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FM 89: Abilene to Buffalo Gap, Callahan Divide, Texas
Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0 · cropped

Drives Texas Big Bend and West Texas

FM 89: Abilene to Buffalo Gap

FM 89, Buffalo Gap Road · Abilene → Abilene State Park

Leisurely11.1 mi15 min300 ft climbHigh point ≈ 2,000 ftOne way
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The drive

FM 89 is Abilene's short drive into the hills. It leaves the south side of the city on Buffalo Gap Road and heads south-west across farmland toward the Callahan Divide, the line of hills that runs east to west across the horizon.

Buffalo Gap sits at a natural break in those hills. Buffalo hunters camped here in the 1860s and 1870s, and the town was the first Taylor County seat, until the railroad passed it by for Abilene, which took the county seat in 1883. The original courthouse is now the heart of the Buffalo Gap Historic Village.

Past Buffalo Gap the road picks up a few good curves as it climbs into the hills, and it ends just before the turn for Abilene State Park, with its CCC-built stone water tower, its 1930s swimming pool and Lake Abilene.

Along the way

  1. Abilene
  2. Buffalo Gap
  3. Abilene State Park
Elevation
300 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 2,000 ft
AbileneAbilene State Park
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
AbileneAbilene State Park
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Abilene State Park charges a daily entry fee, and reservations are recommended from March through November.
  • Lake Abilene has been low: the park has closed its boat ramps and doesn't allow swimming or fishing in the lake.
  • The park is under a burn ban; only propane and other containerized stoves are allowed for cooking.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check TxDOT DriveTexas.

Questions about this drive

How long is the drive from Abilene to Buffalo Gap?

FM 89 from Abilene through Buffalo Gap to the Abilene State Park turnoff is 11.1 miles and takes about 15 minutes.

How do you get to Abilene State Park?

Take FM 89 south from Abilene through Buffalo Gap; the park road turns off FM 89 south of the village.

What is Buffalo Gap known for?

Buffalo Gap, on FM 89 south of Abilene, was the first Taylor County seat. Its old courthouse is now part of the Buffalo Gap Historic Village.

Is FM 89 to Buffalo Gap a twisty road?

Mostly no. FM 89 is gentle out of Abilene, with a few good curves in the hills past Buffalo Gap.

What you get in the app

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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of FM 89: Abilene to Buffalo Gap, from Abilene to Abilene State Park