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The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive is a 30-mile paved road through Big Bend National Park in Texas. It leads to some of the most important natural and historic features of the park. This entry covers some of the overlooks and historic features along the road.
Sam Nail Ranch
The first stop along the drive is the Sam Nail Ranch. It was one of the many homesteads once active before the park was established. A short loop trail lasting about five minutes can take you through the ranch property.
Along the trail, the ruins of the adobe ranch house built in 1916 as well as two windmills are visible. One of the windmills still pumps water. A variety of birds can be spotted in the area as well as a few fig and pecan trees planted by the Nail family.
Blue Creek Ranch Overlook
At the Blue Creek Ranch Overlook, you can spot the headquarters of the Homer Wilson Ranch. At 45,000 acres, it was one of the largest ranches operating in the Big Bend area from 1928 until it was abandoned in 1945. A short ½ mile one-way trail leads down the canyon to the foreman’s house, a bunkhouse, circular corral, a chicken coop, and a dipping vat for sheep and goats.
Sotol Vista Overlook
The Sotol Vista is the third stop along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. It’s right around the corner from the Blue Creek Ranch Overlook.
This viewpoint allows visitors to see the entire western side of Big Bend National Park, including the Santa Elena Canyon far in the distance. A side road to the Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail, which is covered in another entry, is a short drive further down the road.
Mule Ears Viewpoint
At the Mule Ears Viewpoint, visitors can get a good look at the aptly-named Mule Ears Peaks. There’s also a two-mile trail to a desert spring.
Desert Mountain Vista
Following the Tuff Canyon and Castolon Historic District, which are both covered in separate entries, the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive meets the Rio Grande. A pullout not marked on park maps, Desert Mountain Vista, provides great views of the desert landscape.
Santa Elena Canyon Overlook
Finally, further down the road past the Dorgan-Sublett Trail, which is covered in another entry, is the Santa Elena Canyon Overlook. There are excellent views of the spectacular Santa Elena Canyon, which is a 1,500 foot vertical chasm cut by the Rio Grande.
Looking at the canyon, it’s interesting to note that the left wall is in Mexico while the right wall is in Texas. Visitors can continue down the road from this point to hike the Santa Elena Canyon Trail, which is covered in another entry, or drive the unpaved Old Maverick Road 14 miles to Maverick Junction near the park’s western entrance.
