Presidio Checklist

This historic Big Bend-region crossroads town centers a web of memorable destinations

TH staffers Griff Smith and Charles Lohrmann collaborated on this round-up of destinations between Lajitas and Marfa.

On some historic maps of Texas drawn during the years of Spanish dominion over the region, it is easy to spot the crossroads settlement of Presidio as it straddles the then-essential trade routes rambling between Chihuahua, Mexico, and points south, San An-tonio to the northeast, and Santa Fe (now the capital of New Mexico) to the northwest. The rough desert-and-mountain country around what we now know as the towns of Presidio, Texas, and Ojinaga, Chihuahua, was then commonly known as La Junta de los Rios because of its proximity to the point where the Rio Conchos flows north from Mexico and joins the Rio Bravo del Norte, replenishing the border river before it continues south and east toward the Gulf of Mexico. The Rio Conchos plays an essential role in keeping the Rio Grande alive. In fact, some students of the region claim that, geographically speaking, it is the Rio Conchos that continues south, having been joined by the Rio Grande, rather than vice versa.

The confluence of these two rivers still sustains the Rio Grande, often depleted after the long trek from El Paso, and creates the sometimes navigable waterway that carries adventurers on their floating and paddling trips through Big Bend Ranch State Park and then through the canyons of Big Bend National Park. Even though Presidio itself has long been eclipsed as a commercial hub, it still sits at the center of a web of roads leading to destinations that deserve special consideration as stops in the course of an adventure to the mountainous desert of the Big Bend region.

The most-traveled strands of the geographic web that stretch away from Presidio are FM 170, known as The River Road, and US 67, the highway north to Marfa. The stretch of FM 170 that tracks just north of the Rio Grande between Presidio and Lajitas  is universally recognized as one of the most scenic drives in the region, if not in the country. Whether you start your drive in Lajitas and motor west, or head out from Marfa or Ruidosa and drive south or east, Presidio can serve as a stopover for a meal or place to gather provisions to sustain excursions to more remote destinations.

When you make the drive to Marfa, you’ll find it embodies a mix of small-town charm, high-art sophistication, and mystery-lights eccentricity in a setting defined by near-mile-high, high-desert environs. It’s worth noting that, if you drive up from the south, the higher-elevation climates are noticeably cooler than those along the Rio Grande. Whether you stay at the Paisano, El Cosmico, or the Thunderbird, you’ll find a range of the curious and the inspired. And, on your way into town, stop by the Marfa Book Company to get a hint of what’s going on around town. Then, a few blocks away you’ll find the Marfa Visitor’s Center inside a restored USO dance hall.

These days, Presidio’s local economy is spurred by growth in the Homeland Security force, the reopening of the Shafter silver mine, and the expansion of the border crossing. Local restaurants worthy of a stop include El Patio, The Enlightened Bean, and La Escondida, not to mention the Don Jose Panaderia, where a mid-afternoon stop is always a good idea.

Follow the River Road west from Presidio, and after 36 miles, you’ll find yourself in the village of Ruidosa, where you can turn north to follow the rugged and remote Pinto Canyon Road (FM 2810), on which you can twist and turn your way on a scenic, unpaved track north, ultimately to Marfa. The first 32 miles are unpaved, making up the southern stretch of the 54-mile trip, and define a path through the Chihuahuan Desert and an opportunity to see the rugged country in its untamed splendor.

But before you leave Ruidosa, take a quick look at the adobe chapel, currently undergoing restoration through the efforts of the Texas Historical Commission, along with a consortium of preservation-minded groups and individuals who gather to work on the building. Its impressive adobe arch—one of the largest such spans in the region—deserves particular attention. Ruidosa also sporadically hosts a cantina just across the road from the church.

One side trip off the Pinto Canyon Road—on Hot Springs Road—takes you a few miles to Chinati Hot Springs, a modest hostelry set in a creek-side oasis where you can lodge in one of seven cabins (ranging from $75 to $115) and cook your meals in the communal kitchen. For $15 per person, you can camp near the spring-fed stream and still enjoy access to the baths. It’s a peaceful setting in which to soothe body and spirit. The water from the hot springs runs at a few degrees over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and is piped into the private baths, as well as a larger, public pool, where it is possible to lounge to your heart’s content.

The LA Junta Area has long served as home to populations that sought refuge from the surrounding desert. In the early days of the first trade routes to San Antonio to the east and to Santa Fe to the northwest, the Spanish also built missions designed to convert to Catholicism the Native American groups who lived in established communities in the region of La Junta. Now, the missions are  acknowledged by historic markers.

One of those historic markers stands outside Fort Leaton, which lies a few miles east of Presidio and forms part of the Big Bend Ranch State Park complex. Fort Leaton itself serves as a reminder of the 19th-Century trade that sustained the area’s economy. The Fort Leaton compound long served as a commercial outpost. Not far away, Milton Faver, one of the region’s most influential 19th-Century citizens, ruled over a sprawling ranching operation built from the proceeds of successful businesses that started in Mexico and moved north.

In the sweeping narrative of his life, Milton Faver assumes legendary status through his ambitious plans and powerful business empire. In a sense, Faver still surveys his dominion every day from the vantage point of his mausoleum, perched as it is above the current headquarters of Cibolo Creek Ranch, a compound built adjacent to an impoundment of the very spring water that nursed Faver’s orchards and crops more than 100 years ago.

What was Faver’s land, today’s Cibolo Creek Ranch, abuts the ghost town of Shafter, 18 miles north of Presidio, originally known—and now known again—as a silver mining town. The historic mine was purchased in 2008 and is scheduled to resume production of silver soon. The concern locally is over the effect of drilling associated with the mining operation on the underground water.

As Fort Leaton defines the western edge of Big Bend Ranch State Park, the Barton Warnock Visitor Center, with its garden of native plants and the Environmental Education Center, defines the eastern edge. At either location, a few questions will bring you all sorts of information—both official and unofficial—about what’s happening in the territory and what permits you need for camping or back-country access. Both sites are well worth a stop to experience local history and gather a few details about the desert cultures and ecosystems.

Presidio’s fortunes come and go, and it might seem an unlikely destination for a Big Bend trip. But this historic town does serve as a point of departure for several adventurous driving tours to multiple corners of the Trans-Pecos.

See the full article in the February 2012 issue.

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