Things To Do In Terlingua, Texas (When Visiting With Kids & Dogs.)

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Looking for things to do in Terlingua when visiting with kids and dogs? Don’t be surprised if I tell you not much to do in this ghost town in Texas. You must venture to neighboring towns or places of interest for more cool attractions. 

Anyway, you are most likely to stay in Terlingua because you don’t get a space at the lodge or campground in Big Bend National Park. Terlingua is one of the closest towns to the park, about 5 miles driving to the western entrance of Big Bend National Park.

I am sharing here our sincere experiences in Terlingua when we visited Big Bend National Park during Spring Break. We drove from Fort Worth and did tent camping at one of the RV Campgrounds in Terlingua. 

When you compare our story with others, make sure to check the time they visited Terlingua. Was it high or low season? Weekend or weekdays? Also, was it a solo, couple, or family trip? With or without a dog? It sure makes a big difference, and these things are critical points to consider when you plan your own trip to the Big Bend region.

One other thing, we didn’t chase what was trending on social media. If we bumped into it and had time, we made a stop.   

Now, let’s find out the location of Terlingua, driving distance from big cities in Texas to Terlingua, the closest commercial airport to Terlingua, and a few other basic information about the city.

Where is Terlingua Texas?

Terlingua is an old mining district in the far southwest of Texas, United States. It is located near the Rio Grande and the Texas villages of Study Butte and Lajitas. Nestled between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park, Terlingua became famous for its annual chili cook off (held in the first weekend of November), and in 1967 was announced the “Chili Capital of the World” by the Chili Appreciation Society.

Driving distance from big cities in Texas to Terlingua

El Paso – 303 miles (5 h)

San Antonio – 461 miles (6 h 45 m)

Austin – 485 miles (7 h 30 m)

Fort Worth – 545 miles (8 h)

Dallas – 576 miles (8 h 30 m)

Houston – 659 miles (9 h 45 m)

As you can see, when you road trip to Big Bend, the first day of your trip will be spent on the road. However, you have a choice to fly to the nearest airport to the region. It will cut almost half of the time on the road.

Closest commercial airport to Terlingua

Note that from these airports you still have to rent a car. Terlingua is still miles away. 

– Midland International Air & Space Port | Midland/Odessa, Texas | 239 miles (3 hr 45 min)

– El Paso International Airport | El Paso, Texas | 299 miles (4 hr 38 min) | The destination is in a different time zone.

Terlingua Climate

Terlingua has a semi-arid climate. It is warm to hot all year round and trees don’t grow here because of the drought. It consists mainly of sand with grasses and sometimes shrubs. In other words, Terlingua is a desert. It is located in the Chihuahuan Desert. 

The average annual high temperature for Terlingua is 86°F and the annual low temperature is 54°F. An average annual precipitation is 12.13inch. It is dry for 263 days a year with an average humidity of 35% and an UV-index of 6.

How big is Terlingua?

Terlingua is 11.0 square mile, sitting on 2,891 ft elevation.

Do people live in Terlingua?

Yes they do. The current population in Terlingua is 110.

Where to stay in Terlingua?

Even though Terlingua is a small town, you will be surprised to see lots of lodging here. From camping to  glamping, RV Campgrounds to motel, you can find one that suits your budget. Although I would say glamping options are not cheap.

Check out Basecamp Terlingua for tents, tipis, casitas, campsites, and bubbles! You will see nice lodging like you saw in IG here.     

My family and I  did tent camping at Big Bend Resort & Adventures. It’s pet-friendly, has hot showers, and has room for us during the visit. It’s not ideal, but a few others that allowed dogs and were available at that time didn’t have showers. Being in a desert, it’s a big no for me.

When you plan a tent camping, be ready for hard ground and dust. We had to pour water around the stake so we could push it down. 

There was a picnic table and we let it stay in the middle. Our thought, everyone could use it. Well, the family who arrived the next day took it and put it in front of their tent. Haha..

I noticed the ones who did tent camping at that time were young adults or college students. They left before sunrise and arrived late in the evening.

Like I mentioned above, there’s not much to do in Terlingua. You will stay here because you can’t get a space in Big Bend National Park. That’s why lodgings in town are not cheap, and locals know that.

