Visiting Big Bend Country

Temperatures are rising in Big Bend Country – which can only mean outdoor adventure is on its way in west Texas. Make your way to Abilene State Park for hiking, nature study and largemouth bass, channel catfish, and white crappie fishing in Buffalo Wallow Pond and Lake Abilene. Staying further west? Explore over 15 acres of nature trails and outdoor exhibits at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. Swing by the Alpine Country Club Golf Course in Alpine, followed by a family picnic in the beloved Kokernot Park. Ever try sand surfing? Test your skills at the Monahans Sandhills State Park, a vacation hot spot in west Texas and Big Bend Country.

A staple of west Texas and Big Bend Country, El Paso is a cultural city full of festivity and Mexican and Native American heritage. Neighboring the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, El Paso features a number of stopping points during your west Texas travels, including the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. Closed on Mondays, the Museum of Archaeology showcases the life of El Paso’s foremost inhabitants through outdoor and indoor exhibits, plus 15 acres of nature trails. Check out the current exhibit “Watercolor Paintings of Rock Art at Hueco Tanks” – free to the public and a must-see during your stay in El Paso. Visiting in late March? Don’t miss the 2012 Franklin Mountains Poppies Fest on Castner Range – yet another free activity best followed by a stay at a Best Western hotel in El Paso.

Found along U.S. Route 90, the city of Alpine is set southeast of El Paso and south of Pecos in Big Bend Country – and home to the Museum of the Big Bend. Enjoy Alpine’s menu of outdoor activity like mornings at the Alpine Country Club Golf Course, or rock hunting in nearby Woodward Ranch. Of course, no visit to Alpine is complete without a breezy afternoon at Kokernot Field and Park – the best way to kick off your spring or summer break. Home to the Alpine Cowboys Baseball team, the 20-acre Kokernot Park comes complete with picnic spots, a walking and jogging trail, and playground equipment perfect for little ones.

North of Alpine and just west of Odessa, the west Texas city of Monahans is a treat for any visitor to Big Bend Country. Monahans is home to the Monahans Sandhills State Park – nearly 4,000 acres of sand dunes along Interstate 20. Try your hand at activities like sand surfing, sand tobogganing, and even sand football. Other recreational musts in Monahans Sandhills State Park include hiking, picnicking and horseback riding, so as the temperatures rise this spring, be sure to visit this state park in Big Bend Country. The best way to experience west Texas is to explore the many parks, museums and attractions of Big Bend Country – topped off with a stay at a Best Western hotel.

Big Bend Country Hotel Map