A shoot-out at a Big Bend ranch captured the nation’s attention: first as an alleged ambush by undocumented migrants, then as a fear-mongering hoax. The real story is much more mysterious.
Yes, it has fearsome pincers and shoots acid when threatened. But it’s essentially harmless!
They’ve been extinct for millions of years, so you'll just need a little imagination—and this handy guide.
For a food obsessive like me, Big Bend’s culinary scene rivals the nature.
Big Bend Ranch State Park and Enchanted Rock State Natural Area both saw a 50 percent surge in backcountry rescues last year.
This scrappy town on the edge of the Big Bend region has a trendy motel, pistol-packing waitresses, and starry nights aplenty.
Two major conservation funding victories could create a brighter future for Texas's public lands.
Ahead of tomorrow’s nail-biter, we present a grab bag featuring a Big Bend documentary, Beyoncé clips, the Houston Zoo’s baby animal playlist, and more.
Contrary to what a viral video suggests, it’s unrelated to the pandemic.
Some were written long ago. Some appeared this year. But whether it’s a sign about snakes or a sign about diesel fried chicken, a simple message seems to mean the most.
In what’s normally the beloved park’s peak season, officials make the call for the safety of employees and area locals during the pandemic.
Spending time outdoors is good for mental health. But as COVID-19 spreads in Texas, officials and citizens are grappling with whether, and how, we can enjoy public parks.
Not many people will drive the mail to places the U.S. Postal Service won’t. Seventy-one-year-old Gilbert Lujan is one of them.
After an eventful first year as superintendent, Bob Krumenaker has a vision for the park’s future as it celebrates its 75th anniversary.
Volunteers and others step in to help maintain Big Bend, the San Antonio missions, and other beloved sites, but fears about lasting damage grow as the impasse drags on.
Ninety-three-year-old Armando Vasquez tells of a place that used to be.
From the red-rock canyons of the Panhandle to the towering forests of the Piney Woods, some of the best parts of our state are accessible only by foot.
These mountain hikes will take you to new heights—and new extremes.
What to do, where to eat, and more if you’re heading to Fort Davis, Marfa, Marathon, and/or Big Bend this season.
What Texas Monthly's style contributors are inspired by right now.
A 39-year resident of Houston is gearing up for his first experience of the greatest road trip Texas has to offer.
Over three installments, we follow a film team as they—by bike, horse, and canoe—document how a physical wall would affect the area, water, and its people.
For an affordable stay in a new city, with built-in friends.
We found fast cars, big skies, and a whole bunch of daredevils at this annual high-speed race weekend out west.
Are big and bright—and ready for their close-up.
It's never too early (or too late) to plan your escape.
The festival titan wants access to government-owned lands for its events.
The Instagram accounts that’ll have you itching to take a Texas road trip.
Our great big beautiful backyard awaits.
Few things make Texans happier than a full tank of gas and an open highway. You’ve got a lot of ground to cover, but I propose you start with these four trips, each originating at Brady, the geographic center of Texas. You’ll be saying “y’all” and offering the hi sign
Saved by Prickly PearA hiker gets trapped in Big Bend.It was a gorgeous Tuesday morning in April 2010, and Merritt Myers was going on a hike. Hiking was a form of spiritual therapy for Myers—the Austinite had trekked in the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, even Machu Picchu—and one
Six burros and their handlers marched up Lavaca Street to the Capitol, a furry showing of opposition to TPWD's feral burro-eradication program.
ROUTE: West of Ozona to Sanderson DISTANCE: 85 miles NUMBER OF COUNTIES: 3 WHAT TO READ: James H. Evans’s Crazy From the HeatA drive whose sole purpose is to experience the simple pleasure of being behind the wheel has a few requirements. The route must lead west, because that’s the
Texas Parks and Wildlife has embarked on an ambitious plan to restore the desert bighorn sheep population in Big Bend Ranch State Park. To accomplish this goal, the department has had to make hard choices about which animals live, which animals die, and what truly belongs in the Trans-Pecos.
The senior editor on Texas Parks and Wildlife’s program to reintroduce bighorn sheep in the Big Bend.
The title of James Evans’s new series of Big Bend photographs is “The Camera Never Sleeps.” It doesn’t matter, apparently, that the photographer does.
James H. Evans has been photographing Big Bend for twenty years. But never before has it looked so, well, big.
What does it take to break a wild mustang? Patience, horse sense, experience, and if you’re Teryn Lee Muench, no more than one hundred days.
In Donald Judd’s last interview before his death, in 1994, the artist explained that he’d first come to Marfa two decades earlier because he “just wanted a place in the Southwest for the summertime.” Whether he intended it or not, this far West Texas town has since become the
For hundreds of years man—from the Comanche to the backpacker—has tried to conquer Big Bend. Still, it remains wild, stark, and pristine.
For many travelers, this far West Texas town is a last-chance pit stop before heading south to brave the wilds of Big Bend National Park. But, this past spring, after driving 407 miles (that’s roughly 7 hours and 143 country songs) from Austin to
From riding on the range and stargazing to big game huntin, here are five guest ranches where you can explore your inner cowboy.
For many in this remote part of Texas, the crossing is convenient, but detractors fear the port entry could compromise security.
Birds resemble art in more ways than one, especially when they force us to address questions of ineffable provenance.
Jerry Patterson’s enemies make him out to be the Grinch who sold Christmas (Mountains, that is). Of course, he couldn’t give a &$%#.
After telecommunications tycoon Steve Smith bought the Big Bend town of Lajitas on a whim for $4.25 million, he spent perhaps $100 million more developing what was going to be a five-star, world-class getaway. The desert, however, had other ideas.
