The Best Campsite We Never Booked – in Marfa, Texas

You’d think after all our time RVing, we’d have campsite reservations locked down. We thought we had this one locked down. I was sure of it. And yet… somehow, I got the dates wrong.

So there we were, rolling into Marfa, Texas—this tiny, artsy, middle-of-nowhere town—when we realized: we don’t actually have a place to stay tonight.

Did we panic? Not really.

When you’re RVing, you just learn to roll with it. Everything is flexible. Everything is fixable. And thankfully, Marfa has a few boondocking spots, including one at the Marfa Lights Viewing Center—basically a glorified rest area where people go to try and catch a glimpse of the legendary Marfa Lights.

Now, About the Marfa Lights

No one knows exactly what they are, and people have been trying to figure it out for over 100 years. The first recorded sighting was in 1883, when a cowboy named Robert Reed Ellison spotted strange floating orbs while driving cattle. He thought they were Apache campfires—except when he got closer, there were no fires. No people. Just… lights.

Since then, theories have ranged from paranormal activity to aliens to atmospheric reflections to bioluminescent swamp gas (which, let’s be honest, sounds fake). Scientists have studied them. Skeptics have tried to debunk them. No one really agrees on an answer.

Most people don’t even see them—some say they only appear once or twice a month, and even then, only if conditions are right. So I wasn’t exactly expecting a show. But hey, it was a free place to park for the night, and we had nowhere else to go.

The Viewing Center Experience

Turns out, the viewing center was more than just an empty lot. People had been there for days, camping out in their RVs, hoping to see the lights. Others just showed up for the night, unfolding their camping chairs on the balcony, cracking open drinks, and settling in like they were tailgating before a big game.

It felt like waiting for fireworks—except no one was sure if there would actually be fireworks.

We found a spot, made dinner, and just hung out, listening to the chatter around us. Some people had full-on picnic setups. Others sat quietly, scanning the horizon. A few looked like seasoned pros—tripods out, cameras ready, like they were about to document some serious supernatural activity.

Then, just as it got fully dark…

Ooooh.
Ahhhhh.

People started pointing. Whispering. Then getting louder—“Did you see that? It just moved!”

And sure enough, there they were. Little glowing orbs. Floating, darting back and forth, zooming in and out of focus. Not headlights. Not reflections. Just… moving.

I was skeptical before, but watching them with my own eyes? I still don’t know what I saw, but I saw something.

Some of the lights hovered. Some streaked across the sky. Some just blinked in and out, like they were teasing us. Were they ghosts? Energy fields? Aliens checking in on us? No clue. But what I do know is that we sat there for hours, watching them dance across the desert.

Even when we finally crawled into bed, I could still hear people outside gasping and cheering.

If we had booked our site correctly, we never would have stayed here. We never would have seen the lights.

And honestly? It was one of the quirkiest, coolest experiences of the trip.

Marfa: the quirkiest town in Texas

Of course, the next few days in Marfa were just as weird and wonderful.

If you’ve never been, Marfa is this tiny, artsy, offbeat town in the middle of nowhere West Texas. It has a population of about 1,700 people, but somehow, it’s become a hub for artists, writers, and free-spirited folks who wanted to build something different in the desert.

It wasn’t always this way. Originally, Marfa was just a sleepy railroad town. Then, in the 1970s, minimalist artist Donald Judd moved in and started transforming old army barracks into massive art installations. That kicked off an art movement, and now the town is filled with galleries, murals, and sculptures in the most unexpected places.

If you’ve ever seen photos of the Prada Marfa installation—the fake Prada store sitting in the middle of the desert like an eerie mirage—that’s just outside of town. And it kind of sums up Marfa’s whole vibe: high art meets West Texas dust.

The food, the coffee, the art, and… Jeff Goldblum?

We spent the next few days eating really well and viewing amazing art. Also, visiting the shops (we loved the Marfa Store for shopping, gifts, and fun conversation). The Pink Fire Station, the Ballroom art space, and countless galleries, art installations, and murals.

Marfa Burrito – A tiny, no-frills place that serves massive, incredible breakfast burritos. We went twice. No regrets.
The Sentinel – A combo coffee shop, café, and artsy general store. Perfect for a mid-day break.
All the art – Yes, Prada Marfa is iconic, and of course the See Marfa Lights mural is also a must, as is the Giant Marfa Mural. But the galleries. So many galleries. So much good art.
93.5 FM Public Radio – The local station is awesome. If you’re in the area, put it on while you’re driving around.

Oh, and the campground we did book for the next few nights? They were obsessed with Jeff Goldblum.

Like, there was a Jeff Goldblum flag flying. Apparently, they have a Jeff Goldblum festival every year. Why? No idea. But honestly, respect.

Would I Do It Again?

Mistakes happen. Look, I’m not saying you should intentionally forget to book a site in Marfa. But if you find yourself in a situation like we did, don’t stress.

Just roll with it.

Grab a spot at the Marfa Lights Viewing Center. Make some snacks. Hang out with the people around you. And if you’re lucky, you might just see something you can’t explain.

That night, we went in thinking we were just finding a place to park. Instead, we got one of the weirdest, most unexpected, and absolutely unforgettable experiences of our trip.

And that’s the best part of travel, isn’t it?

You can plan all you want. But sometimes, the best moments are the ones you never saw coming.

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