08/20/2026
You can pack a lot into one West Texas day without spending half of it in the car. 🌵🥾💦
Just 23 miles from Alpine, the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute & Botanical Gardens has more than five miles of trails, 18 acres of botanical gardens and an incredible cactus collection with roughly 2,000 specimens.
Hike down into tree-filled Modesta Canyon, climb to Clayton’s Overlook for sweeping Davis Mountains views, or simply wander through the gardens and cactus greenhouse.
Then? Grab lunch at Stone Village Market in Fort Davis and keep going to Balmorhea State Park for an afternoon swim in the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool.
We put together one of our favorite West Texas day trips, including which CDRI trails to choose, summer tips, where to pick up a picnic, and why you really should reserve your Balmorhea day pass in advance.
🌵 Cacti
🥾 Canyon trails
🥪 A tasty picnic
💦 72–76°F spring water
🏡 And Alpine as your home base
Read the full itinerary:
https://www.alpinetxbnb.com/blog/2026/08/cacti-canyon-trails-a-different-side-of-the-desert-a-west-texas-day-trip-from-alpine
Explore CDRI’s cactus collection, botanical gardens and canyon trails, then cool off at Balmorhea on this West Texas day trip from Alpine.