Before You Arrive
How a Stay Works
Stay in a beautifully restored historic home within a silver mining town being thoughtfully brought back to life. With the town as your backdrop, you are free to explore its historic streets, gather with friends, or simply appreciate the quiet of the surrounding landscape. Come ready to enjoy the freedom to make the experience your own.
What to Expect
Come Prepared. Then Go Explore.
A stay in Shafter gives you the freedom to experience West Texas at your own pace. Wake up in a beautifully restored historic home, spend the day exploring the town or heading into the surrounding country, then return to your own quiet corner of the desert as the sun goes down.
Before you arrive, we'll provide check-in instructions and helpful details about your home. The houses are fully equipped for your stay, but because Shafter is a remote destination, you'll want to bring the food, beverages, and personal provisions you'll need. A little preparation gives you everything you need to settle in and make the most of your time here.
Come with an adventurous spirit and a sense of curiosity. Whether you're exploring historic buildings, taking the scenic route through West Texas, or simply enjoying the stillness of the landscape, Shafter gives you the space to experience the region your way.
Shafter is an active restoration site, with historical buildings and landmarks being carefully brought back to life. Please respect all marked closures and enjoy the town from designated areas.
What to Bring
Pack for the Distance
Groceries and Supplies
The nearest full grocery store is a long drive. Every house has a full kitchen, so shop for the whole stay in Marfa or Presidio on your way in.
Medication and First Aid
Bring anything you take regularly, plus a basic kit. The nearest pharmacy and hospital are both a serious drive away.
Layers
High desert. Hot days and genuinely cold nights, often in the same twenty-four hours, whatever the season says it should be doing.
A Full Tank
Fill up before you turn off the highway. Fuel in this part of the county is sparse and not always open.
Offline Maps
Mobile coverage is limited and varies by carrier. Download the route and the area before you lose signal.
A Torch
There is very little ambient light in town after dark — which is what makes the stargazing worth it, and what makes a torch worth packing.
Getting Here
The Journey Is Part of the Experience
Shafter sits in the Chinati foothills of Presidio County, about an hour south of Marfa and surrounded by the wide-open landscapes of far West Texas.
The drive is part of the adventure. Give yourself time to take in the changing landscape and enjoy the feeling of leaving the everyday behind. As the roads grow quieter and the country opens around you, you'll know you're getting close.
The Lay of the Land
Between the Chinatis and the Rio Grande
Shafter puts you within reach of some of the most distinctive landscapes, communities, and experiences in West Texas. Marfa is about an hour north, Cibolo Creek Ranch is a short drive away, Presidio and the Rio Grande are roughly half an hour south, and Big Bend National Park lies farther east.
Make Shafter your destination for a few days of history, exploration, and quiet, or use it as a basecamp for seeing more of the region. Spend a day in Marfa during a festival or event, venture into Big Bend country, explore the Chinati Mountains, or follow the road toward Fort Davis and the Davis Mountains.
There is plenty to discover, and the distances give you room to do it at your own pace. Leave some space in the itinerary, follow your curiosity, and let the landscape be part of the journey.
Houses You Can Visit Today
Most of Shafter is still under restoration. Houses are open to visitors as the work finishes.
See the Houses