Texas FM 170: The Rio Grande's Most Spectacular 50 Miles

El Camino del Rio (the "River Road") is the legendary 50-mile stretch of Texas FM 170 running along the Rio Grande from the resort village of Lajitas west to the border town of Presidio. The road traces the international US-Mexico border for its entire length, with the river itself as the boundary and the dramatic Sierra Ponce and Sierra Rica of Mexico's Chihuahua state rising 1,500 feet directly across the water. National Geographic, the Federal Highway Administration, and multiple state agencies have repeatedly ranked El Camino del Rio among the most scenic drives in the United States; it has been called "the most beautiful drive in Texas," "the wildest 50 miles in America," and "the closest thing the lower 48 has to a road through the Grand Canyon." The road was completed in 1961, taking a decade of pick-and-shovel work to cut through volcanic mesas and along canyon shelves, and was specifically designed to follow the river rather than take an easier inland route.

Key Stops

Big Bend Ranch State Park Boundary Just west of Lajitas, the road enters Texas's largest state park (311,000 acres, designated 1988). Day-use entry $5 per person; pay at the Barton Warnock Visitor Center in Lajitas before entering, as there are no fee stations on the road itself. The visitor center is also the eastern park headquarters and offers extensive exhibits on Chihuahuan Desert ecology, regional Native American history, and the park's geology.

Lajitas A tiny former trading post and now an upscale Lajitas Golf Resort & Spa community on the Rio Grande, at the boundary of Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. The town's mayor for years was Clay Henry, a beer-drinking goat. The current goat-mayor descendant lives in a pen by the trading post and is still elected to office. The resort has the only fuel for 50 miles west and the only reliable food and lodging east of Presidio. Stock up.

Contrabando Movie Set A replica adobe Mexican border village built in 1985 for the Goldie Hawn film Uphill All the Way, then used in dozens of subsequent productions (Streets of Laredo, Dead Man's Walk, several music videos). The set was abandoned to the elements and partially restored by the state park in 2015 as a walking historic site. Free to explore; signs interpret the productions and the regional history.

Madera Canyon and the Lower Shutup The road climbs out of the Rio Grande floodplain into Madera Canyon, where Madera Creek has cut a slot through volcanic mesas. The Lower Shutup is a particularly narrow section of the canyon. Several pullouts and short trails offer access to the canyon walls.

The Big Hill The drive's most famous and feared feature: a 15-percent grade climbing several hundred feet over a basalt mesa, with switchbacks tight enough to wreck U-Hauls and large trailers. The summit pullout offers one of the great panoramas on the drive: the Rio Grande snaking through deep canyon walls below, the Sierra Ponce of Mexico across the river, and the Bofecillos Mountains rolling into the distance. A bronze plaque marks the engineering achievement of building this road in 1961 with only pick-and-shovel labor.

Closed Canyon Trail One of the great short hikes in Texas: a 1.4-mile round-trip walk into a slot canyon barely 10 feet wide, with walls rising 200 feet directly above. The trail follows the dry creek bed; the canyon is impassable at the end due to a series of dryfalls and rock obstacles. Best in early morning or late afternoon when light fills the slot. No water; carry your own.

Colorado Canyon Trailhead Access point for Colorado Canyon, one of the most beautiful (and least visited) sections of the Rio Grande. River outfitters launch float trips here for the 8-mile Class II run through the canyon (typically 4–6 hours; spring water levels are best). The canyon walls are towering reddish basalt, contrasting with the green river. Several primitive river access points are available with state park permits.

Teepees and Hoodoos Picnic Area A series of cone-shaped picnic shelters built to resemble teepees, with The Hoodoos trail just beyond. The hoodoos are bizarre wind-carved volcanic tuff formations that look like petrified beasts, mushrooms, and goblins; a short walk gets you among them. One of the most photographed spots on the drive.

Bofecillos Mountains and the Solitario The road passes south of the Bofecillos Mountains, a remote volcanic range with the Solitario, one of the largest exposed laccoliths in North America (an 8-mile-wide circular dome of volcanic rock pushed up from beneath the surface 35 million years ago). The Solitario is not directly visible from FM 170 but can be reached by gravel roads requiring high-clearance vehicles and a state park permit. The country here is some of the most remote in Texas.

