Persimmon Gap, Road mountain pass in Brewster County, US.
Persimmon Gap is a road pass in the Santiago Mountains of Brewster County, Texas, crossed by U.S. Highway 385 at 906 metres. It sits within Big Bend National Park, and the National Park Service's Persimmon Gap Visitor Center stands at the pass. The gap forms the park's northern entrance for drivers arriving from Marathon.
The pass served as a natural route for early settlers and traders moving through West Texas during the 1800s expansion era. This corridor became important for connecting remote communities and moving goods across the landscape.
The pass lies on the road from Marathon to the Chisos Mountains, and U.S. Highway 385 crosses it at the park's northern edge. The Persimmon Gap Visitor Center of the National Park Service stands here, where travellers enter Big Bend National Park. The gap takes its name from the persimmon trees that grow in the area.
Persimmon Gap sits at the northern entrance of Big Bend National Park on U.S. Highway 385, about 40 miles south of Marathon. The Persimmon Gap Visitor Center stands at the pass itself, so stop there for orientation and park information before continuing into the park. Recorded temperatures range from 113 °F in June 2017 to 4 °F in December 1989.
The rock layers here reveal deposits from an ancient sea that covered the region roughly 100 million years ago. These geological strata tell the story of a vanished ocean landscape that once dominated the area.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,753 contributors worldwide.