Star Lodge: Stunning Solar Home under Dark Skies on Terlingua Ranch
About the Home
Star Lodge on Terlingua Ranch is a contemporary custom-built solar powered home that accommodates up to six guests. Situated on 80 private acres with stunning mountain views and breathtaking night skies. You will have privacy and room to enjoy your stay. Two bedrooms; one and one-half bathrooms; an open living, dining, and kitchen area; covered parking; expansive covered patios; and 80 private and pristine acres of Chihuahuan Desert wilderness. It is named “Star Lodge” because it is in one of the best places in the continental US for enjoying views of the star filled sky. Star Lodge is located 10 miles from Terlingua Ranch Lodge, 12 miles to the Christmas Mountains trail head, about 30 miles to Terlingua or the main entrance to Big Bend National Park, about 35 miles to the Terlingua Ghost Town, and about 45 miles to Lajitas Golf Resort or Big Bend Ranch State Park. It is also just 2.5 miles from the rarely used Terlingua Ranch entrance to Big Bend National Park. However, we caution guests against using that entrance unless they are prepared for an offroad adventure. It takes you down 16 miles of poorly maintained dirt/rock/sand roads that are often impassable (incorrectly listed on BBNP Maps as "Terlingua Ranch Rd", listed as Marathon Road on most maps). Several guests have become stranded along that road. This remote eco-friendly, off-grid home has all the conveniences of a normal grid-tied home. The professionally designed and installed solar system features lithium-ion batteries, large solar array, and state of the art power inverter and battery charger. Air conditioning is provided by an efficient mini-split HVAC system. Heat, hot water, oven, stove, and outdoor grill use clean burning propane gas. Water is harvested by rain-water collection. Bottled water is also provided for drinking and other consumption. The master bedroom has a queen bed. The second bedroom has a queen and a bunk bed with a twin over a full-size futon that can be used as a bed or a sofa. The second bedroom has a smart TV that can be used with your streaming services or to watch DVDs. Both bedrooms share a “jack and jill” bathroom with two sinks, toilet, and a tiled shower. There is a second bathroom with a sink and a toilet. Internet Wi-fi is also available to connect to your digital. Work, stream video, or surf the internet if you wish, or just want to unplug, sit on the porch and enjoy the views and a good book. The home features an open concept living, dining, kitchen area that is ideal for spending time together. The kitchen has a full-size fridge, double sink, gas stove and range, microwave, coffee maker, blender, and a full array of cookware, dishes, glasses, silverware, etc. There is extra cabinet space for you to put away your groceries. Indoor dining is at a four-stool bar around the kitchen island or the living room coffee table. However, the best place to enjoy meals is at the table on the covered patio. The living room space has a comfortable sofa and chairs. The outdoor space has two large, covered patios with comfortable and stylish chairs, plus a table with benches that will seat six, and a Weber propane grill. There is a covered carport for your vehicle and plenty of room for several vehicles if a group of six arrives in separate vehicles. A walking trail and private road lead to a scenic hill on the top of the property. Relax around the home. Explore the 80 acres. Prepare your meals inside or outside. Dine out and enjoy live entertainment at the nearby Bad Rabbit Café or the restaurants and bars in Terlingua, the Ghost Town, Lajitas, or in Big Bend National Park. Hike or drive (4WD recommend) up the rarely visited Christmas Mountains trail to the summit of Christmas Mountain for incredible views(register and get the gate key at the Terlingua Ranch Lodge). Explore Big Bend National Park or Big Bend Ranch State Park on foot, by bike, or vehicle. Take a float trip through the stunning canyons of the Rio Grande. Go on a guided hike, horseback ride, ATV ride, or jeep tour. Bring or rent mountain bikes and ride on the Lajitas or BBRSP mountain bike trails or the roads around the property and in the parks. With the diversity of options on how to spend your time, you can create memories for a lifetime and then head home as rejuvenated, relaxed, or exhausted as you like. Don’t worry about having time to do all that you want to do. You will always be welcome to return to Star Lodge for more adventure or relaxation. The Owners: Cari and David are native Texans who live in Austin with their two sons. They share a lifelong love of the outdoors and enjoy exploring the mountainous west from the Chisos Mountains to the Canadian Rockies. They have been coming to Big Bend for over a decade and searched for years before finding this perfect spot to build their dream home in the Big Bend They are excited to welcome you to Star Lodge and hope that you have an unforgettable time. Star Lodge on Terlingua Ranch is a contemporary custom-built solar powered home that accommodates up to six guests. Situated on 80 private acres with stunning mountain views and breathtaking night skies. You will have privacy and room to enjoy your stay. Two bedrooms; one and one-half bathrooms; an open living, dining, and kitchen area; covered parking; expansive covered patios; and 80 private and pristine acres of Chihuahuan Desert wilderness. It is named “Star Lodge” because it is in one of the best places in the continental US for enjoying views of the star filled sky. Star Lodge is located 10 miles from Terlingua Ranch Lodge, 12 miles to the Christmas Mountains trail head, about 30 miles to Terlingua or the main entrance to Big Bend National Park, about 35 miles to the Terlingua Ghost Town, and about 45 miles to Lajitas Golf Resort or Big Bend Ranch State Park. It is also just 2.5 miles from the rarely used Terlingua Ranch entrance to Big Bend National Park. However, we caution guests against using that entrance unless they are prepared for an offroad adventure. It takes you down 16 miles of poorly maintained dirt/rock/sand roads that are often impassable (incorrectly listed on BBNP Maps as "Terlingua Ranch Rd", listed as Marathon Road on most maps). Several guests have become stranded along that road. This remote eco-friendly, off-grid home has all the conveniences of a normal grid-tied home. The professionally designed and installed solar system features lithium-ion batteries, large solar array, and state of the art power inverter and battery charger. Air conditioning is provided by an efficient mini-split HVAC