After Marfa, the route stays on US 90 and first crosses the high ground east of town. Within the opening kilometres, the Marfa Lights Viewing Area sits beside the road; after that the stage climbs toward Paisano Pass. The high point comes early, at just over 1,550 metres, before the route drops into Alpine. Alpine is the main stop of the day: railway, cross streets, shops, traffic and a useful chance to refill. East of town, the stage becomes emptier again. US 90 runs close to the railway, gently rolling across open country, with low ridges and views toward the Glass Mountains. The final kilometres lose clear height. Marathon sits in a broad basin before the Big Bend country, marked by the US 385 junction, the railway and a small grid of streets around the centre.
