Authentic Texas Heritage Tours

Trost Trail Far West Texas Tour

Explore the rugged beauty and historic charm of  Far West Texas with the Trost Trail Far West Texas Tour. From El Paso to Marfa, immerse yourself in architectural marvels, stunning landscapes, and the unique history of the Texas Mountain Trail Region while enjoying luxurious stays in historic Trost Hotels.

Days

5 days, 6 nights

From (per Person)

$3,950 USD

Dates

October 21-26, 2024

Sites & Landmarks

El Paso, Hotel El Capitan, Alpine, The Gage Hotel, Big Bend National Park, Hotel Paisano,  Terlingua, the Magoffin Home State Historic Site, and more.

OCTOBER

21-26

Authentically Far West Texas

Join an exclusive group of travelers on the Trost Trail Far West Texas Tour, where our expert guides bring the rich history and natural beauty of Far West Texas to life. Limited to a select number of passengers, this intimate experience offers unparalleled access to some of the region’s most iconic sites.

Whether exploring historic Trost & Trost architectural landmarks or marveling at the natural wonders of Far West Texas and Big Bend National Park, you’ll enjoy the luxury of an intimate group size, expert-led exploration, and indulgent overnight accommodations, making this tour a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Trost Trail Far West Texas Tour Features

Executive Motorcoach

Travel in comfort on an air-conditioned executive motorcoach with refreshments.

Guided Tour

Visits to historic sites, parks, and points of interest led by subject matter experts.

Luxurious Accommodations

Six nights of luxurious and historic Trost hotel lodging accommodations.

All Inclusive

Enjoy a stress-free adventure with no worries about lodging, meals, and admission fees.

Learning Fun

Throughout the tour you'll learn the Authentic stories of the Texas Mountain Trail Region.

Expert Guides

We bring you the most experienced subject matter experts on the history of West Texas.

The Trost Trail

A History of West Texas in Architecture

Embark on a journey through Far West Texas to explore the remarkable works of the renowned architectural firm Trost & Trost which was led by Henry C. Trost and based in El Paso, Texas. Trost & Trost left an indelible mark on various communities in New Mexico and Arizona and designed hundreds of buildings in El Paso and other communities within the present-day Texas Mountain Trail Region. 

The Trost Trail offers an exciting journey through these architectural gems of the region. Each of these buildings tells a story of innovation, history, and craftsmanship, and the heritage of the Texas Mountain Trail Region. The tour promises an enriching experience of historical, cultural, and architectural significance.

The Trost Trail is a heritage tourism project created by the Texas Mountain Trail, one of ten of the Texas Heritage Trail Regions – the award winning Heritage Tourism Program of the Texas Historical Commission.

Trost Trail Far West Texas Tour Day-by-Day

Day

1

Monday,
October 21

Welcome to El Paso, "Sun City"

Tour Begins: 5:30 PM, El Paso’s Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park. Arrive in El Paso at your convenience prior to check-in at 5:30 PM. 

Day

2

Tuesday,
October 22

Historic El Paso and Van Horn

El Paso & Travel to Van Horn — Meet Travel Group. Tour selected El Paso Historic and Trost sites. Scenic drive route to Van Horn.

Day

3

Wednesday,
October 23

Marathon and the Davis Mountains

Travel to Marathon — Points of Interest: Davis Mountains State Park, Indian Lodge State Park, Fort Davis National Historic Site.

Day

4

Thursday,
October 24

Exploring Alpine and Big Bend National Park

Travel to Alpine — Points of Interest: Big Bend National Park, Fossil Discovery Exhibit, Panther Junction, Chisos Basin, Santa Elena Canyon.

Day

5

Friday,
October 25

Marfa and the Ghosts of Terlingua

Travel to Marfa — Points of Interest: Terlingua Ghost Town, Lajitas Resort, Fort Leaton State Historic Site, and the Presidio Mission.

Day

6

Saturday,
October 26

The El Paso Road and Exploring El Paso

Travel to El Paso — Points of Interest: Blackwell School National Historic Site, “Giant” Murals, Prada Marfa, Fort Hancock, the El Paso Mission Trail, and the Magoffin Home State Historic Site.

Trost Trail Far West Texas Tour

Explore Far West Texas and Stay in Historic Trost Hotels. Travel in comfort on an air-conditioned motorcoach. Guided visits to historic sites, parks and points of interest. All inclusive: Admission Fees & Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Tour guides include a full-time step-on tour guide and a Trost guide.

Single Occupancy
Per Person

$4,450

Double Occupancy
Per Person

$3,950

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Join Us For a Unique Far West Texas Tour

The Trost Trail Far West Texas Tour, presented by Authentic Texas and the Texas Mountain Trail Region, offers a unique opportunity for an exclusive group of travelers to delve deep into the history and landscapes of Far West Texas.

