15 Things to Do Along I-10 in Texas: Hidden History & Roadside Stops

Most people who drive across Texas on Interstate 10 treat it like a dare. Eight hundred and eighty miles, one state, and a speed limit that hits 80 mph through long stretches of West Texas. The plan is usually to just get through it.

But that's a huge mistake.

The I-10 corridor through Texas is one of the most underrated road trip routes in the whole country. You'll drive past billion-year-old mountains, swim in a desert oasis built by Depression-era workers, descend into caves so beautiful that expert geologists ran out of words to describe them, and stand in front of a Stonehenge replica next to Easter Island heads in the Texas Hill Country. And that's before you even get to the oil boom museums, NASA mission control, and a 135-foot concrete alligator.

From the New Mexico border near El Paso to the Sabine River at the Louisiana line, Interstate 10 crosses four distinct landscapes, more than a dozen small towns worth slowing down for, and centuries of American history. 

This guide covers 15 of the best things to do along things to do along I-10 in Texas — in order, west to east, so you can plan your drive one stop at a time.

Key Takeaways

The best stop along I-10 in Texas depends on what you're chasing. History buffs will love the El Paso Mission Trail and Spindletop. Nature lovers shouldn't miss Balmorhea State Park or the Caverns of Sonora. Roadside quirk seekers will have a field day at Stonehenge II and Big Beau. No matter where you're headed, there's something worth pulling off for about every 50 to 100 miles across the full corridor.

Quick Picker

• Best for families: Balmorhea State Park, Space Center Houston, Natural Bridge Caverns, Gator Country

• Best for history: El Paso Mission Trail, The Alamo & River Walk, Spindletop Museum, Fort Stockton

• Best for outdoors: Franklin Mountains State Park, Balmorhea State Park, Junction / Hill Country

• Best roadside quirk: Stonehenge II, Big Beau, Paisano Pete, Fire Museum of Texas

• Best budget-friendly: El Paso Mission Trail (free), Stonehenge II (free), Franklin Mountains (day use fee only), Columbus Courthouse (free exterior)

• Best for a quick stretch-and-go: Van Horn Blue Origin drive-by, Paisano Pete, Columbus Courthouse, Big Beau

Planning an I-10 drive? Wayback Tours helps you save every stop you want to hit so you never forget a good one. Start building your Texas road trip list today.

What Makes I-10 in Texas Different From Every Other Interstate

Most interstates go through a place. I-10 in Texas is a place.

The highway runs nearly end to end across the widest part of the state — from the New Mexico border near El Paso all the way to the Sabine River at Louisiana. The along interstate 10 experience in Texas isn't a sampler of one region. It's more like four or five different states stitched together under one route number.

In the far west, you're in the Chihuahuan Desert — one of the largest desert ecosystems in North America. Mountains rise out of flat scrub. Towns are separated by 50 miles of nothing. The sky at night is almost violent with stars.

Then the landscape slowly climbs and softens. Around Kerrville and Junction, the limestone hills of the Texas Hill Country close in around the road, and suddenly you're in green, rolling river country. By San Antonio, you're in a major American city with 300 years of layered history. By Houston, you're on one of the widest freeways ever built. By Beaumont, you're in bayou country — thick with trees, humidity, and alligators.

That range — desert to mountains to hill country to metro to coast — is what makes this drive worth doing slowly.

How Long Does It Take to Drive I-10 Across Texas?

Without stops, the full 880-mile i-10 route takes around 12 to 13 hours of straight driving — with speed limits hitting 80 mph through Far West Texas and slowing through the big cities. The halfway point between El Paso and Houston is roughly Sonora, which is a useful marker when planning overnight breaks.

Most people who try it in one shot end up regretting it. You'll pass signs for unique places you meant to look up, and by the time you stop for gas you're already 40 miles past them. Van Horn, Fort Stockton, or Kerrville all make solid overnight stops if you're splitting into two days.

One thing to flag: El Paso runs on Mountain Time while the rest of Texas stays Central — a one-hour difference that sneaks up on people.

What to Know Before You Hit the Road

A few practical things will make this road trip a lot smoother.

Gas up when you can, not when you need to. The stretch between Fort Stockton and Kerrville is long and lean on stations. Fill up before you leave Fort Stockton and don't assume the next exit will have what you need.

Download offline maps. Cell service drops out for long stretches through West Texas — roughly from Van Horn through the Balmorhea area and beyond. Google Maps and Apple Maps both let you download regions for offline use. Do it before you leave the last big city.

