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    Terlingua Ranch Lodge

    3.8 (31 reviews)
    InexpensiveResorts, Souvenir Shops
    Closed 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    From the Lodge to Terlingua.  Add another 20 minutes just to drive slow on the crazy rough gravel road to the Lodge.
    Steve D.

    If you're staying here thinking you're staying in Terlingua proper, you're not. It's an hour drive to the "center" of Terlingua. And actually when we put the Lodge's address into GPS it gave us an Alpine address. So the name is misleading. If you're using this as a base camp for visiting Big Bend, it's about an hour and half to Panther Junction. Add an additional 20 minutes to the drive times given by Google Maps, the last three miles are probably the worst gravel road I've ever encountered (big rocks, washboard and washouts). So if you have a nice car or would rather not have to pay for a new front-end alignment, I'd avoid this place. We had a two night reservation here, but didn't return for the second night solely because of the road. Other than that, the place is pretty plain-jane. And noisy, our cabin was a four-plex and the neighbors were up early to get to Big Bend. There's spotty cell service here and we could never connect to the wifi. Not really worth what they were charging.

    View from cabin 44
    marian r.

    If you want an escape from daily life , this is a nice quiet spot to come to. No cell phone service but WiFi. Nothing beats hanging at the Chihuahuan desert. We stayed in the cabins. There is also RV parking. The cabins have a small dorm size fridge , no kitchen. The bad rabbit cafe is open for all three meals and on weekend evenings there is musical entertainment. There is an airstrip if you prefer to come in your plane. Otherwise the last 3 miles to get to the ranch are unpaved and a bit bumpy and you are asked to go ( sign says 25mph)

    Just a fair warning to anyone who stays here, I initially stayed in room 41 and when I arrived here I was welcomed by a bed full of bugs. Both beds in our lodge were covered in them! They were also crawling all over the walls. I had to stay with a friend who was a few lodges down for the night. The next day I called and explained the situation, I was offered another lodge but I did not receive any form of apology. The second lodge I received was bug free but had zero hot water. My friends that stayed a few lodges down from me had no issues with theirs so it must've been luck of the draw but just wanted to share my experience so others can be wary of what to expect.

    At the ranch
    Austin S.

    First time staying in Big Bend area and wife picked here. The Ranch is way off the beaten path but for good reason. It's at the base of the mountain range which is beautiful at sunrise and sunset but best of all is that this area is a no noise pollution area which means you can see millions of stars and it's just amazing. Room was comfy and have no complaints.

    Sunset from our porch!!

    We selected this sight unseen and unfamiliar with the area for our Big Bend stay, and we could not have been more pleased. Clean rooms and incredible views. They have a cafe on the premises but it is not open Sunday and Monday so plan accordingly. Good restaurants in Terlingua or there is a small fridge to bring your own food.

    Pool
    Dan G.

    If we could give this place 10 Stars we would. Bill is Amazing!!! From the 1st phone call to book our site, to check in, to our entire trip he went way above and beyond for us and everyone who was staying there or passing through. He even watched our bags for us while we were out at Big Bend hiking the days away. The pool is cold and refreshing, the showers are warm and good pressure and the Bad Rabbit cafe was definitely one of my wife's favorite parts of the trip. We have traveling for 5 months, have been all over the US and this place absolutely was one of the best experiences. Great job Bill & staff. You Rock!!!

    Great Mountain View's!

    We just finished our stay here and absolutely loved it! The ranch was beautiful, clean and fun! The staff was extremely helpful, especially Bill at the front. They gave us great hike recommendations and were welcoming. While we stayed there the was a live band (so fun!!!) it was a bit of a drive to Big Bend (about 30 miles) but definitely worth it! I would most definitely stay there again.

    Alden C.

