Alpine is the gateway to Big Bend
People move to Alpine, Texas, for educational opportunities and nearby national parks. Originally a railroad worker's town, Alpine experienced a population boom in the 1920s following the establishment of Sul Ross State University. By the time Big Bend National Park was established in 1944, Alpine had grown to a community of nearly 4,000 with new roads, houses and buildings. Today, about 6,000 people call Alpine home. “It’s a very charming little area,” Keller Williams Realtor Carol Morrow says. “Alpine is kind of like the hub for surrounding towns.”
Big Bend parks and mountain ranges
Alpine sits between the Davis Mountains to the north and the Chisos Mountains to the south, both of which have trails and wildlife. Big Bend Ranch State Park, about 100 miles to the south, has over 300,000 acres of desert terrain ideal for off-roading, horseback riding and camping. “It's very pretty out here,” Morrow says. “A lot of people enjoy the outdoors. They like to walk and run, they like to bike and they like to go to Big Bend." There are also over 30 acres of parkland in the city limits. The biggest is Kokernot Park, a multi-use facility with sports fields, a skating arena and a dog park.
Ranch-style and Mission Revival homes on acreage
Alpine offers a range of housing styles on lots that get larger as you move farther away from downtown. Smaller stucco and brick veneer homes, usually around 1,000 square feet, often cost between $150,000 and $300,000. Ranch-style homes of around 1,500 square feet can cost between $300,000 and $400,000. These in-town lots often have dry, patchy lawns spotted with cacti. Some homes have covered patios or carports. On the outskirts of town, ranch-style and Mission Revival houses have up to 6-acre landscaped lawns with decks and horse pens, ranging from $425,000 to $600,000. Older casitas with gated entrances and in-ground pools are $625,000 to $850,000, while a few large ranch and cabin properties range between $2.5 million and $6 million.
Alpine schools and Sul Ross State University
Alpine has its own school district, which earns a B rating on Niche. Alpine Elementary has a Gifted and Talented program and a C-plus, while Alpine Middle has a 10-to-1 student-teacher ratio and a B-plus. Alpine High School offers 11 sports in its athletic program and has a B-plus. Sul Ross State University offers agricultural, social sciences and educational degree programs and has a B.
Long-standing restaurants emphasizing Texas cuisine
Alpine has a rich dining and nightlife scene in the downtown area. Reata is a fine dining restaurant that serves elevated southwestern cuisine such as blackened buffalo ribeye and beef tenderloin tamales. La Casita is a Mexican joint that’s been in the area for nearly 50 years, while the Spicewood Restaurant serves steak and seafood from the Quarter Circle Seven Resort. There are many more coffee shops, bars and taverns with patio space, while retail includes a few boutique stores and gift shops, leather goods and a tractor dealership. Groceries can be picked up at Lowe’s Market, DG Market and the Blue Water Natural Foods store.
Cowboy events and college rodeo
Between the city, the university and national parks, there is a busy calendar of events. Locals look forward to the Wine, Spirits and Brewfest in April, while in July, Viva Big Bend spotlights over 60 musical performances throughout the week-long festival. Sul Ross State University, the birthplace of college rodeo, hosts the largest college rodeo event in the country every September. In October, the Big Bend Bluegrass Festival welcomes music fans from across the region.
Alpine’s AMTRAK station and highways
Two highways run through Alpine. U.S. Route 90 hits Marfa 25 miles west and Marathon 30 miles east. Texas State Highway 118 leads to Fort Davis, 24 miles north. Trains from the Holland Avenue AMTRAK station travel to destinations including Los Angeles, New Orleans and Chicago. Big Bend Regional Medical Center is on the north side of Alpine and is open 24 hours a day.
