★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
Presidio County
Drive-up · public land · Presidio County, TX · 30.27542, -103.88331
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
Roadside picnic area near Marfa, Texas. Ground tents not allowed. This is a suitable place to spend the night if you're in a vehicle-based sleeping platform. No campfires. Not a campground. This is the Marfa Lights observation area. The Marfa Lights are vehicle headlights visible on a distant mountain, but it's fun to pretend that they're atmospheric anomalies. Be prepared for a small crowd and social experience between sunset and 11 PM. It's a non-conventional place to spend a few nights, but was a mostly positive experience. Sort of recommended. Good cell service.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 4,900 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- HHardware8 mi
- FFuel8 mi
- GGrocery8 mi
- @Mail9 mi
- LLaundry9 mi
- +Urgent care14 mi
- RxPharmacy14 mi
- MMechanic15 mi
- ShShower22 mi
- WWater22 mi
- DDump47 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is a real 22-mi drive, fuel & food sit about 8 mi out.
Not within 60 mi: Propane. Plan those before you head up.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
public land · dispersed
Elevation
4,900 ft
County
Presidio County, TX
Coordinates
30.27542, -103.88331
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureLong Draw (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townNopal · ~2.7 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelSunoco · ~8.5 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationnone within 31 mi
- GroceriesPorter's Thriftway · ~8.9 mi
- PharmacyCity Drug · ~14.5 mi
- Hospital / clinicPermiaCare · ~14.4 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
Had a signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
No
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
No
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- RestroomHB 20 Enlisted Mens Barracks IA · ~22.2 mi N · NPS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Presidio County~0.0 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Presidio County, TX). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Finding water out here →Dumping grey & black →Hot-weather camping →Picking a spot →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →