Sotol Vista is where Big Bend National Park shows you how much of it there is. The overlook sits on a rise beside the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, named for the park's first superintendent, and the view runs south and west across a basin of pale desert with the Chisos Mountains standing behind you and the far-off notch of Santa Elena Canyon on the horizon. The land is open Chihuahuan Desert, and in every direction you see more of it. There is nothing between you and the Rio Grande but space, heat and the occasional hawk.
The plant that gives the place its name is the sotol, a tough, spiky rosette with long, narrow leaves, rather like a yucca with a grudge. It covers the slopes beside the road, and in spring it throws up tall flower stalks, which locals once used to make a strong drink. Lechuguilla, ocotillo and prickly pear fill in the gaps, and after a good rain the desert turns greener than you would believe. The geology is volcanic, with old lava flows and tuff laid down in the Tertiary period, and in the distance you can pick out the layered bluffs of Mesa de Anguila.
The drive itself is thirty miles of smooth, well-graded tarmac, running from the high country near the Chisos down to the river at Castolon, with a lovely, slow rhythm of curves, dips and sudden views. The speed limit is low, and the drive is closer to a gentle ride than a thrill. Heat is the main issue. From May to September, afternoon temperatures can climb past forty degrees, and a motorcycle jacket becomes an oven, so ride early and carry more water than seems sensible. In winter the days are mild and the nights cold.
This is remote country, and services are few. The store at Castolon is limited, and the nearest towns of any size are far away. Fill up before you set out, carry water, and let someone know your plans, since mobile signal is patchy. The sunsets over the desert, with the Chisos turning purple behind you, are among the best in Texas.