Enjoy all-inclusive fine dining from the Trost Hotels and the best of local cuisine.

If you have questions about the tour, accommodations, dietary restrictions, or anything else, please do not hesitate to contact us.

YOUR HOSTS

Meet Our Authentic Travel Partners

Bernie Sergeant

Trost Society

Nora Ochoa

Destination El Paso

Wendy Little

Texas Mountain Trail,
Executive Director

Jeff Gross

Authentic Texas
Travel Concierge

The Texas Mountain
Trail Region

The history of the Mountain Trail Region

Look no further than the rugged land of the Texas Mountain Trail Region, and you’ll see our history. Our state and national parks—“bucket list” destinations for most geologists—reveal a past of more than 600 million years of Paleozoic deep marine sediments, volcanic remnants, and the bending, folding, and uplifting of land. Dinosaurs roamed our land some 248 million years ago, and Big Bend National Park is one of the world’s paleontological jewels of the world.

In our Chihuahuan Desert climate, where there is water, there is the history of man. The Rio Grande gradually carved a deep notch in the mountains, creating a natural river crossing the Spanish explorers named El Paso del Norte. The river also created glorious canyons in Big Bend National Park. Throughout the centuries, the climate grew hotter and the land drier. To survive, wildlife and prehistoric hunter-gatherers adapted to desert conditions. Later, diverse groups—Native Americans and Spanish missionaries, soldiers and miners, ranchers and railroaders—passed this way in search of wealth, glory and new beginnings.

Our Mission

“The mission of the Texas Mountain Trail Region, a program of the Texas Historical Commission, is to benefit visitors and residents of far west Texas by supporting and facilitating recreational, cultural and educational opportunities that promote responsible economic development through heritage tourism.”

General Information

The tour will include the following cities and communities: El Paso, Van Horn, Fort Davis, Alpine, Marathon, Marfa, Terlingua, Lajitas, and Presidio. Attractions include six Trost hotels (The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park, Hotel El Capitan, The Gage Hotel, the Holland Hotel, Hotel Paisano, and the Hotel Paso Del Norte), Fort Davis National Historic Site, Big Bend National Park, Terlingua Ghost town, Fort Leaton State Historic Site, Presidio Mission, Blackwell School National Historic Site, “Giant” Murals, Prada Marfa, Fort Hancock, Ysleta Mission, Socorro Mission, San Elizario Presidio Chapel, Magoffin Home State Historic Site and more – watch for the release of a fully detailed itinerary!

The tour begins the evening of Monday, October 21, 2024, with a delectable dinner at the Ámbar Restaurante within the Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park in downtown El Paso. The tour concludes in downtown El Paso with an enchanting evening meal and overnight stay at the Hotel Paso del Norte with checkout on Sunday, October 27, 2024. This discovery tour is six nights and five days.

The price for the tour starts at $3950 per person for double occupancy up to $4450 per person for single occupancy which includes all accommodations, transportation, and all meals.

Yes. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner from local restaurants are all provided.

Booking and Payments

Select any of the yellow-gold “Purchase Now” buttons on this page (which will take you to the purchase block) or go directly to the page section with the Trost Trail Far West Texas Tour block next to a map of the region. Within this block, enter the number of people in your party and select the red “purchase now” button which will take you to your purchase cart.

We accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express credit cards; debit cards; Apple Pay and Cash Pay. Payment through Affirm is also accepted.

Yes, a deposit is required to secure your spot on the tour. You have one (1) week after purchase to cancel your reservation without penalty. On that date through Noon on October 7, 2024, a deposit of $1,500 will be subtracted from your payment in the event of cancellation. After 12:01 pm on October 7, 2024 through the tour start on October 21, 2024 any cancellations will forfeit their tour purchase amount. 

You have one (1) week after purchase to cancel your reservation without penalty. On that date through Noon on October 7, 2024, a deposit of $1,500 will be subtracted from your payment in the event of cancellation. After 12:01 pm on October 7, 2024 through the tour start on October 21, 2024 any cancellations will forfeit their tour purchase amount. 

Plan your outfits for each day and make a packing list. Research the weather for the week of the tour and communities that are included in the tour (there are weather variations based on altitude and geography – from mountainous to desert areas). Bring sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. Layering is highly recommended. Comfortable walking shoes are a must! Consider using one suitcase and a carry-on bag. Bring a day pack that can be folded or rolled into a compact size.

We recommend bringing comfortable clothing, walking shoes, sunscreen, a hat, and any necessary medications.

