River Road (El Camino del Rio)
Lajitas → Presidio, TX (FM-170) · ~50 miles · half day
Stylized illustration, not a photo — the real place looks different (and that’s half the fun).
FM-170 hugs the Rio Grande along the edge of Big Bend Ranch State Park — a remote, roller-coaster desert drive between Texas and Mexico that locals call one of the most scenic roads in America.
Updated July 2026.
The Rio Grande’s wildest drive.
Empty, dramatic, and far from anything: the “Big Hill” climb, hoodoos, and riverside hot springs. Carry water and fuel — services are scarce out here.
States on this route
The signature stops
What to pull over for.
The best stops on the River Road (El Camino del Rio) are the places that define the drive, not just the nearest towns. Roamward orders them for the road: start with Lajitas, The Big Hill, Closed Canyon, Presidio, then open each stop guide for the pull-over context.
01Lajitasthe resort hamlet at the western edge of Big Bend — open the stop guideTX
02The Big Hilla steep climb to a sweeping Rio Grande overlook — open the stop guideTX
03Closed Canyona short slot-canyon hike to the river — open the stop guideTX
04Presidioa border town at the road’s western end — open the stop guideTX
Where to eat
Restaurants along this route.
Restaurants on the River Road (El Camino del Rio) are chosen for trip usefulness: gateway-town location, a clear reason to stop, and enough quality to make a traveler save the pick. Start with Chisos Mountains Lodge Restaurant, 12 Gage Restaurant, The Sentinel, The Water Stop.
A curated set of trip-useful meals near the route — enough to anchor driving days without turning the guide into a phone book.
- Chisos Mountains Lodge Restaurant
The in-park lodge dining room for River Road travelers who want a real meal without leaving Big Bend.
- 12 Gage Restaurant
A polished Gage Hotel meal for the Marathon gateway before dropping toward Big Bend.
- The Sentinel
Marfa coffee, breakfast, and lunch in a newspaper-office-meets-cafe space, perfect before dropping back toward River Road.
- The Water Stop
A Marfa dinner pick for travelers extending the River Road trip through the wider Big Bend arts-and-desert circuit.
- El Patio Restaurant
Presidio Mexican plates at the west end of River Road, a practical and rooted stop when Big Bend miles make choices scarce.
- DB's Rustic Iron BBQ
A Terlingua barbecue stop for the Big Bend River Road day, hearty enough for the remote desert miles.
- Espresso Y Poco Mas
A shaded Terlingua breakfast and coffee stop before the River Road or a Big Bend hiking day.
- La Kiva
A cave-like Terlingua bar and grill that fits the weirdness and remoteness of Big Bend evenings.
Build a trip around Big Bend River Road drive.
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Where to stay
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