Enjoy mountains, canyons, the Rio Grande, hoodoos weathered volcanic ash formations, mesas, desert, creeks, and a narrow rock fissure.
El Camino del Rio, the River Road, leads through canyons and mountains as it follows the Rio Grande. The 1.5-hour, 51-mile travel goes from Lajitas to Presidio on Route 170. If you make the trip in the summer, be warned that it is extremely hot. The highway is steep and has poor shoulders. Begin the journey east of Lajitas at the Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center. Here, you can get information on the 420 sq. mile Big Bend Ranch State Natural Area that surrounds the River Road.
Lajitas was established in 1915 as an Army post to safeguard settlers from Pancho Villa. Drive west on Route 170 out of Lajitas. Several miles out, the road swings away from the river past Fresno Creek to the hoodoos, weathered volcanic ash formations. Madera Canyon lies nearby and highlights a picnic spot overlooking the river. Leaving here, you begin a 5-mile, 15 percent grade climb up Santa Mesa. An overlook at the top offers views of the volcanic and canyon landscape. Descend the mesa into the Chihuahuan Desert where you will intersect at Panther Creek and a narrow fissure called Closed Canyon.
Pass through Tapado Canyon on your way to the farming neighborhood of Redford. Continue west from Redford to Presidio, a former Spanish mission community that now serves as a U.S. Port of Entry. Here you can pay a visit to the Fort Leaton State Historic Site, which serves as the western Information Center for the River Road.
Starting Point:
Lajitas, TX
Distance of Drive:
51 Miles
Must Eat:
El A Jamo
Hwy 67, Presido, TX 97845
Phone: 915-229-4763
Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.
Good Stop For: Mexican food
Best Time of Year for Drive:
Year round
Points of Interest on Drive:
Rio Grande
Fort Leaton State Historic Site
Fresno County Creek
Chihuahuan Desert
Madera Canyon
Tapado Canyon
Big Bend Ranch State Natural Area
Tagged with: canyons • mountains • Texas • volcano
Filed under: Best Road Trips