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May 21, 2020 · The thirty-mile Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive leads to the Castolon Historic District and Santa Elena Canyon. Along the way the road showcases some of the historic and geologic features this region is famous for.
3 Dreamy Days in Big Bend, Texas. Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive is the most interesting of the paved sightseeing routes in Big Bend National Park, giving the greatest variety of habitats, geology and a variety of interesting short walks and interpretive pull overs.
Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. 324 reviews. #5 of 50 things to do in Big Bend National Park. Scenic Drives. Write a review. What people are saying. By DeanLewis47. “ A great drive of about 1 hour. Jan 2024. Full of variation from Mule Ears to St Elena Canyon. By paxa. “ A most scenic drive to an even more scenic trail ” Oct 2022.
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The Ross Maxwell route is named for Big Bend National Park’s first superintendent and geologist who served from 1944-1952 and laid out the route to highlight the more spectacular geologic features on the west side of the park. The road heads between Burro Mesa and Chisos Mountains.
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- Santa Elena Canyon Trail
- Santa Elena Canyon Overlook
- Castolon Visitor Center
- Tuff Canyon Overlook
- Mule Ears Viewpoint
- Lower Burro Mesa Pour-Off Trail
- Sotol Vista Overlook
- Homer Wilson Ranch
- Upper Burro Mesa Pour-Off Trail
- Sam Nail Ranch
Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive’s southern station is Santa Elena Canyon, and it is the first attractive location where you should definitely pull up. Here, you will get to see a 1.500-foot wall that has been pulled apart over time due to seismic activities along the Terlingua Fault. At this location, you get a nice view of the Rio Grande Riverrunning th...
The first stop after Santa Elena Canyon you would want to make is a scenic viewpoint of the canyon itself. However, this will not take much of your time as it is a quick and easy stop to make, but very much worth it since you will get a different perspective of the canyon and soak in the beauties from a different angle. In case you are limited with...
Located 7.8 miles east of the Santa Elena Canyon overlook, you will find the Castolon historic district, which is in close proximity to Cottonwood Campground. It is a historical place where you can learn more about an early 20th-century cotton boom from 1992 to 1942, which was run by businessman Wayne Cartledge. Wayne grew roughly 100 acres of cott...
Once you leave the Castolon Visitor Center, you will have a 2.8-mile drive to the next worthy stop, which is the Tuff Canyon Overlook. It is a perfect place to see the Cerro Castellan mountain, Tuff Canyon, and the Santa Elena Canyon from a nice distance which is a great way to soak in this beautiful scenery. For those who do not know, Tuff is a te...
After you follow the road north from Tuff Canyon for a bit less than 5 miles, you will reach Mule Ears overlook. When you make the stop look down the south to spot Mule Ears Peaks, which are two spires of rock that make for a cool photo you can take, so bring a camera along. There is also a fairly easy 3.9-mile Mule Ears Springs Trailyou can take, ...
When you take a 6.2-mile drive north from Mule Ears, make a stop at Lower Burro Mesa Pour-off Trail. It is a nice stop to make, especially for adventurers that enjoy hiking. This trail is also easy for those that are not so enthusiastic about hikes since it stretches a mere one mile. This trail follows a gravel creek bet into a box canyon and ends ...
Once you soak in these sceneries, continue your travel further north for about 5.4 miles to reach Sotol Vista Overlook. It is a beautiful viewpoint that offers a jaw-dropping look at Big Bend National Park, and it is a worthy stop, make and take some photos. When you reach this location, you can enjoy some stunning views of the south. You can see t...
For the next worthy stop, you will only need to drive for a few minutes further north, where you will find a viewpoint of the historic Homer Wilson Ranch, which was abandoned all the way back in 1945. What makes this stop so special is the fact that you will be able to see the end of the 11.5-mile Blue Creek Ranch Trail run between the Ross Maxwell...
You will require less than a mile drive from Homer Wilson Ranch to reach the next stop, which is worth of time. That stop is Upper Burro Mesa Pour-off Trail, and it is a moderately demanding 3.5-mile hiking trail that does not require a lot of time to complete (approx two hours). The end of this trail is the same pour-off you can see from the Lower...
Last but not least is the Sam Nail Ranch which is a final point of interest on the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and presents you with a short trail that is half a mile long. It stretches around an old two-room home built by Sam Nail back in 1916. It is a ranch located around 3.6 miles north of the Upper Burro Messa Pour-off Trail, and it is the last s...
The First Superintendent. Ross Maxwell (1904–1993) served as the first superintendent of Big Bend National Park, from the establishment of the park in 1944 through 1952. Born near Sparks, Oklahoma on June 9, 1904, Ross Maxwell attended the University of Oklahoma and earned two degrees there.
Dec 15, 2018 · Ross Maxwell Drive is named for geologist Ross Maxwell, Big Bend National Park’s first superintendent who served from 1944-1952. When Maxwell began as superintendent, he supervised four employees and had an annual operating budget of $15,000. At the time, the park had no paved roads, no electricity, and the nearest telephone was 100 miles away.
