Big Bend

TxGearhead wrote:
Been saying I would go for years. Was thinking about using Seminole Canyon SP as a stopover from Houston.
Anyone have experience there?

We used Seminole Canyon as a stopover from Houston to Alpine. It was a good park. Finding a site there shouldn't be a problem. We were the only rig in our loop. I would recommend a full day there. Take the tour into the canyon (you must sign up for a scheduled tour) to see the native American rock art. If you hike the trail to the Rio Grande in the park, the cliffs on Lake Amistad are quite impressive. We also enjoyed a visit to Langtry, home of Judge Roy Bean, "The Law West of the Pecos." We got a kick out of seeing the "No Fishing from Bridge" sign at the high level bridge over the Pecos River Canyon on the way to Langtry.

I recommend gasing up in Del Rio. There may not be any fuel from where US90 crosses Lake Amistad near Del Rio to Sanderson. We found the stations in Comstock and Langtry closed on the Sunday we tried to refill there. There might be more options now, but the entire area is pretty remote, as you might expect.

I noticed the church in Langtry only had services 1 or 2 Sundays out of the month.

TxGearhead wrote:
Been saying I would go for years. Was thinking about using Seminole Canyon SP as a stopover from Houston.
Anyone have experience there?

We’ve stayed at Seminole Canyon a few times when traveling from my wife’s family in Baton Rouge to Big Bend. For us, its a great stop to break up the drive and, even though we always arrive after hours, finding a good site has never been a problem. It’s not a destination but easily worth a half day of exploring the Native American history in the area if you have the time.

There are also several primitive sites available just off US 90 around the Amistad NRA.

As someone posted earlier, Big Bend is a Park you’ll either love or hate - it’s been one of our favorites for over forty years.

Been saying I would go for years. Was thinking about using Seminole Canyon SP as a stopover from Houston.
Anyone have experience there?

We were down there two years ago during Christmas. We spent a few days on the east side at the Stillwell Store (just outside the park). .. as well as Maverick Ranch on the west side. Both had full hookups and we enjoyed them both. Stillwell Store is amazingly remote...

We love Big Bend ... can't wait to head there again.

If you're on your way and pass near Ft Davis State Park, that's a great stop-over. Small park, but lots of history, not to mention the Javalina antics.

Just got back from a week there. Stayed at the Big Bend Resort RV Park. Think I paid about $25 a night for 30A & water in the no reservation section. Since it was Thanksgiving school break, everything else was booked.

As far as the park, it was pretty much to be expected for the area, dirt roads but out of all the parks I drove by, they did seem to be the largest with the most amount of shade trees, which is a rarity in that area. Nothing like shade trees from mountains like Colorado, Montana, etc...just West Texas desert shading. They do advertise WiFi, but from where I was located in proximity to the office, it was pretty useless. The do have a lobby/TV/pool table kinda area that you can chill at and the reception is much better. Showers are $2.00 for 5 minutes and it's well worth it after a long day. They also have bathrooms, but can get congested at times. they do have a laundry facility from 9a-5p that has a bathroom as well...USE THAT ONE. Minimal traffic. Overall, I was happy with the location and overall campground itself, and I wouldn't have a problem staying there again, but I'd plan better and make reservations.

Price for diesel was $3.30/gal & 2.95 for unleaded. There are visitors centers withing the parks that sell fuel, but didn't check prices. With the exception of beer, everything is about 25-35% higher there that what I'm use to paying at home. The closest Wal-Mart was about 150 miles, so take what you think you'd need.

As for Big Bend, you really have to experience it to understand it and become infected with it. It's either love it/hate it. If you're use to having activities overload on trips, then you might be disappointed. However, if you're willing to seek out the beauty of the area, then it's easily to get overwhelmed with the geology/ecology of the area. There are several miles of dirt roads to travel (4x4, dirt bike, ATV) and several hiking trails and that's where you can get a true feel for the area.

Terlingua is a quirky town that has a personality that can't really be described with just one word.

Fall & Spring are their buzy seasons so plan ahead with the holidays being even busier. Overall, it was a great trip and it will be on my to visit list again real soon.

Study Butte has a couple of cg. You'll need to check campgroundreviews for their names. We stayed at one in July, both are basically parking lots. And then there is the one in the video which is 15-20 minutes from the park.

Any other recommendations for camp grounds? I’d like full hook ups as our hunting camp is completely off the grid and I’d like to be comfortable on the road.

Thinking of going in the next couple of weeks. Have all the plants/vegitation gone dormant or is there still enough color for some good picture taking?

We were there last February in the Chisos campground. (Small rigs only.) Temperate days, cool nights. We'll be back!