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There was something about the stark, empty desert landscape that intrigued popular minimalist artist Donald Judd. It was like a clean, clear canvas — a perfect atmosphere to unload one’s creative energy. And, in Marfa, Judd would do just that. In 1971, Judd moved from New York to the tiny West Texas town and began purchasing real estate in the area — two large hangars and a number of smaller buildings — where he would put his art on permanent display. This would eventually attract fellow contemporary artists to the area and transform the town into an epicenter of bohemian culture, which continues today. The city of Marfa, in some ways, was Judd’s greatest art installation.
Per capita, Marfa has more art galleries, art installations, and artists than likely any other city in the country. And such art in the secluded town, which resides 90 minutes northwest of Big Bend National Park in the Chihuahuan Desert, has given way to an oversaturation of Instagrammable scenes. Whether it’s the tiny Prada store, equally tiny Target and Buc-ee’s, or giant concrete blocks, you’ve no doubt witnessed a great deal of Marfa’s art scene when scrolling through social media. People travel thousands upon thousands of miles just for the photo op.
Outside of being an oasis for modern art, Marfa has plenty of other quirks, too. The famed Marfa lights, a twinkling light phenomenon that lets the imagination run wild with potential explanations, and El Cosmico, a hotel and campground chock-full of teepees, yurts, and RVs with psychedelic paint schemes, add to the city’s charm.
A teepee in El Cosmico is where we elected to rest our heads for the night. The “room” comes with a gas-powered fire that rests near the foot of the bed, so despite the cool weather, it was a comfortable stay. A few blocks from the town square, a bundled-up man named Russell sits cross-legged at the corner of what I suggest to him is a salvage yard. Strewn about the property were three-legged pieces of furniture, a collection of busted vacuum cleaners, lamp shades, and appliances I assume were inoperable. “Salvage yard,” he says. “I like the way you put that.” Russell tells me a great deal of his clientele comes from people filming movies and TV shows in the area needing props. “Sometimes, they’ll even bring it back once they’re done using it.”
Since I’m new to the area, Russell tells me about a road few people know about that offers some of the best views in Texas. Pinto Canyon Road, he calls it. “It goes all the way to the Rio Grande, but it turns into a dirt road halfway there.”
The road in question is FM 2810 — appearing as the faintest of faint lines on any map app — which begins just west of downtown Marfa. Feeling adventurous, Kevin and I are game. The road begins in the grasslands with the 7,730-foot Chinati Peak beckoning one in the distance. Once you get near that mountain, you know things are gonna get downright beautiful.
Russell wasn’t lying, about 30 miles in (having never seen another car), it does turn into a dirt road — and a rough dirt road, at that. He also wasn’t lying when he spoke of the breathtaking views. With any remnant of civilization gone, the rocky road zigzags up down and through jaw-dropping vistas and leads us to Ruidosa, a quiet village on the Rio Grande. At the road’s end, marked by an intersection with FM 170, and unsure of where to go next, we turn around and head back to Marfa.
Day 4 Texas Map
Things to See and Do
1. The Chinati Foundation Contemporary art museum in Marfa
2. Prada Marfa An art installation that requires a pic in Valentine
3. Marfa Lights Viewing area of the phenomenon between Marfa and Alpine
4. FM 2810 (Pinto Canyon Road) The most scenic drive in Texas
Where to Eat
1. The Sentinel Marfa Coffee shop that serves breakfast in Marfa
2. Bar Saint George Fine American cuisine and good cocktails in Marfa
3. Marfa Burritos Cozy burrito shop with patio seating in Marfa
4. White Buffalo Bar Serves excellent nachos in the Gage Hotel in Marathon
Where We Stayed
Marfa: El Cosmico, a hotel and campground with teepees, yurts and RVs (Note: Due to change locations in 2025)
