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Hot Springs Historic District is a popular area of Big Bend National Park in Texas. It’s possible to soak in a natural hot spring along the Rio Grande.
History
The first recorded European visitor to the area was Spanish military officer Pedro de Rábago y Terán (d. 1756). When he passed through in 1747, he found Apaches farming in the area. Pictographs and petroglyphs made by Native Americans can be found on the limestone walls along the trail (see below).
In 1909, J.O. Langford arrived in the area and filed a claim under the Homestead Act with the intention of curing his poor health at the hot springs. His claim was accepted two weeks later, and he moved to his new homestead with his wife and daughter. After treating himself for 21 days and regaining his health, Langford opened the hot springs to other bathers. He charged 10 cents a day or US$2 for the entire 21 day treatment.
In 1912, border trouble arrived and the US Army suggested residents leave the area until things calmed down. Langford left but didn’t return until 1927, when he developed the property even further. In 1942, after the establishment of Big Bend National Park in 1935, he sold the property for inclusion in the park for US$10. Maggy Smith then managed the hot springs as a park concession until 1952 when it closed permanently. Hot Springs Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Post Office
The first building visitors see at the Hot Springs Historic District is the old Hot Springs Post Office. Langford built the post office, which doubled as a store, in 1927. Mail was delivered weekly and the building served as a community gathering place.
It’s possible to peek inside the building and see the remnants of the colorful paintings that used to decorate the walls. There’s also a photo of Maggy Smith running the store. She was popular on both sides of the border, often serving as a midwife and administering first aid.
Motel
A few steps away is the Hot Springs Motor Court. Langford built this motel in 1927 to accommodate guests visiting the hot springs. It was constructed of stone and had concrete floors. Guy Lee of Marathon decorated the walls with paintings of burros, horsemen, and other scenes.
According to an ad in 1933, “Light housekeeping rooms, furnished, except linens, blankets, and pillows, rent for $1 per day; $6 per week; baths 25 cents each; patients with contagious diseases 50 cents a bath; room, board, and baths $3 per day. Or you can, free of charge, camp outdoors under the shade of the trees, and fish in the waters of the Rio Grande.”
Hot Springs Historic Trail
The Hot Springs Historic Trail continues past the Hot Springs Historic District. Following the motel are the limestone walls containing the Native American pictographs and petroglyphs. Birds also nest on the sides of the walls.
The trail is a ½ mile round-trip to the hot springs themselves, where you can bathe in the original Langford Hot Springs. The bathhouse constructed by Langford shortly after 1909 was demolished in the early 1950s, but the foundation as well as the pool remains. The pool was actually modified from an ancient thermal bath used by Native Americans.
The water flowing into the pool is heated by geothermal processes and emerges at 105° F. It contains calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, and lithium as well as dissolved mineral salts reputed to have healing powers. The pool sits right next to the Rio Grande, making a spectacular setting for a relaxing soak.
The Hot Springs Historic Trail can continue as a two-mile loop, heading up to the bluff above the pool, or you can connect with the Hot Springs Canyon Trail and walk three miles all the way to Rio Grande Village.
Getting There
The road to the Hot Springs Historic District is a two-mile gravel road down a narrow wash. It’s a very rough road but it’s doable without a 4×4.
