Actually, it has been. Most recently, Tommy Lee Jones chose to film scenes for his movie The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada at Cibolo Creek. And why not? The ranch, located midway between Marfa and Presidio near Big Bend, is definitely big-screen material. Its 32,000 acres rise and dip through the handsomely chiseled Cienega and Chinati Mountains, topped by the 7,730-foot-high Chinati Peak.
The mountains are where the adventure part comes in. Those who want to explore the flinty glory of the Chihuahuan Desert can saddle up for guided horseback rides or roll around the ranch on ATVs. Another option is a guided mountain tour taken on a specially outfitted HUMMER. This two-and-a-half-hour, four-wheel drive trek climbs into the Chinati Mountains, loops past a rare desert waterfall, and stops to admire the lordly view of Chinati Peak and Peyote Peak, jutting skyward in the sprawling distance. Want more action? Hike or mountain bike the 90 miles of ranch roads; take aim at some skeet; or fish for bass, bream, or catfish in the placid pond.
