Road Trip to SW Texas etc

[Bassdogs]

Heading out in a couple weeks for our annual winter road trip. Last year we did east Texas and down to Galveston Island, San Antonio, Hill country and out at Shrevport La. This year thinking of heading west on I40 thru Dallas area and generally south west. Thinking about Carlsbad area and Big Bend NP. Have 5 or 6 weeks [great to be retired] so plenty of time to roam. Any body have any advice about must see destinations or areas worth spending some time? Will be equipped to do some boondocking and COE, BLM, and National Forest locations would be of interest.

Read about a free BLM site just a few miles north of Carlsbad caverns and just a handful of miles west off the highway there. Anyone familiar?

[Bookemdanno]

If you're coming thru the Dallas area, I highly recommend a night or 2 at Dinosaur Valley State Park in Cleburne, TX (South of Ft. Worth). I'll be there next month. Haven't been west, but a friend of ours raves about another state park Balmorhea State Park, just east of El Paso (never been) off of I-10.

[TimHolt]

Not familiar with the site at Carlsbad, but am familiar with Far West Texas El Paso area. Carlsbad Caverns NP is a must see but call ahead because the elevators were out for a while this year and I don't know if they are fixed (I think they are).

Guadalupe Mountains and Peak are pretty as well.
If you head a bit south, Marfa and Alpine are up the mountains a bit.

The weather now is really nice, not a cold winter at all...

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by Bookemdanno

If you're coming thru the Dallas area, I highly recommend a night or 2 at Dinosaur Valley State Park in Cleburne, TX (South of Ft. Worth). I'll be there next month. Haven't been west, but a friend of ours raves about another state park Balmorhea State Park, just east of El Paso (never been) off of I-10.

Will take a look at the Dinsaur valley sp as we will be heading thru on I-40. Don't think we will make it all the way to El Paso.

Are State Parks west and south of Dallas typically filled on weekends? Last year that's what we experienced and learned to show up on Sunday or Monday. Found that we could extend thru the weekend by being at the office at 8"30 Fri or sat am to pick up a cancellation.

Anybody familiar with the campgrounds at Big Bend NP. They only reserve about half the sites and the rest are first served but that doesn't mean any of them are necessarily empty. What are our odds of showing up there on a Monday around mid Feb?

[Bookemdanno]

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

Will take a look at the Dinsaur valley sp as we will be heading thru on I-40. Don't think we will make it all the way to El Paso.

Are State Parks west and south of Dallas typically filled on weekends? Last year that's what we experienced and learned to show up on Sunday or Monday. Found that we could extend thru the weekend by being at the office at 8"30 Fri or sat am to pick up a cancellation.

Anybody familiar with the campgrounds at Big Bend NP. They only reserve about half the sites and the rest are first served but that doesn't mean any of them are necessarily empty. What are our odds of showing up there on a Monday around mid Feb?

Honestly...It depends. If it's a weekend when kids are out of school forget it...but otherwise you should be good.

[Vaquero]

You'll experience a lot of dry, open country.
Scub brush and cactus.
Oil pump jacks are as numerous as the stars.
At Carlsbad, NM. save a 1/2 day for driving North then West to Sitting Bull Falls.
A true desert oasis. From there, continue south towards the Guadalupe Mountains from the NM side. The desert floor is not far north, but the cool alpine environment and the pines make you think of the Rockies. Pavement ends, but the roads aren't rough by any means.
I'd stay at the KOA north of Carlsbad towards Artesia, NM.
Otherwise, you're in a "park" full of oil field workers.
Real nice hosts there too.
Lost Alaskan RV park in Alpine, TX is a good staging area for several days of exploring.
Marfa lights.
McDonald observatory.
Big Bend , National and State parks connected.


Midland is for raising a family.
Odessa is for raising hell.
Remember that.

[Vaquero]

And PM me when you get out west of Sweetwater, TX.
I'll be somewhere out here.
Wishing I was in Alpine.

[Bassdogs]

Not sure when we will be able to leave, but will be planning backwards so we can arrive at The Guadalupa mtn np other than on a Friday or Saturday. Last year found that weekends were a problem at Texas state parks etc. Thinking about trying to stay at the CG at the Guadalupa Mtn NP. We will be fine without hookups for a planned stay of 3 or 4 nites. Looks like 30 miles or so up to the caverns so a couple of days back and forth to Carlsbad NP wouldn't be a problem. Then planning on meandering south towards Big Bend NP with a stop to avoid arriving there on a weekend. Have been warning DW to expect a lot of wide open spaces and a lot of miles between anything.

Trip is starting to come together but am hoping to keep things flexible so we can hit on targets of opportunity along the way. Always helps though to have a general destination area in mind. New rubber on the White Hawk and mechanicals s/b good to go. Slow and steady is the plan.

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by Vaquero

And PM me when you get out west of Sweetwater, TX.
I'll be somewhere out here.
Wishing I was in Alpine.

Will try to give a shout when we get somewhere with wifi. Kind of looking forward to getting off the grid for a while though.

[schrederman]

Sorry but I40 isn't going to take you through Dallas. I30, however is a bear getting through Dallas. I30 and I20 merge just east of where I live and I30 ends. I'd recommend going south on I635 on the east side of Dallas and take I20 west. Still lots of traffic but not as bad as I30 in Downtown Dallas. This will ad about 7 miles but knock off an hour in normal traffic, which ain't a bad trade.

I have to echo the good reviews on Dinosaur Valley in Glen Rose, but it's a bit out of the way if you're traveling through and just want to put miles behind. If you're going the scenic route, however, US67 takes you out that way off the interstates. I also have to echo the good reviews for Balmorhea. Going on west to my favorite part of the world, Carlsbad Caverns is in the north end of a huge ridge, with Guadalupe Peak and El Capitan on the southern end. Just north of the main part of Guadalupe Mtns. NP is McKitrick Canyon. You can hike up to 18 miles back into it and it's beautiful. South of there at in the Marfa area is where the Davis Mtns. are, and further south is Big Bend NP and Terlingua and Lajitas. From Lajitas to Precidio the river road is amazingly beautiful.

If you're adventurous, you can buy a glider ride at the Marfa Airport from Burt Compton. The scenery is spectacular on a clear day... as they say... you can see forever. Did I mention that this is my favorite part of the world? We'll be spending 2 weeks in September out there this year, and heading on up to Colorado from there.

Good stuff.... enjoy!

[TaftCoach]

I love Big Bend and recommend a stop. Visit bigbendchat.com for the best advice anywhere about any national park.

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by schrederman

Sorry but I40 isn't going to take you through Dallas. I30, however is a bear getting through Dallas. I30 and I20 merge just east of where I live and I30 ends. I'd recommend going south on I635 on the east side of Dallas and take I20 west. Still lots of traffic but not as bad as I30 in Downtown Dallas. This will ad about 7 miles but knock off an hour in normal traffic, which ain't a bad trade.

Good stuff.... enjoy!

My mistake about 1-40. We spend so much travel on that road I forgot we split off onto I30 long before hitting Texas. Anyway thanks for the heads up on getting thru the Dallas area. Really hate going thru major unfamiliar cities. Was a struggle going thru the Houston area last winter. Anyway will plan our route with your suggestions and Dinasour valley is sounding like a possibility weather permitting.