    If you want to canoe the Rio Grande, explore the deserty mountain delights of West Texas, and get a feel for true rural living, take a little trip to Terlingua Ranch Resort. Referred to as "the ranch" by locals, the pool at the resort is a hoppin' spot for tourists and residents alike. Between the dry heat and the rugged terrain, this is one place that stands out as an oasis in a sea of dirt roads and pickup trucks. You'll be staying in a little cabin, fairly outdated, but the window A/C units do the trick to cool you down. The beauty of this place is its remote, 16-miles-off-the-highway location coupled with the jaw-dropping scenery. A friend and I came here during a West Texas road trip that began in Ft Davis/ Marfa, and ended with us in Terlingua. We went canoeing and hiking along the Rio Grande and LOVED it. There is hardly any cell signal in these parts, so don't expect to be tweeting and Yelping throughout your trip (but, of course, that made it even more fun and adventure-y)... One word of warning: flash floods are the real deal here. Do NOT attempt to drive on the rough roads post-rain unless you have a tough SUV or truck. We made that mistake and ended up stuck, in the desert, in the dark, in the mud, with no cell phone signal. But, all in all, I absolutely recommend staying here. Just don't drive a low to the group convertible - you might just get stuck!

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    Ask the Community - Terlingua Ranch Lodge

    Review Highlights - Terlingua Ranch Lodge

    The restaurant is The Bad Rabbit Cafe and it is open for all three meals and is great.

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    Big Bend Casitas - Sunrise from the back porch of casita #3

    Big Bend Casitas

    5.0(7 reviews)
    12.5 mi

    Had a wonderful stay in casita #3…read more The casita was clean and modern, and in a quiet location too. Soft towels, soft sheets, adjustable AC and heat, TV, and ceiling fan. In kitchen there's a table and mini fridge, and limited amenities in the cupboards (dish soap, sponge, rags, only a few plates, few cups, silverware, knives, microwave, etc). Any cooking should be done outside on the grills. Outside there's also an ice machine, lawn games (corn hole, giant jenga), as well as a fire pit (closed in summer), hot tub (closed in summer) and pool. The grounds are well kept with gardens and a variety of plants. There's also a coffee shop onsite that serves a variety of drinks and a few food items. Grateful for the free wifi because my Verizon phone had 0 service here or at the park. AT&T had good service though. Stargazing: Beside the annoyingly bright streetlight at the white house on the adjacent property, it's very dark here and we saw more stars here than at home. Sunset and sunrise were both beautiful here too. Awesome location, just a short drive from Big Bend National Park! There's also as a small grocery store (Cottonwood), gas station (Alon), and a few restaurants within a short drive. There's even a liquor store next to the property that has beer, wine, liquors and more! Friendly service too. Truly an excellent place to stay!

    Nice and comfortable stay with all the amenities we needed. Great views and sunsets. Close to Big…read moreBend National Park. Was able to see more stars than in the suburbs of Buffalo and I got some decent long exposure pictures of the sky at night.

    Photos
    Big Bend Casitas - Casitas

    Casitas

    Big Bend Casitas - Back porch of casita #3

    Back porch of casita #3

    Big Bend Casitas - Nice kitchenette with real wine glasses

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    Nice kitchenette with real wine glasses

    Big Bend Station - Station Exterior

    Big Bend Station

    2.4(80 reviews)
    11.9 mi
    $$

    It's not the cleanest of places but it's not too bad, and it's close to everything in the area…read morethat's worth seeing so that's nice. While we were on our visit the restaurant that's on site was closed but I'm assuming that was a temporary thing. Honestly, I find myself somewhere in between a good review and a bad review. I can't really compare to anything because I haven't stayed at any other accommodations in the area. It'll probably suit your needs if you're not too picky. one nice thing I can't point out is if it's the needs for everyone a motel if you like sleeping indoors in RV site if you have one and it primitive Campground all at the same location

    We recently stayed here in a lodge room for a couple of nights while visiting Big Bend National…read morePark. It was OK. That's it. Nothing great and . . . we felt it was WAY over priced for what you get. There are other options in the area that are much nicer and similarly priced if you can reserve those. Do your research, look around and plan ahead. Thankfully we had a room with two queen beds -- which were comfortable -- and we used both because the top sheets were twin size and didn't even cover the entire top of the mattress. It was clean . . . as much as possible in such a dusty, dry climate. These units have supposedly been recently refurbished, but they need to pay a bit more attention to details (like the sheets) if charging this much. A rug or two to wipe dust from our feet before entering would have been helpful. The sink was new and nice, but the toilet was tiny, low to the floor and old with a big water tank and it flushed really sloowww. No excuse for that these days. Get nicer, more efficient toilets! People available to help or answer questions were scarce and food options not very forthcoming. There are a few places to go for dinner and/or coffee (4-6 miles away), but not a lot of options. Just know that this is a pretty bare bones facility in a pretty bare bones west Texas town . . . Bottom line, if you can't find anything else and don't mind 'semi' roughing it for a few days, you'll be fine. On the other hand, if you expect more for your $275/night, then you're probably not going to like this place.

