Stillwell Store and Hallie Stillwell Hall of Fame Museum

Stillwell Store and Hallie Stillwell Hall of Fame Museum is a privately run store, campground and small local-history museum about seven miles north of Big Bend’s Persimmon Gap entrance. It sits outside the park boundary. If you’re coming down from Marathon, this is a practical stop for basics and regular gasoline before entering the park. It’s a poor base for the Chisos or central attractions, which mean a long drive south; the remote setting suits visitors looking for a quieter northern base and dark skies.

The museum is self-guided, and visitors ask at the store for its key during store hours. Check access before making a dedicated detour, since no current store schedule is posted. The general store carries drinks, canned goods, ice and regular gasoline, but not diesel. The campground has RV and tent sites; water isn’t included at dry or tent sites, and Wi-Fi at the store is limited.

Hallie Crawford married rancher Roy Stillwell in 1918 and moved to his Big Bend ranch. After his death, she kept the ranch going through a string of jobs, including managing a coffee shop and serving as a justice of the peace. Her newspaper column, started in 1955, helped carry the ranch through drought. She was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1992 and died two months short of her 100th birthday. The museum makes this a personal history stop as well as a useful northern-gateway supply run.