Barton Warnock Visitor Center
State park in Brewster County, in the Big Bend Country region. Established 1990. 101 acres by TPWD boundary data.
Barton Warnock Visitor Center, near Lajitas, is the eastern entrance to Big Bend Ranch State Park. Rangers here issue camping, backpacking and river-use permits and help you plan a trip. The center has bilingual exhibits on the Chihuahuan Desert and a two-acre desert garden, and it sits on River Road (FM 170) between Lajitas and Presidio.
Things to do
Get permits
Pick up backpacking, camping and river-use permits, and display your day-use or camping permit on your vehicle in the park.
Exhibits and garden
The exhibit "Una Tierra – One Land" covers the natural history of the Big Bend region, mostly in English and Spanish. Outside is a two-acre Chihuahuan Desert garden.
Drive River Road
Take the scenic route along Highway 170 between Lajitas and Presidio.
Visiting with dogs
Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Like every Texas state park, they can't go into park buildings or designated swimming areas.
These are the only two dog-friendly trails in the park.
We only allow dogs in certain areas; read our policies on dogs.
Swimming
TPWD doesn't list swimming for this park.
Best time to go
- Rain per year
- 8.9 in.
- Night sky
- Bortle 2
Expect extreme heat from April to September: temperatures often top 100°F by late morning and stay dangerous after dark. Summer storms can bring severe flash floods.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Terlingua, TX 79852
(432) 424-3327
Open in OpenStreetMap (29.2699, -103.7574)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Midland | 5 hr 38 min | 214 mi |
| El Paso | 5 hr 48 min | 239 mi |
| Lubbock | 7 hr 37 min | 316 mi |
| San Antonio | 8 hr 26 min | 315 mi |
| Austin | 9 hr 15 min | 367 mi |
| Amarillo | 9 hr 37 min | 425 mi |
Nearby parks
- Big Bend Ranch State Park
- Fort Leaton State Historic Site
- Chinati Mountains State Natural Area
- Indian Lodge
- Davis Mountains State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Big Bend Country.
Questions people ask
What is Barton Warnock Visitor Center?
The eastern entrance to Big Bend Ranch State Park, where you get permits and trip information.
Photo credits
- Barton Warnock Visitor Center at sunrise.jpg by Colin J. McMechan, CC BY 2.0.
- Echinocereus dasyacanthus dasyacanthus 22.jpg by Ian McFaul, CC BY 4.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Barton Warnock Visitor Center has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Barton Warnock Visitor Center, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Barton Warnock Visitor Center history, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026