Bring more water than seems necessary. West Texas heat is real, especially between June and September. If you're stopping at outdoor places to stop like Franklin Mountains or Balmorhea, you'll want it.

Spring and fall are the sweet spots. March through May and October through November give you the best driving conditions. Summer is doable in West Texas (dry heat, but intense), and East Texas summers add humidity on top of that.

The best stops are front-loaded in the west. Most of the hidden gems — the caves, the springs, the desert parks — are in the first half of the drive. Don't rush through West Texas to save time for Houston. The Caverns of Sonora and Balmorhea State Park are not the kinds of places you want to blow past.

15 Things to Do Along I-10 in Texas, from El Paso to the Louisiana Border

These stops are listed west to east, so you can follow along with your drive rather than backtrack. Some are quick pull-offs. Others deserve a few hours. Pick what fits your pace — but try not to skip the ones in West Texas.

El Paso Mission Trail

You'll pass right through El Paso on I-10, and most people keep driving. Don't.

The El Paso Mission Trail is one of the oldest European-built routes in North America, and the three missions along it — Ysleta, Socorro, and San Elizario — have been active places of worship since the late 1600s. That's older than much of the colonial East Coast.

Why this one stands out: When Spanish refugees fled the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, they crossed the Rio Grande and rebuilt here. The Ysleta Mission is associated with what is considered the oldest continuously inhabited town in Texas. These aren't museums — they're living churches, still in use today.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: Southeast El Paso; accessible via local streets from I-10 exits 13–25

• Hours: Vary by mission; generally open daylight hours for exterior viewing

• Cost: Free

• Time needed: 1.5–2.5 hours for all three missions

Worth it or skip it? Absolutely worth it for history lovers — this is Spanish colonial Texas in its most authentic, least-touristy form.

⭐ What is a Bucket List? Save places you want to visit and come back to later. Your Wayback Tours bucket list keeps track of stops you don't want to forget — perfect for planning future trips.

Franklin Mountains State Park

There's a mountain range inside a city in El Paso, and it's enormous.

Franklin Mountains State Park covers tens of thousands of acres entirely within El Paso's city limits, making it one of the largest urban parks in the country. From the top, you can see El Paso below on one side and the desert stretching toward New Mexico on the other.

Don't skip this if you like: Hiking, geology, or simply jaw-dropping views. The mountains contain some of the oldest exposed rock in Texas — geologists estimate it at close to a billion years old. There are also Native American pictographs scattered through the park that date back thousands of years.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: Exit I-10 at Loop 375 / Trans-Mountain Road; drive east about 4 miles to the park entrance

• Hours: 8 a.m.–5 p.m. (extended weekend hours in summer)

• Cost: Small day-use fee per person

• Time needed: 2–4 hours; longer if you're hiking

Worth it or skip it? Worth it for anyone who wants to stretch their legs with serious scenery. Families with kids will enjoy the ranger-led programs.

Van Horn & the Blue Origin Launch Site

Van Horn is easy to underestimate. It's a small, quiet town right off I-10 in Far West Texas — but it has a secret hiding just north of town.

Jeff Bezos's rocket company, Blue Origin, launches from a private facility called Corn Ranch, just up Highway 54. You can't go in — it's secured private property — but on a clear day driving north on SH-54, you can spot the launch structures on the horizon. It's a strange and remarkable sight: a 21st-century rocket facility in the middle of a vast, empty West Texas landscape.

The quick pitch: Van Horn is also where I-20 branches off to the northeast, making it a historic crossroads of highways. It's one of the few spots with real amenities — gas, food, lodging — for a long stretch in either direction on I-10.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: Exit 138 / SH-54 north of I-10; drive north about 20–25 miles to see the facility from the road

• Access: Public road drive-by only; do not enter private property

• Cost: Free drive-by

• Time needed: 30–45 minutes for the drive up and back

Worth it or skip it? Worth the detour if you're into space history or just want a truly unusual roadside attraction to tell people about. Skip it if you're running behind schedule.

Fun Fact:

 Van Horn sits at the junction where along I-10, US-90 branches south toward Big Bend. Many of the biggest landscapes in Texas branch off from this unassuming little town.

Balmorhea State Park

Pull off I-10 in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert and go swimming. Sounds wrong. It is absolutely right.

Balmorhea State Park sits just south of the highway in a tiny town called Toyahvale, and it contains one of the most surprising swimming holes in the entire country. The San Solomon Springs push millions of gallons of crystal-clear water to the surface every single day, feeding a massive spring-fed pool that the Civilian Conservation Corps built in the 1930s.

