Discover Big Spring

Big Spring offers a range of reasons to plan a trip: open landscapes and trails, activities by the lake, aviation history, and places of remembrance. The natural attractions and historical themes each have their own distinctive character.

Escarpment, level terrain, and trails

Big Spring State Park covers a 200-foot escarpment and 382 acres of dry, level terrain. These two types of landscape form a striking contrast: the escarpment rises above the broad, dry plain. Visitors interested in the landscape’s features will therefore find more to explore in the park than just a single viewpoint.

One specific route is the three-mile scenic loop, Park Road 8. It climbs the escarpment on hand-cut limestone blocks. Its length, ascent, and construction describe this route more precisely than a general mention of trails: Park Road 8 combines the character of a scenic loop with a clearly defined stretch of landscape.

Activities at Comanche Trail Park

Hiking, biking, and nature trails are available at Comanche Trail Park. Fishing and picnicking are also possible at Comanche Trail Lake in the park. The options within the park therefore differ: the trails focus on activity and nature, while the lake is a place for fishing and taking a picnic break. The park is accessible via U.S. 87 and F.M. 700.

One seasonal highlight is the annual Comanche Trail Park Festival of Lights. During the Christmas season, the event features more than one million lights. If you are planning a Big Spring trip around this attraction, treat the event as a distinct seasonal experience and check its dates before traveling.

Aviation history and cultural heritage

The Hangar 25 Air Museum collects, preserves, and presents the history of the Big Spring Army Air Force Bombardier School and Webb Air Force Base for educational purposes. The museum is housed in a fully restored hangar from the World War II era. The historic site and the history on display are therefore both part of the museum’s story.

The history of Webb Air Force Base, presented at the Hangar 25 Air Museum, includes the training of more than 10,000 pilots from 1952 to 1977. These dates provide a clearly defined historical period for this part of the exhibition. This helps distinguish the museum’s broader history from the specific period of training at Webb Air Force Base.

The Heritage Museum preserves culturally and historically significant objects from Big Spring and West Texas for research and education. It also maintains and cares for the Potton House, a historic home listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These two aspects connect the museum’s work with both tangible collection objects and a named historic building.

Remembrance and trip planning

The Big Spring Vietnam Veterans Memorial and its memorial wall serve as a place for reflection, remembrance, and education. The annual motorcycle event “Run For The Wall” also stops there and includes a wreath-laying ceremony. The memorial is thus both a place for quiet remembrance and the setting for an annual commemorative event.

For planning purposes, you can group these themes into different areas of interest: park landscapes and trails, activities by the lake, the seasonal Festival of Lights, or museums and memorial sites. Even among the nature-based attractions, there is a clear difference between the three-mile scenic loop along the escarpment and the various types of trails at Comanche Trail Park. With your preferred focus in mind, you can choose Big Spring as a destination for your hotel stay.

For the broader trip overview: Howard.