While not required, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance to cover unforeseen circumstances.

Please inform us at the time of booking, and we will do our best to accommodate any dietary restrictions or special needs.

As much as we all love our children, this is an adults-only tour for people 18+.

Tour transportation is provided by motorcoach. A detailed itinerary and specific travel recommendations will be provided within two weeks of the tour to each guest. Please limit your luggage to one large suitcase and a carry-on bag; purses and/or backpacks are optional. A collapsible bag is also recommended.

While the Tour begins and ends in the metropolitan city of El Paso, much of the Tour is conducted in remote areas of Far West Texas where medical services are extremely limited and where cell phone, Internet, and WiFi services are very limited or non-existent.

The Tour includes varying terrain (uneven ground, hills, stairs); a moderate activity level with considerable walking and standing which may pose difficulties for guests with physical limitations. Some sites are not easily and safely accessible to everyone. Be prepared for full days of varying activities. This means waking up early, traveling, touring, and not settling down until  the evening. Participants are expected to keep up with the group and move at a walking pace that respects other guests and the timing of scheduled activities. Tour participants should feel comfortable regularly getting on and off the bus without assistance, and independently lifting and transporting all their luggage. Assistance with luggage isn’t always available.

Please inform us about any health conditions or mobility considerations when you book your tour. If you have any questions, please reach out to us.

The Trost Trail Far West Texas Tour is offered by the Texas Heritage Trails LLC dba Authentic Texas located in Abilene, Texas.

Authentic Texas acts solely as the agent arranging for transportation, lodging and sightseeing activities, and will not be liable for any delayed departures or arrivals or for any damages, losses or injuries to person or property. Full payment by the tour participant constitutes the tour participant’s acceptance of these terms and conditions.

No liability is assumed in connection with any transportation, restaurants or lodging used for the duration of the tour. Although ever effort is made to handle luggage carefully, we are not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged articles, including luggage or personal property. We reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure, and in such case, our total obligation will be only to refund all payment toward said tour. Authentic Texas will not be liable for matters beyond our control including but not limited to traffic congestion, airline delays, airline cancellations, weather conditions, Government shutdowns or acts of God. Authentic Texas reserves the right to refuse service to any person.

Smoking / Liquor
Smoking, e-cigarettes, and alcoholic beverages are not permitted on the motorcoach. Frequent (about every two and a half hours) rest/meal stops afford the opportunities to smoke outside the coach.

Physical Disability
Authentic Texas will make reasonable efforts to accommodate the special needs of tour participants. Neither Authentic Texas personnel nor its suppliers may physically lift or assist clients onto transportation vehicles or within hotel rooms. Travelers needing special assistance musty notify Authentic Texas at the time of booking to determine what assistance may reasonably be made available by Authentic Texas

Tour Price Includes
The Tour price includes motorcoach transportation; hotel accommodations; admissions to attractions, state and national parks, and state historic sites; and meals as specified (breakfast, lunch and dinner), 

 Unused Features
No refund or credit will be given, in whole or in part, for unused land transportation, hotel accommodations, or other features you voluntarily do not use.

Single Accommodations
Please understand that a “single” reservation means single accommodations at the hotels, and does not guarantee a double seat on the motorcoach.

Accommodations
The historic Holland Hotel in Alpine will be undergoing significant renovations in the near future at a date to be determined. Therefore, it is possible that the Hotel may have limited accommodations and some Tour participants would not be able to stay at the Holland but would stay overnight at a different historic hotel.  

During the Tour

These details are in the final stage of confirmation.

Yes, there will be shopping and individual exploring opportunities.

Our tours operate rain or shine. In the event of severe weather, we may adjust the itinerary for safety reasons.

Pets are not allowed on the tour and, unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate service animals.

Yes, all participants receive complimentary souvenirs from the communities we visit.

Itinerary Changes and unforseen circumstances

If a scheduled stop on the tour cannot be fulfilled due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g., weather, closures, etc.), we will substitute it with a similar attraction or experience. If a substitution is not possible, you will be notified, and the tour itinerary will be adjusted accordingly.

In the event of “Acts of God” (e.g., natural disasters, extreme weather, etc.) or other major disruptions beyond our control, we may need to alter the itinerary or cancel the tour for safety reasons. In such cases, we will do our best to provide alternative arrangements or o􏰀er a partial refund based on the circumstances.

Bringing you the true tales of Texas’ rich history and its people keeping it alive throughout each of the historic heritage trail regions. Become an Authentic Texan and dig into that great heritage with a subscription today!

© 2024 Authentic Texas Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Authentic Texas is published by Texas Heritage Trails LLC which is owned and operated by five nonprofit heritage trail organizations.