Why it's worth stopping: This pool has been drawing people to this exact spot for thousands of years — long before there was a road, let alone a highway. Spanish explorer Antonio de Espejo reportedly visited the springs in 1583, guided by Jumano people who knew this desert oasis well. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the current pool between 1934 and 1941 using local limestone and adobe — the same New Deal workers who built parks all across Texas during the Great Depression.

The water stays in the low-to-mid 70s year-round, the pool goes down roughly 25 feet at its deepest, and if you look closely in the water, you might spot the Comanche Springs pupfish — a rare, endangered species that lives almost nowhere else on Earth.

Balmorhea state park underwent a major renovation over several years and has fully reopened, including the historic San Solomon Springs Courts motel on-site.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: Exit 206; take SH-17 south about 4 miles to Toyahvale

• Hours: 8 a.m.–7:30 p.m. (or sunset); reservations highly recommended, especially in summer

• Cost: Park entry fee; scuba and snorkeling gear available

• Time needed: 2–4 hours (could easily spend a full day)

Worth it or skip it? One of the most unexpectedly magical stops in all of Texas. Worth every minute, especially on a hot summer drive.

Love finding hidden gems like Balmorhea? Wayback Tours lets you save stops like this as you plan, so you can build the perfect route before you hit the road.

Fort Stockton & Paisano Pete

Fort Stockton is a working West Texas town — oil country, ranch country, and a surprisingly good stop if you're splitting the drive.

It's also home to Paisano Pete, a giant roadrunner statue standing in the middle of town. He's been there for decades, delightfully out of place, and very much worth a photo.

Don't skip this if you like: Texas kitsch and legitimate history in the same stop. The actual historic fort here dates back to the 1860s and 1880s, when U.S. soldiers were stationed here to protect wagon trains and water sources along the Comanche War Trail. Several original adobe buildings still stand.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: Exit 257 / Business I-10 into downtown Fort Stockton

• Hours: Historic Fort Stockton open Tue–Sat; Paisano Pete accessible anytime

• Cost: Small fee for the historic fort; Pete is free

• Time needed: 30 minutes for Pete and a quick stroll; 1.5 hours if you tour the fort

Worth it or skip it? Great for a short break. Fort Stockton is one of the most practical overnight stops between El Paso and San Antonio — good hotel options, real restaurants, and a gas station that won't cost you a small fortune.

Caverns of Sonora

Some places you read about and think "sounds interesting." The Caverns of Sonora is one of those places that makes you stop mid-sentence when someone describes it.

Found just off I-10 near the small town of Sonora, this is a National Natural Landmark cave system that has been described by cave experts as among the most beautiful underground spaces in the world. That's not marketing — that's geologists and spelunkers who've seen caves on multiple continents saying they've never seen anything like it.

Why it's worth stopping: The cave was discovered around the early 1900s when a ranch dog chased a raccoon into an 18-inch hole in the ground. Locals explored it for years, but the real breakthrough came in 1955 when cavers pushed through a deep pit and found passage after passage lined with formations unlike anything they'd ever encountered.

The cave contains helictites — delicate crystalline structures that seem to defy gravity by growing sideways and curving at strange angles. Some look like butterflies. Some look like fishtails. The whole system is thought to be around 95% still actively growing, which means the formations you see on your tour are changing — incredibly slowly, but changing.

The cavern holds a constant temperature around 71°F, though the high humidity makes it feel warmer. A guided tour takes you about two miles through the cave system, descending roughly 155 feet underground. Rooms have names like Crystal Palace, Valley of Ice, and Palace of the Angels.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: Exit 392 off I-10; follow RR-1989 about 8 miles to the entrance

• Hours: Open daily; check the website for current tour times

• Cost: Ticket fee per adult; reduced rate for children; specialty tours cost more

• Time needed: 2–2.5 hours for the standard guided tour

Worth it or skip it? One of the best stops on the entire I-10 route — period. If you only make one detour on the West Texas stretch, make it this one.

Fun Fact:

 A well-known geologist and co-founder of the National Speleological Society is widely quoted as saying the Caverns of Sonora's beauty "cannot be exaggerated, not even by a Texan." High praise from someone who has likely seen caves across the world.

Junction — Where the Landscape Changes

Nobody really talks about Junction, but there's something that happens here that makes it one of the most interesting moments on the whole drive.

