Get the facts on where to stay and what you'll see on a trip to state and national parks near Big Bend, Texas
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Because of continuing drought conditions across West Texas, check park status before going.
Franklin Mountains State Park, at 24,000 acres the largest urban park in the nation, offers spectacular scenery, evidence of centuries of human occupation, and opportunities for hiking, rock climbing, picnicking and scenic drives. The park, whose highest mountain reaches 7,192 feet above sea level, lies entirely within El Paso's city limits. Campsites. Two-hour ranger-led tours on first and third weekends of each month; reservations recommended. The Wyler Aerial Tramway, reachable from an entrance separate from the park's, is a four-minute gondola ride to the top of Ranger Peak for a view of 7,000 square miles in three states and two nations. It's perfect for watching sunsets. Open daily except Tuesday and Wednesday. 1331 McKelligon Canyon Road, El Paso; 915-566-6441. Wyler Aerial Tramway: 1700 McKinley Ave., El Paso; 915-566-6622.
Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site — The tanks are natural rock basins that hold rainwater, a source of water that has attracted wildlife, birds and humans from prehistoric times to the present. Paleo-Indians painted designs of human and animal figures on the rocks. More recent are the ruins of a late-1850s Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach stop and the 1898 ranch house that serves as an interpretive center. Visitors can also hike, climb rocks. Guided pictograph and climbing-hiking tours by reservation. 6900 Hueco Tanks Road No. 1, El Paso; 915-857-1135. Historic site visitation is limited, and reservations are required; 1-800-792-1112, option 3.
Monahans Sandhills State Park consists of 3,840 acres of dunes up to 70 feet tall, which constantly shift shapes in the West Texas wind. Kids roll, slide and tumble down the slopes as if they're playing in a giant's sand box. Watch wildlife and birds from the interpretive center, hike, picnic and sand surf. Exit 86 from interstate 20 to Park Road 41, 5 miles east of Monahans; 432-943-2092.
Balmorhea State Park — Visualize a 2-acre swimming pool with 1 million gallons of 74-degree spring water gushing through it every hour. This park has boasted such a pool since the 1930s. You share the water with fish, turtles, snakes (nonpoisonous) and scuba divers. Camp out or snag a room in the park's 18-room, retro-Spanish-colonial style motel, San Solomon Courts. Texas Highway 17 at Park Road 30, Toyahvale; 432-375-2370.
Davis Mountains State Park and Indian Lodge — Perched on mile-high mountains, this park is usually cooler and greener than the surrounding areas of West Texas. Enjoy mountain biking and horseback riding and four miles of hiking trails connecting the park with Fort Davis National Historic Site. A 74-mile driving loop through the mountains reveals scenic wonders around every corner. Camp out or stay at Indian Lodge, a full-service 40-room hotel with cable TV, restaurant and swimming pool. Fort Davis; 432-426-3337. Hotel reservations: 512-389-8982.
Barton Warnock Visitor Center (Terlingua; 432-424-3327)
Fort Leaton State Historic Site (Presidio; 432-229-3613)
Big Bend Ranch State Park, (Presidio; 432-358-4444; campsite, back-country and lodging reservations, 512-389-8919), more than 300,000 acres of Chihuahuan Desert, including mountains, volcanoes, waterfalls and canyons. Hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and participation in occasional longhorn roundups. In the Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site, the Fate Bell Shelter, one of the oldest cave dwellings in North America, contains some of the most ancient examples of American Indian rock art. Guided tours, hiking, mountain biking and camping (Comstock; 432-292-4464).