system. Heat, hot water, oven, stove, and outdoor grill use clean burning propane gas. Water is harvested by rain-water collection. Bottled water is also provided for drinking and other consumption. The master bedroom has a queen bed. The second bedroom has a queen and a bunk bed with a twin over a full-size futon that can be used as a bed or a sofa. The second bedroom has a smart TV that can be used with your streaming services or to watch DVDs. Both bedrooms share a “jack and jill” bathroom with two sinks, toilet, and a tiled shower. There is a second bathroom with a sink and a toilet. Internet Wi-fi is also available to connect to your digital. Work, stream video, or surf the internet if you wish, or just want to unplug, sit on the porch and enjoy the views and a good book. The home features an open concept living, dining, kitchen area that is ideal for spending time together. The kitchen has a full-size fridge, double sink, gas stove and range, microwave, coffee maker, blender, and a full array of cookware, dishes, glasses, silverware, etc. There is extra cabinet space for you to put away your groceries. Indoor dining is at a four-stool bar around the kitchen island or the living room coffee table. However, the best place to enjoy meals is at the table on the covered patio. The living room space has a comfortable sofa and chairs. The outdoor space has two large, covered patios with comfortable and stylish chairs, plus a table with benches that will seat six, and a Weber propane grill. There is a covered carport for your vehicle and plenty of room for several vehicles if a group of six arrives in separate vehicles. A walking trail and private road lead to a scenic hill on the top of the property. Relax around the home. Explore the 80 acres. Prepare your meals inside or outside. Dine out and enjoy live entertainment at the nearby Bad Rabbit Café or the restaurants and bars in Terlingua, the Ghost Town, Lajitas, or in Big Bend National Park. Hike or drive (4WD recommend) up the rarely visited Christmas Mountains trail to the summit of Christmas Mountain for incredible views(register and get the gate key at the Terlingua Ranch Lodge). Explore Big Bend National Park or Big Bend Ranch State Park on foot, by bike, or vehicle. Take a float trip through the stunning canyons of the Rio Grande. Go on a guided hike, horseback ride, ATV ride, or jeep tour. Bring or rent mountain bikes and ride on the Lajitas or BBRSP mountain bike trails or the roads around the property and in the parks. With the diversity of options on how to spend your time, you can create memories for a lifetime and then head home as rejuvenated, relaxed, or exhausted as you like. Don’t worry about having time to do all that you want to do. You will always be welcome to return to Star Lodge for more adventure or relaxation. The Owners: Cari and David are native Texans who live in Austin with their two sons. They share a lifelong love of the outdoors and enjoy exploring the mountainous west from the Chisos Mountains to the Canadian Rockies. They have been coming to Big Bend for over a decade and searched for years before finding this perfect spot to build their dream home in the Big Bend They are excited to welcome you to Star Lodge and hope that you have an unforgettable time. TERLINGUA RANCH: Located between Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park and including much of the town of Terlingua, Terlingua Ranch is a private subdivision of over 190,000 acres, divided into 9,500 tracts owned by about 5,000 individuals and crisscrossed by 1,100 miles of dirt and rock roads. Tracts range from five acres to several hundred acres. It is some of the most rugged and scenic land in Texas. Back in the 1960’s, the Ghost Town and much of what later became “Terlingua Ranch” was owned by racing legend and car designer extraordinaire, Carol Shelby and some of his friends. The decided to promote the area by holding a chili cook-off in the then abandoned Ghost Town. That little stunt of a cook-off grew into CASI (Chili Appreciation Society International) which now hosts nearly 500 chili cook-offs around the nation and internationally, all leading up the championship cook-off every year in Terlingua. Shelby and friends later subdivided the Ranch and started selling it off to hunters and rugged naturalists. Over the decades, the area was reborn and an eclectic community of nature lovers, artists, musicians, adventurers, and folks just wanting to escape from “civilization” has grown and started to resettle this rough country. People have come and gone. New buildings have risen while others have fallen, Dreams have been realized and others crushed. Through it all, the land remains. The harsh desert and vast openness encourages positive development and slowly swallows up and recovers from past abuses. The old cinnabar mine sites and ranching outposts persist as relics and ghost towns, some redeveloped, some carefully preserved, and others dissolving back into the desert. Abandoned dreams eventually become points of interests for those of us that stumble upon them decades later. Terlingua Ranch is a bizarre mix of old and new, good and bad, growth and decline, all completely unregulated. Modern homes with high values and stunning designs stand beside dilapidated do-it-yourself mistakes and abandoned ruins of the 1800’s and early 1900’s. The landscape is even more varied than the people and the structures. Rugged mountains, deep canyons, wild arroyos, dry and wet creeks, peaceful valleys, breathtaking badlands, moonscape like mud flats, the remains of ancient volcanoes, and fossilized ancient seabeds. All of it nurturing a vast array of plant life and wildlife. Around every corner and over every hill lies new and unexpected surprises. The Ranch is now home to a few hundred hardy souls. It is also dotted with a diverse array of vacation rental lodging options and campsites. Like the diverse land, they range in quality, style, value, and price. A few are amazing dream destinations. Some are good places to sleep. Others are the stuff of nightmares. (We don’t manage any in the nightmare category.) Big Bend Vacation Rentals started out in 2007 and initially managed three of the first four vacation rentals in the Terlingua and Terlingua Ranch area. We now manage dozens out of a couple of hundred options. We represent dozens of property owners and have hosted tens of thousands of guests. You can trust us as managers, and you can rely on the properties that we manage. We have become very selective about the properties and the property owners that we add to our portfolio. Visit our website at www.BigBendVacations.com.