Around the town of Junction, the flat, dusty, juniper-speckled desert of West Texas quietly gives way to the rolling green limestone hills of the Texas Hill Country. If you've been driving from El Paso, you'll notice it in your chest before you even check the map. The air feels different. The color changes. The hills rise up.

The quick pitch: Junction sits at the confluence of the North and South Llano Rivers and is a gateway to some of Texas's best outdoor recreation — tubing, fishing, hiking, and camping. It's also roughly where the 80 mph speed limit ends and the road feels less like West Texas's wide-open sprint and more like a winding scenic drive.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: Exit 456 on I-10

• Hours: Town is always accessible; river access varies

• Cost: Free to explore

• Time needed: 30–60 minutes for a break and a walk near the river

Worth it or skip it? Good stop for a scenic break, especially if you want to stretch your legs somewhere beautiful. Solid overnight option too.

Stonehenge II, Ingram

About 15 miles west of Kerrville — and just a short detour off I-10 — there's a Stonehenge in a field by the Guadalupe River. It has Easter Island heads next to it.

This is Stonehenge II, and it started the way only a Texas art project could. In 1989, a man named Al Shepperd got a surplus limestone slab from his neighbor, Doug Hill. He stood it up like a monolith. Then, according to the people who knew him, something clicked — and he had Hill build an entire recreation of the ancient English monument out of steel, mesh, and plaster. Nine months later, Stonehenge stood in a Texas pasture. Two Easter Island moai followed.

Why this one stands out: It's absurd, earnest, and completely charming. The piece is built to roughly 90% of the original's height, with two 13-foot Easter Island head replicas standing guard. Al Shepperd died in the mid-1990s before he could finish his full vision, but the structure was eventually moved to its current home on the campus of the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram — free to visit, sitting right beside the river.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: Hill Country Arts Foundation, Ingram (take Exit 505 to Kerrville, then Hwy 27/39 west to Ingram — about 20 minutes)

• Hours: Grounds accessible during daylight hours

• Cost: Free

• Time needed: 15–30 minutes

Worth it or skip it? Completely worth the short detour. It's one of those stops you'll be glad you made and end up telling people about for years.

The Alamo & San Antonio River Walk

San Antonio deserves more than a quick stop, but even a few hours here will leave you with a lot.

The Alamo — officially Misión San Antonio de Valero — was founded in 1718 as the first Spanish mission in the city. In 1836, it became the site of one of the most famous battles in American history. After a 13-day siege, Mexican forces breached the walls and defeated the small group of Texian defenders. The phrase "Remember the Alamo!" became the rally cry that helped secure Texas independence later that same year.

Why this one stands out: The Alamo is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, part of the San Antonio Missions National Parks system that includes four other colonial-era churches along the San Antonio River. Walking these grounds is one of the most quietly moving experiences in Texas.

Downstairs from the street (literally — one level below), the River Walk winds through the heart of downtown along the San Antonio River. It's a pedestrian network of cafés, bars, restaurants, and shops running about 15 miles in total. Take a barge tour if you have the time. Sit by the water. Eat some tacos.

San Antonio is I-10's best true city stop for cultural attraction depth. Allow a full day if you can.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: Exit 570 / Downtown San Antonio

• Hours: Alamo open daily; timed entry reservations required (free admission)

• Cost: Alamo is free; River Walk is free to walk; barge tours cost a small fee

• Time needed: Half day minimum; full day recommended

Worth it or skip it? Absolutely do not skip San Antonio. It's among the best places on the entire route.

Natural Bridge Caverns

About 20 miles northeast of downtown San Antonio, just off I-10, Natural Bridge Caverns has been welcoming visitors since the 1960s — and it earns the return traffic.

Named for a massive limestone natural bridge at the cave entrance, this cave system runs deep and wide, with massive chambers and formations that make it one of the most-visited show caves in Texas.

Don't skip this if you like: Underground exploration without too much physical challenge. Multiple tour options range from family-friendly walking tours to more adventurous climbing options. There's also a zip line and outdoor adventure area above ground for kids.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: Exit 175 on I-35 (about 20 miles from downtown SA via I-10 east then I-35 north); also accessible via SH-46 from I-10

• Hours: Open daily; hours vary seasonally

• Cost: Tour fee per person; varies by tour type

• Time needed: 1.5–3 hours depending on tour

Worth it or skip it? Great family stop and a solid choice if you've already been to Caverns of Sonora and want a different scale of underground experience.

Space Center Houston

If you want to understand how Houston became Houston, start here.

