El Coyote Terlingua

Big Bend National Park, located at the “Big Bend” of the Rio Grande river that forms the border between Mexico and Texas. The park is renowned for its extensive hiking and backpacking trails and its panoramic vistas. As the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert landscape and ecology in the United States, it stands as one of the most expansive and secluded national parks in the lower 48 and offers visitors the opportunity to explore one of the last untamed frontiers of the country. The terrain within the area encompasses immense canyons, expansive desert plains, wooded mountains, and an ever changing river. The elevation in the region ranges from under 1,800 feet along the Rio Grande to nearly 8,000 feet in the Chisos Mountains, providing a diverse and captivating landscape for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers to discover.

We pride ourselves on being a locally owned and operated business. We are committed to personally assisting you during your stay, ensuring that your needs are met promptly and efficiently. Staying with us means avoiding the potential headaches often associated with property managers handling multiple rentals. In addition to our personalized service, we offer valuable insight into the Big Bend area, eager to guide you in the right direction for an unforgettable experience. Your comfort and satisfaction are our top priorities, and we’re here to make your stay truly memorable.

Thanks to its considerable distance from major urban areas, the Big Bend region is renowned for its remarkably dark skies. This remote location rewards us with some of the darkest skies in North America. The darkness of the night sky is quantified using the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale, which measures the visibility of celestial objects at night. This scale spans from Class 1, representing the darkest skies found on Earth, to Class 9, which denotes inner-city skies. Remarkably, the Big Bend boasts a Class 1 rating on this scale. For those who have never experienced a truly dark and starry night sky, no words can describe the awe-inspiring sight and feelings. I still vividly remember my first encounter with the night skies out here many years ago.

Always practice safe fire practices: never leave a fire unattended, and ensure that all flames are fully extinguished when finished. While a fire pit is available, please refrain from lighting fires during high winds due to the easy and rapidly spreading nature of fires in the desert. In case of an emergency, fire extinguishers are conveniently located under the kitchen sink and outside on the center post.

We met in 2015 and planned a backpacking trip to Big Bend National Park. Before we even got out of the truck this place stole our hearts. It became the place we would visit every chance we got until, finally, we decided to make it our home. We sold our house in San Antonio and made the big move to the middle of nowhere. We built El Coyote Terlingua to share this wondrous place with our loved ones and anyone else who might want to come visit. In our spare time we love to explore the wonders of the land we call home. We are passionate about where we live and what it takes to thrive out here. We are always open to questions or suggestions and love to give advice on how to best enjoy your time here.

•This is a remote area. We highly recommend planning your trip to arrive before dark – it is incredibly dark out here and much easier to get around during day light.

•If you are into stargazing you should plan a visit around celestial events- the moon phase and weather should also be considered since a bright moon or cloudy night will impair your view of the stars. 

•Once you leave Alpine you will not have cellular service. Some carriers will show minimal service in some spots but don’t count on it. The closest Wi-Fi aside from our place is on the porch at the Little Burro Country Store.

•There is a grocery store in Study Butte but options are limited and things cost a bit more, it’s a good idea to bring what you want to eat with you.

•Most stores close at 9pm or earlier and hours are subject to change without notice.

•Keep in mind that there’s only a handful of restaurants to eat at and during peak season the wait to eat can easily exceed 2hrs.

•Headlamps and flashlights are helpful for navigating the property on dark nights.