Routes, Drive Times & Road Tips to Big BendBig Bend sits deep in far West Texas. Whether you’re coming from El Paso, Midland/Odessa, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, or Dallas/Fort Worth, choose the route that matches your arrival town and the part of the park you want...
Photo by Thomas Park on Unsplash
https://unsplash.com/photos/TO9hcfWyr-U
Big Bend is a fascinating area filled with beautiful natural desert and mountain ranges. If you happen to be traveling to West Texas, it’s packed with activities, including golf, hiking, birding, horseback riding,regular live music, and of course, Big Bend National Park.
If you’re a golfer, it’s worth playing a round at one of these golf clubs near Big Bend National Park while you’re in the area.
#1: Butterfield Trail Golf Club
You’ll find Butterfield Trail in El Paso, Texas, surrounded by classic, unspoiled Texan landscape of sand dunes and scrub, as well as some of the area’s fauna.
As their website eloquently puts it, Butterfield is “where the old history of the Western frontier meets the new exciting design and economic development plans for the future of El Paso.”
The challenging but beautiful course has received some superb reviews, including:
- Being featured in “Top Ten Courses You Can Play” by Golf Magazine
- Voted one of “America’s Best New Courses” by Golf Digest Magazine
- One of “50 Best New Courses” by Golf Week Magazine
Sneaky, slight slopes and hazards that pop up out of nowhere make this course an exciting one. Don’t get complacent – you may need a ball retriever for the trickier spots, like Deadman’s Hole.
Don’t just take the golf authorities’ word for it – why not take a trip out to Butterfield Trail and see for yourself?
#2: Black Jack’s Crossing
Black Jack’s Crossing has received some glowing reviews from big names like Golfweek Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Golf Magazine.
If you need an extra reason to play this course, we can give you two!
- Voted #1 Course You Can Play in Texas by The Dallas Morning News
- Voted #1 Course You Can Play in Texas by Golfweek
Designed by Lanny Wadkins, a PGA Championship winner and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee, and situated at the same location as the Longhorn Museum, playing this course is a both physical and cultural experience.
Backed by majestic mountain scenery of Big Bend National Park, choose from a full 18, a 9-hole round, or some relaxed practice at the driving range.
Don’t forget to bring your camera as well as your golf clubs!
#3: Alpine Country Club
Founded in 1947, this 9-hole, semi-public course is open to everyone and is a fun play.
There’s quite some history behind this course. In the 50s, the club was the only place to buy alcohol, making it a popular nightlife spot. The cast of the movie Giant (shot in Marfa) spent free time in the clubhouse.
Known as having some of the best greens in the 70s and 80s, the course remains in prime condition and offers a variety of holes to challenge amateurs and intermediates.
#4: Marfa Municipal Golf Course
If you’ve ever wanted to play the highest golf course in Texas, this is it! The 9-hole, 3265-yard, par-36 course was opened in 1961, and remains a popular choice for golfers.
The altitude makes your drives soar off the tee, but don’t get carried away! Small, sloped greens make each hole challenging.
Other nearby attractions include the Marfa Mystery Lights, Fort Davis, and the McDonald Conservatory.
Conclusion
The National Park isn’t the only attraction Big Bend has to offer. Golfers, there are some great courses near the Park and if you’re looking for a way to pass some time it would be worth getting a round in while you’re there.
visitbigbend
Chisos Basin to remain open in Big Bend National Park. 🙌
With construction plans on hold, the previously anticipated closures will no longer take place, which means that winding road into the mountains will stay open and ready to welcome visitors.
Those who know, know: when summer heat settles over the desert, the Chisos Basin answers with fresh breezes, cooler temps and shaded trails.
Visit nps.gov for more information.
Open post by visitbigbend with ID 18009362480698937
Amazing Big Bend sunrise captured by @marcusc_photo ☀️🙌
#bigbend #nationalpark #westtexas #traveltexas #bigbendnationalpark #nps
Open post by visitbigbend with ID 17942489090792433
Good news for winter travelers! Chisos Basin will remain OPEN through the 2025 winter season, including lodging, trails, the visitor center, and food services.
Next summer, thanks to funding from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund, construction work on significant improvements to the Chisos Basin area of the park is expected to begin on May 1, 2026, and continue for approximately two years.