    Photos
    Big Bend Station - Art Fairs, BBQs, and Weekend Fiestas are often scheduled for our Party Barn. Schedule your next occasion.

    Art Fairs, BBQs, and Weekend Fiestas are often scheduled for our Party Barn. Schedule your next occasion.

    Big Bend Station - Station Room

    Station Room

    Big Bend Station - Scenic Big Bend

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    Scenic Big Bend

    Chisos Mining Company Motel

    Chisos Mining Company Motel

    3.4(29 reviews)
    12.8 mi
    $$

    I have been traveling the world for over 30 years and have stayed in hundreds of budget…read moreaccommodations across four continents, including in developing countries. With that experience, I can honestly say this is the most "budget" place I have ever stayed at -- but unfortunately not in a positive sense. The room was extremely basic: two beds (one of them broken), a TV, a fire extinguisher (!), a sink, and a barely functioning toilet. That was essentially the entire furnishing. The windows were kept shut with wooden sticks, and the front door was so poorly fitted that it repeatedly blew open during the night, even when locked. The most serious issue, however, was cleanliness. There was a strong, persistent smell throughout the property -- a mix of damp basement and chemicals -- which caused us allergic reactions and remained in our clothes even weeks later, despite multiple washes. The room appeared not to have been properly cleaned for a long time, and we found several dead insects. After leaving, we also noticed live insects in our luggage, which we had not experienced before this stay. Unfortunately, the staff did not improve the experience. We did not feel welcome and there was no sense of hospitality. Interactions were distant and uninterested, and at times downright uncomfortable. There was no apparent willingness to assist or make our stay more pleasant, which is disappointing, as smiles and good service can often compensate for limited facilities. By contrast, one of my best stays ever was actually in a sleeping bag on a mat in a cave in the Tunisian desert, where it was the hosts, not the facilities, who made the experience truly memorable. We prepaid for a long stay, but after just one night, we decided to leave. Rather than returning, we chose to spend the rest of our vacation sleeping in our small rental car, which felt like the better, safer, and cleaner option. That decision probably says it all.

    I've stayed here 2 out of my 3 Motorcycle trips to the Big Bend area. Those 2 trips, we didn't…read moremake reservations, just stopped and ask for vacancies. It's perfect for this type of trip, just a bunch of guys, on bikes, touring the area. On our second stay I brought my telescope to stargaze. That was very cool, plus we saw a coyote wondering by. That was also pretty cool. It's not for everybody but it's really good for us. The rooms were clean with a good location to hit Big Bend. I would be 3 for 3 but when I was planning this week's trip, I couldn't remember their name to make a reservation.

    Photos
    Chisos Mining Company Motel
    Chisos Mining Company Motel
    Chisos Mining Company Motel - In front of the condo. You will see ocotillo everywhere!

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    In front of the condo. You will see ocotillo everywhere!

    El Dorado Hotel - View of the outdoor patio of the High Sierra Bar and Grill from our balcony.

    El Dorado Hotel

    3.2(61 reviews)
    16.0 mi
    $$

    Stole my money! Made Reservations as soon as it went through dates changed. I called immediately…read more Lady said she would fix it no problem. Fifth person that called that week same thing happened. All I wanted was for them to fix it or refund my money. No one would return my call. No one would even answer the phones. Found out that lady quit. I mean if that's how they run a business does not surprise me!!! If you work hard and like your money stay away.

