Complete West Texas Travel Guide
If you're looking for wide open spaces, stunning vistas, and true Texas hospitality - look no further than West Texas. While often overlooked for the glitz and glamor of destinations like Austin or San Antonio, West Texas has its own unique charm, history and adventures to offer every explorer. From the dramatic elevation changes of Big Bend National Park to the quirky roadside attractions along Route 66, there is so much to experience in this part of the Lone Star State.
Whether just passing through or settling in for the winter, by the end of this post you'll have a packed itinerary of can't-miss West Texas experiences! Let's get started on your grand adventure across Big Sky Country Texas style.
Featured West Texas Towns
As we all know Texas is vast with many small, unique towns worth exploring. Our travel guide focuses on a few towns north of Big Bend National Park.
This guide has the top activities, restaurants and lodging in each location. We personally experienced many of these recommendations and plan to explore the rest on our next visit.
If you love to stargaze west Texas is the place to be! All of these towns are located in the largest international dark sky reserve in the world, making it the perfect place to stargaze and explore the night sky.
West Texas Travel Guide
Alpine, Texas
1. Hancock Hill Trailhead
We love a good roadside attraction so finding this old metal desk at the end of a trail was just as cool. A couple of college kids decided it was a good place to get some work done in peace. So they carried the desk up the hill in the middle of the night. Be sure to look for the bike tree right around the corner from the desk.
The hike to the desk is a rocky 2 mile out and back that is worth the effort. There are quite a few meandering trails along the way that will take you in the wrong direction. We used All Trails to keep us on track. If you prefer mountain biking over hiking this is a great spot.
2. Sazzon Baja Mex
This place is hands down the BEST baja Mexican food I have eaten in Texas! It rivals San Diego! If you are looking for fresh and delicious this is the place.
3. Picnic Basket
This unassuming Mom & Pop is the perfect place for breakfast or lunch. We chose the chicken quesadilla and it was delicious and big enough for 2.
4. Lost Alaskan RV Park
We stayed at this RV park during our time in West Texas. The sites were large, flat and offered a great view of the mountains. No, RV? Don’t worry they also have a couple of cabins you can rent.
5. Museum of the Big Bend
Learn about the history of Big Bend as you walk through this small museum. We really enjoyed walking through this museum and learning about the local history. The exhibit on Big Bend is permanent but they also have revolving exhibits at the museum.
Marfa, Texas
1. Hotel Paisano
Built in 1930, this historic hotel is a thing of beauty! When you stroll through the hotel be sure to pay attention to the terra cotta tile. It’s beautiful and my favorite part of the hotel. It is best known for hosting the James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson during the filming of the movie Giant. So you will see pictures taken on set throughout the hotel. The hotel is still very popular and a perfect place to land for a long weekend.
2. Marfa Burrito
This is a true hole in the wall! Had we not known it was here we would have drove right past this place. But you do not want to miss out on these delicious burritos! They make everything fresh right in front of you!
Marfa Burrito has been featured everywhere from the Food Network to Saveur Magazine! You will even see pictures of some very familiar faces on the wall! Be sure to bring cash because this Mom & Pop does not accept credit cards.
3. The Sentinel Marfa
If you are a fan of unique coffee shops then this is the place for you! It is owned and operated by the towns local newspaper The Sentinel. The paper was struggling to survive like so many newspapers today. So they opened the coffee shop to help bring in revenue to stay afloat and did they hit it out of the park! Come for the coffee and stay for cocktails! Seriously, it’s a great place grab a snack while you lounge on the comfy sofa.
4. Planet Marfa
If you prefer quirky, casual and relaxing then this outdoor will be the perfect place for you! We loved the vibe and the casual atmosphere here. Oh, and the margarita was delicious!
5. Marfa Lights Viewing Area
Marfa is known for its beautiful light displays and this is the perfect place to witness it. The strange lights, also called Marfa mystery lights, have been described as basketball size lights in red and blue that dance across the sky. No one really knows when these lights will appear or what causes them but people come from miles around just for a chance to glimpse them.
The viewing area is the perfect place to sit and hope to see the mysterious light display. But don’t think all is lost if the lights don’t magically appear. This is a dark sky location and is perfect place for a night of stargazing. You will find it 9 miles east of Marfa on US 90, towards Alpine.
PRO TIP: Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, picnic basket, and telescope for stargazing for better yet bring your RV and overnight at the viewing area for a full night of stars. You just might catch the Marfa lights during your stay! Public bathrooms are available.
Marathon, Texas
1. gage hotel
This Mission and Spanish style hotel opened in 1927, by Alfred Gage as a way to manage his 500.000 acre ranch. Now, it is a beautiful, modern hotel with historical features that make it an authentic piece of Texas history. You will want to take a walk through the hotel and gardens.
Make sure to carve out a little time to lounge in the White Buffalo Cantina and sample their margaria. According to Saveur Magazine it is the best hotel bar margarita in all of Texas. Or at least it was in 2017. I accepted the challenge and tried it for myself. It was limey, slightly tart and totally refreshing!
2. Gage Gardens
Talk about an oasis in the desert! When you leave the Gage Hotel take a walk across the train tracks and you will find 27 acres of lush gardens and ponds. It is a perfect place to let the kiddos and puppies run around and let loose of a little pent up energy. You could also bring it down and bit with a good book and a picnic basket.
No matter which you prefer the gardens should not be missed, even in the winter.
3. V6 Coffee Bar
If you are looking for the best espresso cookies on the plant this is the place! Ok so they are the only espresso cookies we have ever tasted but they were so delicious they must be the best! And yes the coffee was also perfect but pales to the cookies!
Photo courtesy of The Gage Hotel on IG. Our cookies didn’t last long enough for a picture!
More West Texas
As you can see there are many locations featured in our travel guide that we have yet to visit! We will continue to update our West Texas Travel Guide as we visit more on our Must See list! We would love to know if you have been to any of these tiny, Texas towns and what was your favorite part??
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Meet Stacy! Stacy and her husband, Phil, are a wanderlust couple who have been roaming the great USA for an epic 5 years! They ditched the daily grind to embark on thrilling adventures and inspire fellow dreamers to chase their travel dreams. Curious about how they do it? Check out their awesome youtube channel, Today is Someday, where they're spilling all the secrets to living a life on the move. Get ready to pack your bags and join them on this incredible journey.
