Texas River Road: Big Bend's Borderland Roller Coaster
Share
Biker Nation Featured Ride | Far West Texas • FM 170 between Lajitas and Presidio
Some roads keep you busy watching the pavement. Texas River Road makes you wish you could watch the pavement and the scenery at the same time. The solution is simple: ride the road, then pull over somewhere safe to take in the view.
This is a ride to build a day around, with room for breaks and a sensible turnaround. An ambitious mileage target does not improve a desert afternoon.
Ride this route
Follow FM 170 between Lajitas and Presidio. This is the paved River Road, also called Camino del Rio, along the Rio Grande in the Big Bend region. Much of the scenic corridor lies within Big Bend Ranch State Park.
Choose the right River Road: Use the FM 170 highway corridor described here when planning. Do not substitute an unrelated backcountry road simply because your navigation app also labels it “River Road.” Confirm the full route before departure.
What makes this ride special
The tourism council describes a road that climbs, crosses arroyos and follows canyon walls, with the Big Hill as a standout viewpoint. It is a different proposition from a wooded mountain run: the landscape is a major part of the reason to come.
Give it the time it deserves. Plan a few stops rather than trying to photograph everything from the saddle, and agree on meeting points if your group prefers different riding paces.
Where to stop
The Barton Warnock Visitor Center near Lajitas is a useful starting point for regional information and park planning. Use established scenic pullouts along the road. Terlingua Ghost Town can be a separate extension to the outing rather than another stop you rush to reach.
If you plan to enter park recreation areas or use their facilities, check applicable permits, fees and access with Texas Parks & Wildlife. A scenic highway ride and a park excursion need different amounts of time.
Where riding skill matters
Visit Big Bend warns of narrow roadway, limited shoulders, steep grades and livestock on or near the pavement. Keep your speed within what you can see, give descending sections your full attention, and save sightseeing for a proper stop.
Do not assume a quiet stretch is an empty one. Leave room for an unexpected animal or a vehicle coming the other way, and avoid stopping where the next driver will have little warning.
Before you leave
Plan fuel stops, carry drinking water and download maps. Check DriveTexas, the forecast and park alerts. Texas Parks & Wildlife warns of extreme heat, large daily temperature swings and flash flooding in creek beds. Choose your date and departure time around conditions, and never enter water covering the road.
Navigation note: This is a route-planning guide, not confirmation of today's road status. Verify conditions and services before setting out.
Route sources and planning
Read more: Visit Big Bend's Camino del Rio guide →
Barton Warnock Visitor Center, park information and alerts →
Keep riding with Biker Nation
Read more: New Mexico Highway 152 — Across the Black Range →
Prefer a forest ride? Try North Georgia's Wolf Pen Gap →
Explore all Biker Nation Featured Rides →
Biker Nation — Where strangers become family.