    TERRIBLE! Before booking make sure to read the other reviews and look elsewhere to stay. We had…read moreroom 16 which thankfully was on the second floor. It reminded me of some of the poorly maintained Brooklyn AirBnBs that I've stayed in. Owner repaired DIY property and done very poorly. I do understand Terlingua is in the middle of nowhere but there are standards. The good: It's super close to Big Bend and there is a small deck patio for room 16. The cafe on site was decent and the food was surprisingly good. A lot of items on the menu were not available due to the Spring Break crazyness which was consistent everywhere. SHOUTOUT TO KYLE WHO IS ONE OF THE WAITERS. KYLE IS THE BEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO THE EL DORADO HOTEL AND SHOULD BE PUT IN CHARGE. I added one star for his awesomeness. The bad: Everything.... Upon arrival the girl in charge checked us in and was nice. However she kept doing to opposite of what she said she would do or per our requests. Example: Can we get two bath towels? Result: Two blankets delivered. The room has a large Jacuzzi tub that was out of order. Dirty and tiles all around the tub had either fallen off and placed in the tub or were about to fall off. Thankfully the shower worked and the knob to turn the water on had been replaced with a golf ball. No lie. The tile floor had broken tiles all over the room. My son cut is foot on one on day two. There were so many that the owners simply put an area rug over to cover part of the problem. For reference, the tile installed on the floor is wall tile and not floor tile so no surprise it broke. The vanity sink was interesting and was on a raised platform. It creaked with each step and felt like it was going to give way at any moment. One afternoon, the WATER randomly TURNED OFF. Girl in charge had no idea and it took an hour to get it back on. Apparently it was being worked on but they just didn't bother to tell anyone. Let's not forget that the bathroom has a double shower curtain for a door. I hope your family and or friends are okay with listening to you go to the bathroom. In short, this place could be really cool but the owners lack of effort in keeping the place in at least a Motel 6 level of quality just kills it. Owner suggestion: Demo the jacuzzi tub and wall off the shower and toilet. Paint and replace floor with vinyl LVT.

    Photos
    El Dorado Hotel - Bed to the left, huge bathroom to the right

    Bed to the left, huge bathroom to the right

    El Dorado Hotel - Couldn't open the window because of the ripped screen

    Couldn't open the window because of the ripped screen

    El Dorado Hotel - Entrance to High Sierra Bar and Grill

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    Entrance to High Sierra Bar and Grill

    El Dorado - Exterior: road sign close to both the Eastern and Western entrances on FM170 about the forthcoming "big hill"

    El Dorado

    5.0(1 review)
    15.8 mi

    I was Eastbound on FM170 from PresidioTX and was (gimp)walking my "FrankenBike" up "big hill", a…read morelong 15% grade midway between Presidio & Study Butte-Terlingua. Nearly within view of the pass, I was exhausted and saw that the Sun was three fingers from disappearing below the horizon. I knew help as required. Fortunately, good karma continued as Army vet Michael & his son in their pickup stopped in an adjacent overlook site after seeing my forlorn plea for assistance. Even better, they were going to the same place--the very family-friendly El Dorado Ghost Hotel/High Sierra Bar & Grill. Once there, I met the beginnings of my good karma: employees Shamaila Taj & Avery Reding. They had contacted me a few days earlier, when I was inside the Uncle's in Van Horn buying emergency food when Shamaila told me that a cancellation opened up a room for the night. I was thrilled because there are NO VACANCIES during Spring Break--tourists book long ahead for, literally, cooler weather instead of the broiling hot Summers. My "¡Seventh Annual First Quarter Odyssey:" immediately changed from ": 2-countries/2-states!" to ": Deep West Texas!". (and, to my much-better-half's satisfaction, too.) The large number of pesos I had bought at marvelous Melek back home were not now going to be used by me, but would still see excellent use by Michael & his son during their visit to MAGNIFICENT MEXICO! AND it was a good way for me to say "THANKS" for their amazing clairvoyance--GREAT karma all around‼

    Photos
    El Dorado - Exterior: me, position on the tailgate of Michael's pickup, stabilizing my "FrankenBike" which was just stuffed in

    Exterior: me, position on the tailgate of Michael's pickup, stabilizing my "FrankenBike" which was just stuffed in

    El Dorado - Exterior: Army vet Michael posing with my "FrankenBike", newly-stuffed into the bed of husband pickup

    Exterior: Army vet Michael posing with my "FrankenBike", newly-stuffed into the bed of husband pickup

    El Dorado - Exterior: my left arm bracing my "FrankenBike" on the bed if Michael's pickup

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    Exterior: my left arm bracing my "FrankenBike" on the bed if Michael's pickup

    Terlingua Ranch Lodge - resorts - Updated June 2026

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