La Vista RV Park

The Great Outdoors

After you’ve settled into one of the campsites at La Vista RV Park, you can take a short drive to Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area. This ecological area covers 23,000 acres of the Trans-Pecos Region. It hosts several wildlife species, including pronghorn antelope, whiptail lizards, and coyotes. An impressive feature of this WMA is a 2,000-foot-tall tabletop mountain, the Elephant Mountain. Remember to bring a camera while you hike through this area.Of course, one of the highlights of Brewster County in Big Bend National Park. Split across the Mexican-US border, this national park offers endless prairie, dramatic landscapes, and a wide variety of flora and fauna. Here, wildlife enthusiasts can spot rare birds, mammals, and reptiles, or identify 1,200 species of protected plants. This national park is threaded with hiking trails that range from easy to challenging, many of which are accessible all year round. You might like to take a 12.5-mile hike along the South Rim Trail and camp out in the wilderness or perhaps a shorter route to the viewpoint at Grapevine Hill. In the heat of the summer, you might prefer a scenic drive on the Ross Maxwell Scenic Road or a multi-day boat excursion to Santa Elena Canyon.Another area to discover while you’re camping at La Vista RV Park is Big Bend Ranch State Park. Connected to Big Bend National Park, this was one of the largest ranches in Texas and is now the largest state park in Texas. With over 280 miles of trails that pass through remote backcountry, front country, and wilderness areas, there’s something for all kinds of adventurers. You can choose to hike, mountain bike, or horseback ride on the park’s trail network. Alternatively, you can take a canoe or kayak along one of the many rivers or join a white-water rafting excursion. You can also spend a magical starlit night in one of the Big Bend RV campgrounds. The isolated nature of this state park makes it an ideal location for stargazing.North of the RV park, you can visit Balmorhea State Park, near Toyahvale. The park is best known for its freshwater spring-fed swimming pool, which makes it a popular place to cool off during Texas’ scorching summers. After a dip in the tepid water, you can start exploring the surrounding desert wetland. Look out for rare species of catfish and javelina in the spring and summer or watch for birdlife in the migration season. Balmorhea State Park is also set up with lots of family-friendly activities, including ranger programs, geocaching, ball courts, and picnicking areas.

Explore the Area

When you’ve finished exploring the wilderness, you can enjoy some of the nearby city attractions. Camp in an RV near Alpine, and you can drop into town for a bite to eat. Alpine hosts a mixture of Mexican and American restaurants and grills. For a more extensive selection, you can drive to Marathon, where you can find fine dining, a trendy coffee shop, and stone-baked pizza. While in Marathon, you can also sample locally crafted beer at a traditional bar, or shop for souvenirs.In Alpine, you can visit the Museum of the Big Bend. Learn more about the Big Bend Region, including its Native American and Spanish heritage, as you browse the exhibitions and artifacts. Inside the museum, you can walk through life-sized representations of Big Bend’s natural and human history and examine the historical map collection. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions that have included artworks, live poetry readings, and photograph collections.If you're renting an RV in July, you can catch the Viva Big Bend Festival. During this multi-day festival, over 50 bands perform live at towns across the region, including Alpine and Marathon. Listen to a mix of country, rock, and folk, as well as Tex-Mex, Latin, and blues.