Things to do in Terlingua Texas

When we arrived in Terlingua from Alpine direction (driving on TX-118 S), we were a bit shocked. It was dusty, dry, hot, and there weren’t too many structures.

After our tent was up, we didn’t feel like cooking supper as planned ahead. The temperature was in the upper 80s and there were no shades in the tent camping area. So we did what visitors like to do in Terlingua, eating out.

– Eating out

I wrote down a few restaurants suggested by people who’d been to Terlingua. Our first stop was DB’s Rustic Iron BBQ, but they were closed already. Out of food. We saw a couple more around DB’s but the structures didn’t look inviting. So we ended up eating at Chili Pepper Cafe near our RV Resort.

One of the top Texas travel bloggers wrote a great review about this restaurant and they even came back the next day, so I thought it must be good. Well, that’s not happened to us. Food was okay and service was slow. Our water arrived after 10 minutes! Lol.

Dogs were not allowed in this restaurant. A young couple from Austin had to go back and forth to their truck to check on the dog. Our son preferred to stay in the car with our dog Snoopy, so we didn’t have problems.

Later I realized that there aren’t too many choices of restaurants or food in Terlingua. You can’t really compare the food here with the ones in big cities. Restaurant size is also the problem, unless you don’t mind waiting.

– Terlingua Ghost Town

Imagine a scene from a movie where decaying structures, mine shafts, tall tales, and ruins dotted the desert. That’s what you will see in Terlingua Ghost Town. Except, it’s a real thing. Not an abandoned movie set. 

Terlingua was a real mining town that went bust and the miners walked away, leaving their homes behind. With the mother-ore cinnabar strike in 1890, it became the world’s quicksilver (mercury) capital, yielding 40% of the nation’s needs by 1922.

When we drove around on a dusty dirt road, we saw a few ‘houses’ with curtains on the windows. But we’re not sure whether there were people living there because they looked abandoned.

– Terlingua Cemetery

One of the most interesting things to do in Terlingua Ghost Town. Rocks stacked on the ground with a wooden cross erected on one side. That’s how the tombstone looks like in this cemetery. Just like in the western movie.  

Terlingua Cemetery dates back to the early 1900s. It’s a final resting place for residents and miners who lost their lives to dangerous working conditions, gunfights, influenza epidemic in 1918, until recent causes.

It is listed on the National Register For Historic Sites and taken care of by The Terlingua Preservation Foundation. They accept donations to continue to preserve and protect this important National Landmark.

– Visit St. Agnes Church

Just like written in history, there’s mostly a church built in a mining town. So was in Terlingua. Sometime in 1914, St. Agnes Church was established and became a focal point for the mining town.        

Inside the church is modest. There are benches, a few chairs, an old organ, a broken altar, crosses, candle holders, and a small basket for donation. We’re not even sure whether they still held mass there, and whose taking care of the donations.

– Starlight Theater Restaurant and Saloon

Occupying the old movie theater from the mining era, Starlight Theater is a fine dining establishment in the entire Terlingua Ghost Town. A famous place in Terlingua that you probably heard about and saw countless pictures of IG influencers from here.

Starlight is typically busy, so expect a long wait if you don’t mind. A lot of people said they have good food, but I can’t say anything since we didn’t get to eat here. People were crowded outside, waiting for their turn. We only took pictures by an old car at the corner of Starlight, near the old jail.

– Enjoy Night Sky

Even though Terlingua is not as dark as its neighboring Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park, stars are brightly shining during clear nights. Too bad it was cloudy the three nights we were there. 

So, these are the only things to do in Terlingua from our visit in the region. I know there were others talking about visiting unique structures like a ship in the desert and other art pieces erected everywhere, but our 13 year old boy didn’t care about those things. I think most teenagers don’t care about things like that.

Final thought on things to do in Terlingua

A lot of people categorized Terlingua as one of the most beautiful small towns in Texas. I would say Terlingua is a unique town. It’s like being in a movie set without the director. 

You can execute all the things to do in Terlingua in one afternoon. Unless you want to try eating at different restaurants.

Do I want to go back to Terlingua? If I can’t get a space in Big Bend National Park, Terlingua is still my first choice. Although I’m not impressed with the town, Terlingua is strategically located between Big Bend NP and Big Bend Ranch SP.

Probably my impression will be different when visiting Terlingua during low season or during the week.