Texas routes
- Thread starter Texaslongrangeshooter
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Off-Road Ranger I
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This is a highly rated place to explore in Texas: Primitive Dirt Roads - Big Bend National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
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I know @Mrprotaganist and possibly a few others are looking at a big bend trip after Christmas.
USStrongman
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Big Bend/Terlingua for certain. Up north there is Palo Verde State Park near Amarillo. Jeep holds one of their annual events there. Otherwise there are trails in Hill Country but I dont know much about them.
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HeavyB91B
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Good to know! I just bought 20 acres in Sierra Blanca, not too far from there.
hey rex...have you been east of big bend? i saw two roads that drop down from Marathon...FM 385 that goes to Devil's Den and FM2627 branches off that and goes to Black Gap WMA which has a campground. ive never been out in that area but want to plan a trip there end of this month or next...before it gets too hot.
the wife and i camped at big bend last Christmas and liked the area and was shooting for something more secluded
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I haven’t yet. I’ve heard there are some spots out that way, but haven’t researched them yet. I’ve been thinking about a trip that way this spring, hoping to catch desert wildflowers before it heats.
i was born and raised in san angelo and my mother still lives there and my step-daughter moved to austin last year, so i guess we'll shoot thru and visit both of them and then head down past Marathon and see what all is there. if i get to go before you do, i'll make sure to get some pics and info for you
the devil's den looks pretty interesting and there is the black gap campground, so there has to be something of interest down there for them to have a campground in the middle of nowhere...
Influencer I
I actually explored some of the roads out there last week. Really great area. Check the WMA website for permits needed to camp and drive around out there. Several great spots to camp on the border. We didn't camp because of the snow storm but I am planning a trip back out there around the end of Feb.
thanks. im glad you mentioned the permits otherwise i wouldnt have thought to call in advance
Influencer I
You can get the Limited Public Use permit on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website. The public use permit is for all recreational activities on WMAs. You will need to go to the Black Gap HQ to fill out a registration card once you get there.
This is the registration card you get on site:
This is some great information, thanks for it!
The problem with talking about routes in TX and specifically Big Bend area...its not too disimilar from telling a guy in Kansas that there are great camping spots...in Utah. Its a long ass way out there!
The problem with talking about routes in TX and specifically Big Bend area...its not too disimilar from telling a guy in Kansas that there are great camping spots...in Utah. Its a long ass way out there!
Advocate I
Big Bend Ranch State Park has more challenging back roads than those found in the National Park. Both are well worth a visit.
Be sure to have dinner at the Starlight Theater in Terlingua.
Be sure to have dinner at the Starlight Theater in Terlingua.
as a young teen, we would take the boat and go camp on the rio grande around comstock, tx. the pecos river runs into the rio grande in that area and has some nice canyons to see. even the drive there from san angelo was interesting as it was pretty desolate with a few nice areas where water suddenly appeared in an area and there would be an oasis of pecan trees out in the middle of nowhee. there are also a bunch of old towns scattered all over, some scarcely populated and others pretty much abandoned. we would stop sometimes and check out old buildings and check out old equipment and vehicles left behind. i also did some hiking in the canyons of the rio grande and followed remnants of the old railroad built there in the late 1800s. one area had a tunnel hand drilled in the rock and thee was also some caves that had old drawings in them. one area called seminole canyon, had old seminole indian cave dwellings that we hiked down to see.
most stuff in texas is private and i have never seen as many fences before in my life. areas out in the middle of absolute NOWHERE will be fenced and gated. so, while the majority of texas is off limits, there are still a lot of interesting sights to see without getting on someones property and getting shot.
west texas is very big and there are neat things to see that really arent on maps and sometimes even the more local folks are unaware of things in the area. we had camped in a cave for a week one time that was in a canyon on the rio grande accessible by boat....months after we were in there, a group of college students went there to look at the old drawings on the walls and ended up finding mummified indians buried in the cave. who would have thought?
im seriously considering doing a trip to west texas and start by going to corpus christi and following the coast down to brownsville and then follow the border up and west to the big bend area. if you go slow with no real expectation in mind and just pay close attention to whats around, you can usually find some really neat things to see.
being that far remote in texas, i will have to blend in to my surroundings so as not to draw attention to myself....wipe a little mud on my out of state plates and get the proper accessories and i should be good....
most stuff in texas is private and i have never seen as many fences before in my life. areas out in the middle of absolute NOWHERE will be fenced and gated. so, while the majority of texas is off limits, there are still a lot of interesting sights to see without getting on someones property and getting shot.
west texas is very big and there are neat things to see that really arent on maps and sometimes even the more local folks are unaware of things in the area. we had camped in a cave for a week one time that was in a canyon on the rio grande accessible by boat....months after we were in there, a group of college students went there to look at the old drawings on the walls and ended up finding mummified indians buried in the cave. who would have thought?
im seriously considering doing a trip to west texas and start by going to corpus christi and following the coast down to brownsville and then follow the border up and west to the big bend area. if you go slow with no real expectation in mind and just pay close attention to whats around, you can usually find some really neat things to see.
being that far remote in texas, i will have to blend in to my surroundings so as not to draw attention to myself....wipe a little mud on my out of state plates and get the proper accessories and i should be good....
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USStrongman
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And for something different, the Hill Country has several smaller offroad arks for trails and rock climbing.
I am working with a group called Merus Adventure who is buying a 6,500 acre ranch at Palo Duro Canyon outside Amarillo. Overlanding, hiking, biking, dispersed camping, RV, support services, water and electric services, cabins, chalets as part of a membership service. Palo Duro is the 2nd largest canyon in the US behind the grand canyon. They are officially opening phase I in early April.
https://www.bergflow.com/merusmembership
Year 1 - Current:
I am working with a group called Merus Adventure who is buying a 6,500 acre ranch at Palo Duro Canyon outside Amarillo. Overlanding, hiking, biking, dispersed camping, RV, support services, water and electric services, cabins, chalets as part of a membership service. Palo Duro is the 2nd largest canyon in the US behind the grand canyon. They are officially opening phase I in early April.
https://www.bergflow.com/merusmembership
Year 1 - Current:
- Creation of more than 50 miles of off-road and overlanding trails
- Initial water and electrical infrastructure
- 20 of miles hiking trails and bike paths
- 60 tent sites
- 20 RV sites
- 10 cabin sites
- Marketplace
- Creation of additional 50 miles of off-road and overlanding trails
- Continued water and electrical infrastructure
- Additional 20 of miles hiking trails and bike paths
- 40 tent sites
- 20 RV sites
- 10 cabins sites
- 2 chalets
- Creation of additional 50 miles of off-road and overlanding trails
- Additional 20 of miles hiking trails and bike paths
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While there are some decent areas in Texas, we're largely starved of public access lands to do the kind of stuff we enjoy doing. I'm fortunate to be less than 3 hours from the Ouchita Ntl Forrest. That's where you see me if I have any kind of free days.
USStrongman
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