Until then, enjoy the beauty of the basin!
#visitbigbend #vbb #chisosbasin #westtexas #bigbend #bigbendnps
Open post by visitbigbend with ID 17927917268984768
"Big Bend National Park is bigger than Rhode Island and the only national park that contains an entire mountain range, the Chisos Mountains. The skies are dark, the roads to the park are long," notes Carrie Dennis in her recent piece for @travelandleisure. "Majestic Big Bend National Park is fabulous for hiking, scenic car rides, and the Fossil Discovery Exhibit."
Beautifully photographed by Jon Mattrisch @jmke.visuals, the article highlights @bigbendnps`s enormous skies and expansive landscapes and the ‘serene trails leading through the rugged peaks of the Chisos Mountains.’ These moments reflect just why Big Bend is such a treasure. Dive into the full story linked in bio!
#bigbendnps #bigbend #nps #nationalparks #westtexas #visitbigbend #travelleisure
Open post by visitbigbend with ID 18071673481661619
"Deep inside a remote cave in Big Bend, archeologists have uncovered a pristine hunting kit — potentially the oldest intact weapon system in North America. This discovery offers a rare glimpse into the lives of ancient hunters, revealing tools, weapons, and even a folded pronghorn hide left untouched for thousands of years. Each artifact tells a story of survival, craftsmanship, and the deep connect between humans and the land." - @TexasParksWildlife
Read the full story in the March TPW Magazine linked in bio.
#texasparks #nationalparks #visitbigbend #bigbendnps #bigbend #nps
Open post by visitbigbend with ID 17902171332149363
Spring in West Texas means bluebonnets are back, covering the fields in a blue spectacle.
It`s a great time to see these iconic Texas flowers up close.
Beautiful photo by @gooolsby
#BluebonnetBloom #texasbluebonnets #bluebonnet #westtexas #traveltexas
Open post by visitbigbend with ID 18046001836624366
The sunrise breaking over the South Rim captured by @marcusc_photo . This is one of the most stunning and challenging hikes in BBNP.
#LetsTexas #TexasTravel #VisitBigBend #TexasToDo
Open post by visitbigbend with ID 18419339275077888
Monsoon season has been good to the Big Bend region this year. When the rain falls, an incredible aroma of creosote plants comes to life as the water awakens the desert and fills the air with the earthy scent of nature`s renewal.
photo by @marcusc_photo
#bigbend #visitbigbend #bigbendnationalpark #bbnp #nps #westtexas #marathontx #terlingua #marfa #traveltexas
Open post by visitbigbend with ID 18016957148590545
Recent Posts
Big Bend In Full
The basic facts about the Big Bend area and national park are easy enough to acquire; it is over 800,000 acres of preserved land yet one of the least visited of the 61 national preserves of the United States. It takes its name from the massive left turn that the Rio...
Preserving The Environment When Cycling
by Molly Clark When you head out on an adventure on your bike, you are doing many things to help the environment. After all, it is an eco-friendly and healthy form of transportation that doesn’t leave a carbon footprint. But, if you aren’t careful and if you don’t...
3 Dreamy Days in Big Bend, Texas
Candelilla House Big Bend Holiday Hotel Craggy canyons tower over the mighty Rio Grande in west Texas, separating the United States from Mexico. The Big Bend area of Texas offers a blissful coexistence of mountain terrain and desert plains. Entire mesas covered with...
Hiking Trails for Young Children in Big Bend National Park
By Belle Peña-Lancaster Planning a trip to the Big Bend Region with children in tote can be a bit intimidating. The road wear you incur while traveling just to get to the Brewster County line is unavoidable, however it’s completely worth it. From one family to another...
Big Bend 4th of July Parades
Big Bend residents love to celebrate the 4th of July in big, colorful, wonderful ways! Marathon and Terlingua host parades each year and everyone is welcome to attend! It’s a Terlinguan tradition to propel water balloons, so be sure to wear your most playful...
West Fest Cabrito Cook Off
West Fest Cabrito Cook Off 2018 brought in competitors from all over the region to hone their outdoor cooking skills in categories of cabrito, BBQ chicken, ribs, dutchoven dessert, and margaritas! An auction was held to benefit Marathon Volunteer Fire Department, and...