Terlingua Offers Unequaled Access To Big Bend

After an hour of pedaling through ravines and zooming up and down scree-covered slopes, rocks clattering beneath the wheels of my mountain bike, I round a corner and find myself at the foot of a glittering hillside.

This spot at Big Bend Ranch State Park, where chunks of quartz reflect in the morning sun, always inspires me to crawl around on my hands and knees for a closer inspection. It looks like someone shattered a thousand bottles made of milky white glass, then scattered the pieces. And right now, the light is hitting them just right.

Mountain biking is just one reason I’ve made at least 30 trips to Terlingua over the years. The quirky, unincorporated community, whose population hovers around 170 people, lures outdoor enthusiasts of all types — mountain bikers, hikers, paddlers, equestrians, backpackers, stargazers and rafters chief among them.

“Terlingua is smack between the entrances of the two best parks in Texas — Big Bend Ranch State Park to the west and Big Bend National Park to the east,” says Charlie Angell, owner of Angell Expeditions, which offers guided hiking, biking and river trips here. “I don’t think there are any other places where you can climb 5,000-plus foot mountains, then get on a mountain bike, then go canoeing or kayaking.”

Canyons splice expanses of hard-packed gravel, and mountains ripple in the distance. The Rio Grande runs — or flows like thick salsa, depending on how much rain has fallen — a few miles to the south. Everywhere, cactus plants scheme to stab, scrape or skewer those who dare to pass.

In the past I’ve used Terlingua as a base for a backpacking trip onto nearby Mesa de Anguila, where I looked down on the Rio Grande from a 900-foot bluff. Last year, I spent a day wading through waist-deep water and thigh-high mud deep into Santa Elena Canyon. I’ve also logged long-distance trail runs through the desert while based here.

That diversity sets Terlingua apart, says Crystal Allbright, owner of Desert Sports, which rents and repairs bikes and sells cycling gear. “You have three biomes, the mountains, the desert and the river, and there are so many different ways to explore them.”

They call Terlingua a living ghost town. Between adventures, you can sip a beer on the porch in front of the Terlingua Trading Company, catch a band at the Starlight Theatre, explore the crumbling rock houses where miners once lived, play a game of pickleball on an outdoor court or visit the historic cemetery. Terlingua doesn’t have a single traffic light, chain restaurant or sprawling supermarket, although a Dollar General opened, despite protests, in spring 2025.

“It’s not just in the middle of nowhere, it’s on the edge of everything too,” says Terlingua resident and river guide Tony Drewry. “You can’t get more far out in far West Texas than Terlingua.”

After a few minutes spent admiring the quartz-strewn hillock, my husband and I press on, admiring ocotillo-topped mesas and spinning through dry creek beds on our way to the ruins of an old cinnabar mine. We break for a snack, then hop back on our bikes for the ride back to the trailhead across from the Barton Warnock Visitor Center in Lajitas.

From Terlingua, you can access a network of hiking trails in both the national and state parks.

Erin Little has guided in the region for about 20 years, including the last eight with Big Bend Boating & Hiking Company, which she owns along with her partner Erica. The company offers custom interpretive hikes that focus on everything from history to geology to edible plants.

“I like the solitude you can find on certain trails,” Little says. “I like the dark night sky when you’re done hiking and the eclectic, welcoming community.”

And while most hikers know about the Lost Mine Trail p or the South Rim, she prefers less popular routes, like the Mule Ears Springs Trail. That path, she says, is more about the geology of the surrounding landscape than the springs, where you might find a maidenhair fern or a few leopard frogs, but you probably won’t find a lot of water.

“It’s all about the expansive views looking out of Mule Ears, with Mesa de Anguila on the right and the Chisos Mountains on the left, and the volcanic rock you’re hiking across,” she says.

My favorite hikes include the trek up Mesa de Anguila, where you can see a horseshoe-shaped bend in the Rio Grande far below, and Pine Canyon , which ends at a cool, shady alcove tucked at the foot of the Chisos Mountains.

Wherever you go, remember that it gets hot in Big Bend, especially during the summer, so carry plenty of water.

For an entirely different perspective of the Big Bend, paddle a canoe or ride a raft along the Rio Grande.

You can either get your own river permit from Big Bend National Park or Big Bend Ranch State Park, or book a guided trip. Several companies, including Far Flung Outdoor Center, Big Bend Boating & Hiking Company, Hidden Dagger Adventures and Further Adventures, all offer trips on the Rio Grande, which marks the border between Mexico and the United States. Some even offer a “saddle & paddle” option so you can ride a horse through the desert in the morning and cool off in the river that same afternoon.

A few years ago, I dragged my toes in the water while perched on the edge of a rubber raft and spent three nights camping on sandy beaches during a float trip through Boquillas Canyon. Upstream from Terlingua, you can easily run shorter stretches of the river including Colorado Canyon and Dark Canyon in Big Bend Ranch State Park. And there’s the classic trip through Santa Elena Canyon, where, if you holler loudly, your voice bounces between bluffs on both sides of the border.

“Santa Elena Canyon u is the grande dame of all the river trips,” says Angell, with Angell Expeditions. “It’s got the right combo of sheer canyon walls and challenging rapids, including some stuff that will really get your heart pumping. And it’s got Rock Slide, the best rapid in the Big Bend.”

If you're into biking twisty, rocky trails that dip into sandy ravines and across mesas bristling with cactus, do like I did and aim for Big Bend Ranch State Park, just west of Terlingua. From Terlingua, it’s an 11-mile drive to the Barton Warnock Visitor Center, where you can pick up a park permit. The fun begins at a trailhead just across FM 170.

The Contrabando Multi-Use Trail system serves up a combination of single-track trails and old 4x4 roads, including the Fresno-Sauceda Loop, a 57-mile quad-burner with 3,446 feet of climbing. The International Mountain Biking Association named it one of its Epic rides, and even done over two days it’s a thrill.

For a less demanding excursion, pedal the East Main Trail and its associated spurs. That’s where you’ll find the Crystal Loop t, and the dazzling hillside that always brings me to my knees.

I’ve also done four multiday bike trips at the park, pitching a tent at remote campsites, admiring star-packed skies and, once, unzipping my tent flaps in the morning to discover a fuzzy tarantula.

I bring my own mountain bike and explore with friends, but you can also book a guided trip with a local outfitter. Whatever you do, pay attention. I once hit a bump and belly-flopped onto a cactus while biking through the desert here. It took days to extract all the teeny tiny spines — but even so, the mishap was worth it.