2016 Map of Adobes

About this map

The Rio Grande serves as the international boundary between Texas and Mexico in this arid reach of the Big Bend region. The small settlement of Adobes sits near the riverbank, surrounded by a landscape of desert drainage systems including Pelillos Arroyo and Arroyo Borracho. Local history is preserved in several small burial sites, including Adobe Cem, Adobes Cem, and Chinati Cem, which are scattered along the narrow corridor formed by FM 170. This roadway, known as the River Road, snakes between the river's floodplain and the high ground of the Chinati Mountains and San Antonio Canyon. The presence of San Jose Spring and Arroyo Cienega further north highlights the vital, though sparse, water sources that historically dictated human movement and habitation in this remote borderland environment.