Space Center Houston is the official visitor center for NASA's Johnson Space Center — the place that has managed every American human spaceflight mission since the early 1960s. The tram tour takes you behind the scenes, including historic mission control and astronaut training facilities.

Why it's worth stopping: You can see the Apollo 17 command module, actual lunar samples, and exhibits that walk through the full history of American space exploration. The "Houston, we have a problem" call famously went to this building. Walking through it, even briefly, gives that history a physical weight it doesn't have on a screen.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: 1601 NASA Pkwy, Houston; best accessed via I-45 south from I-10 — about 25 miles from downtown Houston

• Hours: Open daily; check the website for seasonal hours

• Cost: Admission fee per adult; reduced for children; parking fee

• Time needed: 2–4 hours minimum; could easily spend a full day

Worth it or skip it? If you're crossing Houston anyway, this is one of the best day-of additions you can make. Worth the short detour south.

Ready to map out your I-10 Texas road trip? With Wayback Tours, you can save every stop from this list and build a custom route you'll actually use.

Columbus & the Colorado County Courthouse

Columbus doesn't get a lot of attention, which is exactly why it's worth stopping.

About an hour west of Houston, this small town has one of the most visually striking historic courthouses in Texas. The Colorado County Courthouse features a green stained-glass dome that floods the interior with emerald light — locals have nicknamed it "the Emerald City," and once you see it, you'll understand why.

The quick pitch: Columbus also has a well-preserved downtown with Victorian-era storefronts, a curious Santa Claus Museum, and a massive old Live Oak tree nearby that's worth seeking out. It's the kind of town that rewards slow walking and zero itinerary.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: Exit 696 / Hwy 71 into Columbus

• Hours: Courthouse exterior viewable anytime; interior open during business hours

• Cost: Free

• Time needed: 30–60 minutes

Worth it or skip it? Great stop if you appreciate small-town Texas character and historic architecture. Easy pull-off between San Antonio and Houston.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum, Beaumont

On January 10, 1901, the ground outside Beaumont shook. Then a fountain of oil shot more than 100 feet into the sky — and didn't stop for nine days.

The Spindletop gusher changed everything. Before it, oil was a curiosity. After it, oil was the foundation of the modern world. Companies like Texaco, Gulf Oil, and what eventually became ExxonMobil were all born from or dramatically reshaped by what happened on this little hill south of Beaumont. The automotive age — and the highway you're driving on right now — traces back to this moment in Southeast Texas.

Why this one stands out: The Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum at Lamar University is a full-scale recreation of the boomtown that sprang up almost overnight after the discovery. You walk through 16 replica buildings — a saloon, a print shop, a dentist's office, a general store — all furnished with authentic period artifacts. A working replica gusher shoots water skyward on special demonstration days.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: Exit 838 area; 5550 Jimmy Simmons Blvd, Beaumont (near Lamar University); follow signs from US-69

• Hours: Tue–Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sun 1–5 p.m.; closed Mondays

• Cost: Small admission fee for adults; reduced for children; children under 5 free

• Time needed: 1.5–2.5 hours

Worth it or skip it? One of the most important historical sites in Texas — and in American industrial history. Worth every minute.

Fun Fact:

 Beaumont's population is said to have more than tripled within months of the Spindletop discovery. Land that had gone unsold for years reportedly changed hands multiple times in a single afternoon.

Big Beau at Gator Country, Beaumont

Just off the I-10 westbound feeder road near Beaumont, there's a concrete alligator so large you can see it from the highway.

Big Beau lives at Gator Country, a real, working alligator attraction in Southeast Texas. He's said to stretch well over 100 feet and stands roughly 30 feet tall. He's made of wood, metal, and rubber, took about six months to build, and exists for exactly the reason you'd hope — because this is Texas and someone decided to do it.

Don't skip this if you like: Deeply unserious roadside Americana. Gator Country also holds real live alligators, and Southeast Texas has a thriving wild gator population, so there's some context here beyond just the statue.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: Exit 838 westbound feeder road, Beaumont (21159 FM 365)

• Hours: Gator Country open daily; Big Beau visible from the feeder road at all hours

• Cost: Free to view from road; admission fee to enter Gator Country

• Time needed: 5–10 minutes for a photo; 1–2 hours if you go inside

Worth it or skip it? Perfect for a two-minute highway giggle. Go inside if you have kids or a thing for large reptiles.

Fire Museum of Texas, Beaumont

Beaumont delivers twice. Right in downtown sits the Fire Museum of Texas — and out front stands a fire hydrant so big it should probably have its own zip code.

