Hey Boys and Girls,

  We are planning a trip out to the afore mentioned area in early March. What are some of the must see's gotta go's around there? We are aware of the Marfa lights, but what else? Thanks y'all!

Smallest Target store, Prada thingy, James Dean billboard, Union Pacific Sunset Route, Paisano Pass.  Its beautiful out there.

Big Bend National Park,  Big Bend Ranch State Park, Terlingua

^^^This^^^

If I'm driving that far out there, I'm going a little further south and do the BB area.  The drive from Presidio to Lajitas...one of the prettiest in TX.  Terlingua?...neat little place that's trying to go hipster.  The BBNP?...amazing.  The BB state park just east of Presidio is amazing also, but logistically it requires some commitment in the way of fuel and supplies...and all dirt road driving.  It's one of my favorite dirt bike places.

Marfa?...I've never been impressed.  It's a place in the middle of nowhere that's trying to become hipster.  Its scenery fails in comparison to just a few miles to the south.  Alpine?...its scenery is a little better, but it's mainly a place to get supplies for the real treat further south.  And I'm not trying to be a hater, but it's just so much better to drive a little further south.

I live in Alpine unfortunately the Target store got torn down last month, drive from Alpine to Fort Davis and then Marfa is really nice.
If you decide to go south from Marfa the park area and river road are also a must, you can down south from Alpine and then along the river to Presidio.
Fort Leaton and BBRSP are right outside Presidio if you take the river road route.

Newsflash Marfa is hipster due to the people who have decided to move out there and flip 1 br adobe casitas for half a mil.
Cant say much about Alpine moved here in 94, then away after I graduated, and back.

The drive to Balmorhea is also not bad, im not sure if the pool will be open by that time.

Marfa I guess if you like artsy stuff, if you go out to the Marfa lights and you have NODs, bring them.

The park area and river road are also a must, you can down south from Alpine and then along the river to Presidio, you will pass BBRSP  either way you go.

Mcdonald Observatory when they have stargazing events. Not sure if they're doing it now with covid though.

NODS are a must here and thermal if you have one. Especially if under a full moon. One image is the church in ghost town before and while renovations were going on.

DB's rustic BBQ is closed for now. You will have to settle with High Sierra, Chile Pepper, Rio Bravo, Motor Inn, Starlight, and Lajitas.

BBNP and State Park are a must to see.

The smallest target store is no longer there.  Owner demolished it

TCS88, I agree on the fun with night vision and/or thermal.  I took a Pulsar thermal rifle scope on my last trip and had a blast with it.  I'm usually in the area from Presidio to the BGWMA camping the entire time for two weeks or more.  The wildlife really does its thing in the evening and dark out there.  Depending on where you're at along the way, fox, coyotes, burros, bobcats, javelinas, deer, etc.  I hoped to maybe see a mountain lion or such with it but not yet.  Saw one in broad daylight on River Road in the NP near the Woodson's turnoff three years ago as I crested a rise in the road on my dirt bike.  I'd also like to do an overnight primitive camp up Pine Canyon road in the NP and walk a bit into the Chisos at night with a thermal.  That's supposed to be a great trail to maybe get a sighting of a bear and/or a mountain lion as you go up.  The BB area and southern Utah are my favorites.

Davis Mountains State Park is a great little spot.

Tour the fort at Ft. Davis.  

If the Chihuahuan Desert Institute is open (its between Alpine and Ft Davis) it has some great trails.  

I'm not sure if the McDonald Observatory is open to the pubic with the COVIDs, but the drive from Ft Davis on 118/166, past the observatory and Mt Livermore and back around to the Marfa Highway is a lot of fun.

As others have said, if you can make a the trip down to Big Bend Nat'l Park or Big Bend Ranch State Park (bring a truck) they're great places to hike, bike, and 4x4.  

Never understood the draw to places like Marfa or Alpine. They are sleepy and boring for the most part and have about as many interesting things in them as any other small county seat town in West Texas.

Big Bend is exceptional. Three national parks rolled into one. Sky islands in the Chisos, the desert and the river.

Terlingua is fun.

I met a kid at 4-H camp back in the late 80's who went to school at Sul Ross. He told me about all the hunting available back then, even some place set up by the school or near the school to keep your rifles. Always intrigued me, but I had my eye set on going to Sul Ross's college by the railroad tracks near the Brazos river.