STUDY BUTTE

Population 120

Altitude 2,500

General

The wild, harsh region of the Big Bend was for centuries only the retreat of bandits, smugglers and fierce Apache and Comanche warriors. Civilization came slowly, was admitted grudgingly, and at the first opportunity was swept away as an intruder in this primitive land. Rich deposits of mercury were discovered here in about 2900, and the mining town of Study Butte (Stew-dy-Beaut) came into being around the Big Bend Cinnabar Mine, managed by Will Study. but fame and progress, elusive as the quicksilver itself, faded as the mine became less and less profitable and was closed in the early 1940's. Today a few families live among old stone and adobe structures. Visitors pause to absorb the silent impressions of a colorful past, and occasional rockhounds search tailing heaps for fragments of cinnabar, agate, and other colorful rocks. Located on Texas 118 at western edge of Big Bend National Park.

Attractions

• RIO GRANDE FLOAT TRIPS - Licensed river outfitters provide one to nine day float trips through the remote canyons of the Rio Grande. Advance reservations are required for lengthy trips. Inquire locally.
• SCENIC DRIVE - El Camino del Rio, Spanish for "The River Road,: local name for F.M. 170 that stretches from Lajitas northwest to Presido and beyond. An excellent paved route, it's one of the most spectacular drives in Texas, plunging over mountains and canyons along the sun-drenched Rio Grande. Drivers are cautioned that the route encounters steep grades (15%), sharp curves, occasional loose livestock, and low-water crossings' special alert for large RVs or vehicles pulling large trailers.

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