The hydrant is about 24 feet tall, bright red, and spotted like a Dalmatian. It is an excellent photograph. Inside, the museum covers the history of firefighting with antique equipment and exhibits that are surprisingly engaging, even for people who didn't expect to spend time in a fire museum.

Why this one stands out: Beaumont is doing a lot of work as a road trip stop. Spindletop, Big Beau, the Fire Museum — it's an underrated run of attractions clustered in the same area. If you're overnighting here, you have enough to fill a real afternoon.

What you need to know before you go:

• Location: Downtown Beaumont; accessible from I-10 exits around the city center

• Hours: Typically Tue–Sat; check the website for current hours

• Cost: Free admission

• Time needed: 45–90 minutes

Worth it or skip it? Worth a stop if you're already in Beaumont. The hydrant alone justifies a five-minute detour.

Practical Tips for Driving I-10 Across Texas

Before you go, a few things to know about this particular i-10 route:

Watch the time zone. El Paso runs on Mountain Time. The rest of Texas is Central. That's a one-hour shift when you cross in or out of the El Paso metro area — something your GPS won't always flag clearly.

Fill up in Fort Stockton. The stretch between Fort Stockton and Kerrville can be long on gas stations, especially late at night. Don't gamble on it.

Cell service gets spotty in West Texas. The Far West stretch — roughly from Van Horn east toward Balmorhea and beyond — has genuine dead zones. Download offline maps before you go.

Spring and fall are the best seasons. West Texas summers hit hard (think dry heat well above 90°F), and East Texas summers are humid. March through May and October through November give you the best driving conditions and the most comfortable stops.

Consider splitting into two days. If you're doing the full coast to coast run through Texas, Van Horn, Fort Stockton, or Kerrville all make solid overnight stops. The drive is doable in one push, but two days lets you actually see things.

For a broader view of what I-10 has to offer from end to end, check out The Ultimate I-10 Road Trip: Historic Stops & Hidden Gems from California to Florida — a full guide to the entire corridor.

Conclusion

Driving the things to do along I-10 in Texas corridor is one of those experiences that changes how you think about road trips. It's not just a drive across a big state. It's a trip through 400 years of American history, four entirely different landscapes, and some of the most strange and beautiful places this country has to offer.

You'll start in a city where Spanish missionaries built churches in the 1600s. You'll swim in a spring that's been bubbling up from the desert for thousands of years. You'll descend into caves so beautiful that experienced geologists once struggled to find words for them. You'll stand in front of a Stonehenge replica next to Easter Island heads and feel absolutely nothing except delight. And you'll end near a bayou where a 100-foot oil gusher once launched the modern world.

None of that happens if you just drive through.

Save these stops, build your own road trip bucket list, and keep track of every place you want to visit — all in one place with Wayback Tours.

FAQs

How long does it take to drive I-10 across Texas without stopping?

Driving the full length of I-10 in Texas — roughly 880 miles — takes somewhere around 12 to 13 hours of straight driving. That estimate accounts for speed limits that drop through cities like El Paso, San Antonio, and Houston. Most people split it into two days to make it comfortable.

What is there to see in West Texas along I-10?

West Texas is quieter but full of surprises. Balmorhea State Park is a stunning desert swimming hole, the Caverns of Sonora are world-class underground formations, Fort Stockton has history and Paisano Pete, and the drive-by of Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin launch site near Van Horn is something you won't forget.

Is Marfa accessible from I-10?

Yes. Marfa is a popular detour from the I-10 corridor — about 60 miles south of I-10 via US-90 from Van Horn. It's home to the famous Marfa Lights, a world-class contemporary art scene, and the Hotel Paisano where scenes from the film Giant were filmed. Plan at least a half-day if you go.

Are there good places to eat along I-10 in Texas?

Yes, though the pickings thin out in West Texas. San Antonio is a standout food city with excellent Tex-Mex, barbecue, and a hugely diverse restaurant scene along and near the River Walk. Kerrville and the hill country area have strong local dining options too. In deep West Texas, Fort Stockton and Van Horn are your most reliable meal stops.

What along interstate 10 in Texas is worth stopping for with kids?

Families will love Balmorhea State Park (swimming and snorkeling), Space Center Houston (space exploration exhibits), Natural Bridge Caverns (kid-friendly cave tours), Gator Country and Big Beau near Beaumont, and the San Antonio River Walk area. The Caverns of Sonora standard tour also works well for older kids who can handle a two-hour guided walk.