sam nail ranch

This is a very easy hike and good to take children on - you really get a feel for how tough early ranchers had to be. The house is tiny and very remote...hard to believe people made a life out of ranching in such harsh conditions.

There are two windmills, remnants of a shed, and a part of the adobe walls of the house left standing. One of the windmills still works and pumps water to the plants in the area. There is a very short easy walk from the road to the ranch. Meander around the walkway to see what life must have been like back then. There was a variety of bird life there when we visited. Be sure to read about the history of the place before visiting so you know what you look for and what you are seeing.

All should stop here on their trip. It gives you a quick view into the past and many times there are javalinas there for the water. Just takes a few minutes to see.

While on the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, one of the first stops you may come to. A nice green area in the midst of a desert. Ranch ruins and large trees, with a windmill still pumping water. If you can stay awhile, birds come and go, nice shaded area to sit near the windmill.

Park your car and take a shirt stroll down around the old Sam Nail Ranch. There's still a water source here so you'll have good possibilities of seeing wildlife. Very nice in the early morning or late evening.

This is a nice little detour off the Maxwell Road. A short hike with a good history lesson. You'll see the home site, a water well, and lots of the flora that was planted by the Nail family, back in the day.

worth the short walk back in time to what is left of a working ranch. water still is visible in the brush and birds, bees and wildlife hide in the surroundings. get a feel for the desolation that the early settlers mush have felt.

This is a very short walk around the abandoned Sam Nail Ranch but if you love birds, be sure to get out and take this path. Water still flows here from an old well and the water along with the trees draws numerous birds here. Very peaceful place!

This is highlighted as one of the better birding spots in the park due to the availability of water. We stopped early in the morning when it was pretty chilly. Very easy hike and it is interesting to see how they cultivated a little oasis in the desert. Can't imagine the hardships associated with living here back in the day. While we didn't see a tremendous number of birds, we did get a lifer here along with some nice photos. This ranch is located on the Ross Maxwell Drive so it is an easy stop and walk - definitely recommend.

Fun little hike to an old homestead where windmill still pumps water which feeds fig and pecan trees.

This is a short walk off the main road in Big Bend. It's the remains of a ranch, with part of the walls of their adobe house still standing, and a working windmill that pumps water into a pond, making the old home site an oasis with a few tall trees providing shade. The story of the ranch and the people that carved out a living in the middle of the desert is posted on signs at the site.

This walk is less than a quarter mile and easy. It is an old ranch homestead. All that is left are a couple of windmills and some foundation. That are also pecan and figs trees which remain from efforts to make the area more hospitable. One of the wells is still putting out water and a group of javelinas have made it home. They didn't seem very interested in us and stayed in the shadows.

This attraction is just a short walk from the road, just a couple walls and a windmill are what’s left.