your knees at times. However, with our inflatable kayaks, we made it a couple miles up river, portaging only a few times. It should be noted that we visited in November, a very dry time of year which had the river at a very low water level. A bit farther up river than you would get walking, we spotted a herd of mountain goats wandering around. No dogs allowed.
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/texas/santa-elena-canyon-trail?ref=result-card
The Window Trail
Relatively flat trail with some climbing over large boulders towards the end. We heard that several people saw a bear; however, we weren't lucky enough to see it. No dogs allowed.
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/texas/the-window-trail?ref=result-card
Tuff Canyon Trail
Short trail that offers two views over the small canyon. We went off-trail and walked in the canyon for a mile+. Saw a tarantula carcass but little else. No dogs allowed.
AllTrails Link: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/texas/tuff-canyon-trail?ref=result-card
Biking
At this point in our journey, we still had our "street" bicycles. Sure, they could ride on gravel but it wasn't fun (i.e., bumpy) and the tires really weren't fat enough to give any kind of traction.
There are some good mountain biking trails in the area. As you saw above, we hiked the Lajitas trail system which is near the airport. That same area is really popular with mountain bikers. In fact, Bobby and crew (see below) had gone out there on their mountain bikes and came back loving it.
Kayaking
Santa Elena Canyon
In addition to the hike we did, we also got out our inflatable kayak/paddleboards and went up the river. The water level was quite low this time of year (NOV), so we ended up portaging which meant going up to our knees in mud sometimes. The canyon continues to be beautiful the farther you go. One of the park rangers said that, in higher water conditions, a person could go several miles but you'd be fighting stronger current. I had my GoPro attached to the front of my kayak in an attempt to make a time-lapse. That didn't turn out so well, but the still shots are pretty good!
Motorcycling
Old Maverick Road
This road is just as you get past the park entrance booth. The sign says it is for four-wheel drive vehicles only. It is a good suggestion but I really didn't experience any terrain that demanded it. We were on motorcycles and it is all gravel, some of which was "wash board". The road actually takes you past the remnants of a house, if, by loose standards, you can call it that. There is a monument sign there that describes how a family lived there.
River Road
This is a more challenging road than Old Maverick Road. Quite a bit of loose sand and loose rocks but what beautiful scenery, if you risk looking up from the road. My BMW F750GS would have benefitted from having knobbies. As it is, it has tires with grooves, but certainly not knobs. Thanks to an off-road riding course I took several years ago, I was able to get up on my pegs and throttle the bike through the challenges.
As part of this ride, we also stopped in the parking lot of the hot springs. There is a building that looks a lot like the cover of "Hotel California".
Food and Drink
D.B.'s BBQ
D.B., in addition to being quite handsome, makes great BBQ. He had recently moved to a new location with more space for indoor dining. He sells beer and other drinks that you can consume with your food on-site or take home.
Little Dipper Food Truck
Stop here for a hearty breakfast burrito! They also have great chile, loaded baked potatoes, and quesadillas.
The Starlight
This is a must-see historic building in addition to having good food and margaritas. The building had been a theatre and still hosts live music. Unfortunately for me, they book performers out many months so I just couldn't get in. There is usually a line of people waiting to get in at opening time. Next door to the restaurant is a store that is worth checking out while you wait to get in. The store sells adult beverages to consume on the plentiful porch. There are usually a few guys on the porch hacking away on a guitar for tips.
To make a long story short ...
The motorcycle guys
We saw this group of 5 guys come in with off-road motorcycles. There was Bobby on the KTM 1190, Tim on the KTM 790 (which belonged to Bobby), Scott on the BMW F800GS, Lee and Neal (father and son) on another couple of KTMs (1190 and 990). The four older guys all went to the same high school in El Paso, TX. Not all the same graduation year, but they knew each other and have occasionally met up to do adventures like the Big Bend National Park. They were so welcoming. I struck up a conversation with Bobby (the organizer - ring leader) and he asked Barb and me to join them on rides. They are very skilled off-road riders with bikes to match their adventurousness. I joined them one day for the "Old Maverick Road" and "River Road" ride. They did other rides but I did not join them. They also were avid mountain bikers (see my story in the Las Cruces, NM section) but, at that time, we didn't have mountain bikes (yet) so we didn't join them.
Turns out, Scott was also a guitar player. In a bygone era, he was in a Tom Petty tribute band. One night, he and I sat around the group's bonfire and played a bunch of songs. It was a wonderful experience meeting these guys and I will defintely stay in touch with them.
Diego, the tire repair guy
Diego runs a tire repair shop. If you search for his name in the Terlingua, TX area, you'll find him. I left a glowing review for him on google.
Barb and I were driving out to the Big Bend State Park to do some hiking and had pulled over to the side of the road to let some people pass us. Minutes later, the truck started complaining about a tire losing pressure. Sure enough, it was going flat. We pulled into a rest area and swapped in the spare. There was the bolt sticking out of the tread of our tire.
On our way back to Terlingua, we searched for someone to have a look at the tire, to see if it was fixable. I was pretty sure it could be fixed because, in a past life, I worked in a service garage and have worked on a tire or two. Diego is really the only choice in the Terlingua area and, wow, does he get great reviews. So we stopped in, figuring we would have to leave the tire overnight. Did I mention it was late on a Friday afternoon?
Diego was very accomodating and got us right in, working us in with other customers he had. Twenty minutes later, he had us all fixed up. No fuss. No attitude. While I was waiting, I struck up a conversation with another customer. He told me that Diego used to work at the Starlight restaurant and has a burger named after him. When I asked Diego about it, he just sort-of chuckled. To be honest, the burger is a bit of a "heart attack" burger. Not for the health-conscious eater. Having the only business like that for many miles, Diego did not charge an excessive amount. I won't quote the price here, so let's just say it was amazingly reasonable.