Sauceda Ranger Station Access The unpaved Casa Piedra Road turns north from FM 170 at Redford and leads 27 miles to the Sauceda Ranger Station, the interior headquarters of Big Bend Ranch State Park. Sauceda offers the historic Big House (former hunting lodge, now lodging) and the Bunkhouse, both rented through state park reservations. The road is gravel and requires high-clearance vehicles, especially after rain.

The Open Desert Stretch Between Redford and Presidio, the road leaves the river canyon and runs across an open Chihuahuan Desert plain with the Bofecillos Mountains to the north and the Sierra Grande of Mexico to the south. Long sight lines, big sky, and frequent roadrunners on the pavement. Mule deer, javelinas, and (rarely seen but present) mountain lions range this country.

Fort Leaton State Historic Site A massive 1848 fortified adobe trading post built by Indian trader Ben Leaton, who married into the local Hispanic community and used the fort as a base for the buffalo-hide and bounty trade. The fort's 40 rooms, 4-foot-thick adobe walls, and central placita have been beautifully restored as a Texas Parks and Wildlife historic site. Entry $4 per adult. Operates as the western park headquarters for Big Bend Ranch State Park.

Presidio The drive's western terminus and one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements on the US-Mexico border, founded in 1683 when Spanish missionaries established La Junta de los Rios at the confluence of the Rio Grande and Rio Conchos. The town has the Presidio-Ojinaga International Bridge connecting to Ojinaga, Chihuahua (Mexico's nearest sizable city, population 30,000). Presidio is famous for its onions (the surrounding fields supply much of America's spring onion crop), summer temperatures that regularly hit 110°F (Presidio is often the hottest US city on July and August days), and a small downtown of brick storefronts. Full services and the only reliable fuel for 50 miles east.

Driving Tips

• The road is fully paved two-lane FM road throughout, with significant grades and curves. Vehicles longer than 24 feet, RVs, large trailers, and inexperienced mountain drivers should not attempt the Big Hill section (Mile 14). Multiple U-Hauls and small trailers wreck on the descent every year.
• Allow a full day to drive the byway with stops. With Big Bend National Park to the east and the Davis Mountains to the north, this is typically combined with a multi-day Big Bend Country trip.
• Avoid summer. Daytime temperatures from late May through September routinely exceed 105°F, with Presidio often the hottest spot in the United States. The Chihuahuan Desert is extremely dangerous in summer heat. Late October through April is the only reasonable driving season.
• Stock up on water, fuel, and food in Lajitas or Presidio. There are no services along the 50-mile route, no cell coverage, and very few other vehicles. Carry a minimum of 1 gallon of water per person per day, a spare tire, and emergency supplies.
• Big Bend Ranch State Park day-use entry is $5 per person (free for children under 12). Buy permits at the Barton Warnock Visitor Center (Lajitas) or Fort Leaton State Historic Site (Presidio).
• Cell coverage is essentially nonexistent between Lajitas and Presidio. Tell someone your itinerary. A satellite messenger is strongly recommended if hiking off-road.
• The road crosses the international border zone. Carry valid ID. US Border Patrol maintains checkpoints; expect to stop and answer brief questions. Drug smuggling across the Rio Grande is a real concern; do not approach the river bank without state park rangers nearby and do not interact with anyone you may encounter swimming or crossing.
• Closed Canyon can be flash-flooded by storms 50 miles away that you cannot see. Never enter the canyon if storms are forecast in the watershed; check with the state park before hiking.
• Wildlife on the road: mule deer, javelinas, jackrabbits, coyotes, and (rarely seen) mountain lions. Most active dawn and dusk. Slow down significantly in low light.
• Pair the drive with Big Bend National Park (the dramatic Santa Elena, Mariscal, and Boquillas Canyons of the Rio Grande, the Chisos Basin and 7,832-foot Emory Peak, and Rio Grande Village) for a full Big Bend Country experience.
• Crossing into Ojinaga, Mexico at Presidio is a quick day trip option; bring your passport, basic Spanish, and inexpensive Mexican auto insurance (available at the border).
• For more information visit: Texas Parks & Wildlife: Big Bend Ranch State Park