Itinerary

Choose to spend the first night after your flight at a hotel at your leisure or pick up your motorhome on arrival and start your journey. We highly recommend spending a few days in the Dallas/Fort Worth area before collecting your motorhome and heading west into the wide-open spaces of rural Texas. Dallas is a bustling city with world-class arts and culture, the best Tex-Mex cuisine in the state and excellent shopping. You can also visit the site where John F. Kennedy was assassinated at the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza, and head to Fort Worth to witness the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive, sip a cold beer in an actual saloon, listen to live music in the world’s largest Honkytonk, Billy Bob’s and watch locals perform at the weekly rodeos at Cowtown Coliseum.

Once you finally collect your motorhome and get on the road you’ll head to the historic town of Graham, stopping at the famous Wildcatter Ranch on the way there. Just a short drive from your campgrounds on Possum Kingdom Lake, you will find a host of activities from horse riding and clay shooting to tomahawk throwing – getting a taste for Western-style living.

• 167km from Dallas/Fort Worth to Graham

Today, continue your drive northwest deep into the Panhandle Plains with its sprawling cattle ranches and endless horizons. Your first stop will be Copper Breaks State Park with its rugged terrain and varied wildlife. Make sure to stop for the short but challenging hike to Juniper Ridge Nature Trail for great views of the red rock landscape before driving on to Caprock Canyon State Park. Filled with huge herds of Bison, and classed 2 on the Bortle Scale, Caprock Canyon will also be your campground for the night, providing you with spectacular night skies.

• 389km from Graham to Caprock Canyons State Park

Start you day with a short drive north to Palo Duro Canyon State Park – the second largest canyon in the United States and the most stunning scenic landscape in the Panhandle region. You’ll find a paved road leads down into the canyon allowing you easy access to all the adventures available in the park.

Afterwards, stop in Amarillo, a haven for Wild West enthusiasts situated on the legendary Route 66, to see the iconic Cadillac Ranch and 1950s Americana before grabbing supplies and heading south through the heart of west Texas to your overnight stop near the town of Lubbock. If you happen to be a music fan, pass by the Buddy Holly Centre in the city to learn all about this famous rock star, before heading to the KOA Lubbock Campgrounds and calling it a night.

• 185km to Lubbock

Continue south today and stop at the remarkable Monahans Sandhills State Park for a break and some sand-based fun. This ocean-like landscape of sand is sculpted by the wind to create sand dunes, peaks and valleys for all to explore and makes a particularly great stop if you happen to be travelling with kids.

Then carry on to Davis Mountains State Park situated right next to Fort Davis, where you can see one of the best surviving examples of an Indian Wars frontier military post at the Fort Davis National Historic Site. A highlight of the Davis Mountains is the McDonald Observatory where you can prebook a nighttime stargazing adventure before you arrive. You can stay overnight at the Davis Mountain RV Park.

• 465km to Davis Mountains State Park

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Start the day with a stop in the tiny town of Marfa. Famously used by Hollywood for several films, it is also a well-known destination for contemporary art lovers being home to the Chinati Foundation Museum, and well worth a visit.

After, continue driving over to Big Bend Ranch State Park and nearby Big Bend National Park, together featuring an astounding 800,000-acre uncharted wilderness home to striking contrasts in topography and an impressive range of plant and animal life across desert, mountain and river ecosystems.

Once there, drive along the scenic River Road that border Texas and Mexico along the Rio Grande, hike along more than 200 miles of hiking trails, and take part in the Night Sky Ranger Programmes offered in Big Bend National Park. Recognised as an International Dark Sky Park and rated Class 1 on the Bortle Scale, you’ll be in for a treat with an opportunity to see some of the darkest, clearest skies of anywhere on earth. There are multiple RV sites to choose from in the area, but we would recommend the Rio Grande Village RV Campground for your 2-night overnight stay.

• 193km to Big Bend

Spend this morning enjoying the many outdoor activities to be found in Big Bend before heading back on the road north to the small town of Marathon. Even though you’ll have left the confines of the park, you’ll find you are still in one of the least-populated regions of Texas ensuring more spectacular night skies. Marathon is rated Class 1 on the Bortle Dark Sky Scale, and you’ll be staying overnight at the Marathon Skypark and RV Park where you can rent out telescopes to enjoy the breathtaking night skies. Before night falls, enjoy the many art galleries in town.

• 112km to Marathon

Head back on the road again today toward Devils River State Nature Area to see its scenic canyons and bushy banks where clear, spring-fed water tumbles past rugged ridges. Nearby you’ll also find the Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site with ancient rock art left by early canyon dwellers.

End the day with some time in the charming historic town of Del Rio, situated on the Mexican border. You’ll find no less than five campgrounds to choose from for your overnight across the state parks and recreational areas.

• 281km to Del Rio

Today you’ll be heading to your last destination: Texas’ famous Hill Country region and its main city, Fredericksburg. A region of lush landscapes, award-winning wineries and pioneer heritage, Fredericksburg is one of the best kept secrets in the wine world, as well as one of the state’s prettiest towns.

Stop at Enchanted Rock State Park on your way there to see the striking pink granite rock the is native to central Texas, then head into Fredericksburg to enjoy a couple of wine tastings at one of 50 wineries in the area to toast your trip. The city’s main street is lined with historic buildings that date back to the pioneers, and you’ll see the area’s German influence in the local restaurants and beer gardens.

Stay overnight at the picturesque Fredericksburg RV Park.

• 278km to Fredericksburg

Today you have a 402km drive back to Dallas to return your RV, but if you have the time, we suggest spending a few nights in the hip city of Austin to enjoy everything this ‘Live Music Capital of the World’ has to offer, from exceptional music to some of Texas’ best food and culture.

Drive back to Dallas to return your motorhome after your extended stay, or fly home from Austin instead. You can easily return your motorhome to the Cruise America Austin depot.