Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Tascate

tascate 1 small

Looking east at the pila (water tank)
& windmill.

tascate 2 small

Looking west from the campsite.

tascate 3 small

Beautiful views around your campfire.

For decades, vaqueros and cowboys maintained the water tank and windmills of Tascate. Today the Tascate 1 campsite offers visitors a taste of the past. Sit at the picnic table and survey the rugged hillsides covered with yucca and sotol as you ponder the site's ranching heritage and the natural beauty that lies all around.

The picnic table and fire ring at this campsite are located approximately 50 yards from the parking area. Nearby the rock walls struggle to keep back the mariola and creoste bush that is attempting to take back the land. A large tent pad is located northwest of the fire ring, and a smaller tent pad is located northeast of the windmill directly behind the parking area.

Travel is through a narrow, towering rock formation canyon. A pila (water tank) and windmill mark this intimate site which is protected on all sides. The site is divided two canyons and a small stream bed. The early afternoon sunset would be welcome in the summer. The site is unique because of the remains of stone walls. This site could be a mountain bike destination from Sauceda and Papolote Llano.

GPS Coordinates (NAD83):

  • UTM13 Easting 599591.0871
    UTM Northing 3256303.3155
  • Longitude DD -103.97323223
    Latitude DD 29.43214196
  • Longitude DMS -103 58 23.6360
    Latitude DMS 29 25 55.7111

Access (4-Wheel Drive High Clearance) - Turn left at the Sauceda Ranger Station and travel to the Madrid Falls Road. Turn left onto Madrid Falls Road and follow the road south. Pass through the closed gate and travel through the Llano Flats among scores of yucca, purple and green prickly pear cactus and stands of ocotillo.

Pass the intersections of Llano Loop and Papalote Llano. Take in breathtaking views of Fresno Peak and the Chisos Mountains. Turn right at the intersection of Madrid Falls and Tascate Road.

Engage four-wheel drive and negotiate through water-eroded channels traveling southwesterly. Enter the open gate and follow the road through a small oval depression into the canyons below Tascate Peak. Cross the arroyo and enter the heavily vegetated canyon bottom. Pass the remains of the historic wooden windmill and pull into the parking area near the water trough.

Distance from Sauceda Ranger Station (all distances are approximate):

  • Sauceda Ranger Station to Tascate Road 3.1 miles
  • Tascate Road to Campsite 1.5 miles
  • Approximate time to travel the 4.6 miles here from the Sauceda Ranger Station is 40 minutes.

About these sites:

  • Solitude
  • Elegant rock formations and views
  • A sense of protection for your family and friends

Return to vehicle accessible campsite information.

Back to Top