Sam Nail Ranch Walk, Big Bend National Park

After you turn off the main road onto Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive the pulloff for the Sam Nail Ranch Trail is one of the first places to stop. This is a short, dirt path that leads to the remains of the ranch (not much to see) two windmills and some fruit trees that were not native to the area but were brought here by Nail. This is a pleasant enough trail but there is not enough to see to make it a high priority if you are limited on time.

The Sam Nail Ranch Walk is a very short path that you will find along the Ross Maxwell Drive. The path leads to the ruins of an abandoned ranch building along Cottonwood Creek. Sam Nail moved to this area in 1916 where he and his brother built a one-story adobe house. It is part of the walls of this structure that you will see. They also dug a well and you will see an old windmill in the area. Still pumping water, a well produces a water supply that many animals and birds make use of. This is a good area for bird watchers, especially during the warm summer months.

An abandoned ranch in a little oasis to the west of the Chisos Mountains. There is water and trees here, so it is a good spot to look for birds like the Pyrrhuloxia or the Western Wood-Pewee.