West Texas & Big Bend Bike Tour

In West Texas and the Big Bend region, everything is BIG. Revel in stellar views at the McDonald Observatory. Pedal amidst the surreal landscape of the Chihuahuan Desert from the biological diversity of the 7000 foot Chisos Mountains to the Rio Grand’s limestone canyons. Top it off with the quirky arts town of Marfa, Texas for a dash of true Texan culture!

Custom bike tour departures available for groups of 6 or more.

Day 1: Meet in Midland, then shuttle to McDonald Observatory for a daytime tour. After the tour, start cycling to the town of Alpine, where we’ll spend our first evening together.

Day 2: Today we have a long, mostly downhill ride through the mountains to Terlingua, where we stay our first night at Las Casitas at Far Flung Adventure Center. Enjoy the quiet and solitude under the starry night sky.

Day 3: This is a day to truly explore deeper into Big Bend! First off, we will explore the  Terlingua Ghost Town, a true hidden gem in west Texas. In the afternoon, we’ll rent kayaks from our friends at Far Flung Adventures, then float into Big Bend Ranch State Park from LaQuesta to Madera.

Day 4: A short shuttle takes us to Chisos Basin Visitor Center in Big Bend National Park, right in the middle of some of the most impressive mountains in the southwest. We’ll have plenty of time to explore and hike around some of the trails in the park. If you’re keen to do some cycling today, you’ve got the option to ride back to Terlingua, a nearly 3000-foot descent. We’ll have dinner together again tonight and enjoy another starry evening at Las Casitas.

Day 5: Today is our steepest ride of the week on FM 170 – also known as River Road. There’s plenty of climbing today on this winding mountain road. The amazing views make it worth it, though! We’ll end up in the famous town of Marfa tonight at the Hotel Paisano, which was the base of operations for the film Giant, starring James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor.

Day 6:  This morning we ride part of the famous Fort Davis Scenic Loop. We will ride along this scenic ranch road before lunch. After our last lunch together, we head back to Midland. Don’t worry, we can break up the long drive with a stop at Prada Marfa on the way!