Texas' Unique Town Right By The Rio Grande Is Packed With Desert Charm And Quirky Attractions

Texas is one of the biggest states in the U.S.A., but there are still places throughout the state where you can find small towns with a lot of heart, like Langtry. According to the Texas Historical Association, Langtry gets thousands of visitors every year, and for good reason. Texas is well-known for its natural beauty, with its scenic canyons, miles of trails, and even majestic bison, and visiting Langtry gives tourists the unique opportunity to explore the rich history of the area while also enjoying the desert charm of the Lone Star state.

For transportation, potential visitors to Langtry should definitely think about renting a car. Travelers flying into the San Antonio airport will have a three-and-a-half-hour drive to the small town. Because Langtry is so close to the Mexican border, the closest airport is actually Piedras Negras International Airport in Mexico, which is about just over two hours from Langtry by car. If cross-country drives and highway journeys are more your style, you can find Langtry off U.S. Route 90 north of the Rio Grande.

Langtry is a great hub for those who love the outdoors. Visitors can easily stop by Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site to immerse themselves in nature. The state park is about a 20-minute drive from Langtry, and it encompasses over 2,000 acres including a desert vista camping area. The park's busy season is March through May, so visitors should be prepared for the park to be more crowded than normal during those months. Visitors should also stop by Eagle's Nest Canyon historical marker to get views of the desert and learn a bit more about the history of the area.

Tourists can stop at the Pecos River Bridge, one of the tallest bridges in Texas. Travelers can look at the bridge from afar, or they can drive onto the bridge to get excellent views of the canyon below. One Google reviewer called the views from the bridge "stunning," and another Google reviewer called the bridge "impressive and fun to dive across," even if the water level might be low sometimes. Road-tripping through Texas is a great way to view all these places easily, though be aware that some of the tiny panhandle towns have notorious speed traps.

Langtry is named for George Langtry, an engineer foreman who supervised the building of the railroad. However, the town is most famous as the home of eccentric local Texas legend Roy Bean. Bean was born in Kentucky in the 1820s and lived a rough-and-tumble life before moving to West Texas and setting up his saloon, the Jersey Lilly. He also became a justice of the peace, though he had no knowledge of the law. Bean was known for his humorous rulings and cantankerous demeanor, and people began referring to him as the "Law West of the Pecos."

Travelers interested in this unique part of Texas history can stop into the original Jersey Lilly saloon to see where Roy Bean tended bar and dispensed his various rulings. There's also the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center on the same property, where visitors can learn more about his life. Walking Torres Avenue, visitors can spot a particularly quirky part of Roy Bean's legacy: a historical marker for a prize fight he coordinated. Prize fighting was actually outlawed in Texas in the late 19th century, so Roy Bean set up a fight on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, out of reach of both Texas police and far-away Mexican officials. Now, there is a placard on the site to remind visitors of the special history of the area. For more Texas history, travelers should visit the museums and landmarks of Waco, the "heart of Texas."