Terlingua beyond the ghost town

I had stopped in Terlingua back in March 2023 on my way to Big Bend Ranch State Park. The town sits between the state park and the national park and is an ideal spot to get your vehicle and yourself fueled up. I did the quick detour and followed the signs to the ghost town, a collection of dwellings that are little more than a few walls and a cemetery, but still told a story of what used to be there.

This time around, it was an emergency stop. We had vastly miscalculated how far our rental SUV could carry us on a tank of gas, then found that the only gas station in the national park at Panther Junction, wasn’t open as late as advertised. We did some quick checking on a map and found the only gas station within range – maybe – was in Terlingua.

We arrived well past dark and too late to get food and ended up staying the night in a motel. The next morning was a brilliantly clear day with deep blue skies. Out the door of our room was a view of a Ocatillo in full leaf and bloom set against Study Butte.

One of the joys of being on the road is getting breakfast at the local diner. Terlingua’s Chili Pepper Cafe didn’t disappoint – tamale, tortillas and beans with your eggs.