Roughly one year ago, Dilan and I took our first trip across the Lone Star State to Big Bend National Park. Instead, this year we have been cooped up in quarantine and dreaming about where we will travel next. So, I thought now would be a great time to share some of our favorites and recommendations from our trip so that you can start planning a trip there of your own.
About the Park
First, Big Bend is a MASSIVE park. Out of the 62 recognized US National Parks, Big Bend is 15th largest covering 801,163 acres. Not only is it big though, it is also one of the most remote national parks in the continental US. It is located in south-western Texas and is quite difficult to get to. The nearest airports are Midland/Odessa (235 miles from the park) and El Paso (330 miles from the park). The last towns with larger grocery stores are Alpine and Fort Stockton, approximately 100 miles away. The park has 118 miles of the Rio Grande river as its natural border, but also as an international border with Mexico.
The park itself is home to river, desert, and mountain environments all right next to each other. Big Bend National Park was originally established in 1935 to preserve and protect the Chihuahuan desert which is the most biologically diverse desert in the western hemisphere. The desert stretches from southwestern Texas and New Mexico down to almost Central Mexico! What makes this desert different than the Sonoran or Mohave deserts in the US is that the Chihuahuan desert receives much more seasonal rain. In the summer, the desert experiences monsoon like rains. The winters tend to be cold and dry, and sometimes it even gets some snow.
Big Bend is also considered one of the darkest skies in the lower 48 states. The area has been designated an International Dark-Sky Park (one of 10 in the world). What this means is that the stars at night are unlike any other and “free from all but the most minor impacts of light pollution.” Be sure you save enough energy at the end of the day to do some star gazing. We made the mistake of going during a full moon, so maybe try to plan around that if you can too!
Where to Stay
Dilan and I visited Big Bend in early May of 2019, which was already borderline too hot! “Busy season” in the park is considered mid-January through mid-April when the weather is cool to mild. Definitely be sure to check the weather and pack accordingly.
In the park itself there are three developed campgrounds located in the Chisos basin (mountains), Rio Grande Village (river), and Cottonwood (river). All locations accept reservations and fill up fast during the busy season. Backcountry camping is also available and requires in person purchase of a permit from the Visitor Center. Backcountry sites are scattered around the park in all different environmental regions and are first come first serve.
You can also stay outside of the park. This was what Dilan and I decided to do. Directly north of the Maverick Junction Entrance station is the tiny village of Terlingua. If you look this up on Google it says it has a permanent population of 58 people!! Terlingua has one or two motels, but most lodging is through Airbnb in what I will call ‘abnormal lodging.’ These include campers, tipis, converted buses, and other off-grid type accommodations.
We ended up staying in a camper located in a small RV park within Terlingua that had a nice built up outdoor patio and grill. We chose to stay here because after hiking all day we thought it would be nice to have running water for a quick shower. The listing also *claimed* it had air conditioning, and I am here to tell you that this was a stretch haha. But it was still a fun adventure and it was so nice after a long day to sit out and look at the stars.
One other note! Cell service in and around the park is near non-existent. Be prepared for this and make sure you have maps ready and keep your phone charged for emergency calls. Many lodging areas and visitor stops have wifi that you can connect to, but I wouldn’t rely on this.
What to Bring
Maybe the most important part about planning a trip to a rural area like Big Bend is making sure you pack everything you will need. Like I mentioned earlier, the closest major grocery and hardware stores are roughly 100 miles away. Within Terlingua, there are a few small restaurants including the Starlight Theatre, High Sierra Bar & Grill, and Espresso y Poco Mas. During our experience there, they all had strange hours and only served very limited food options – but it may have been somewhat due to off-season.
Within the park there is one restaurant at the Chisos Mountain Lodge. This also runs on off hours depending on the season you visit. Also, all three campgrounds have a camp store that carries miscellaneous food and supplies, but its not good to count on these as inventory fluctuates.
We chose to plan out our meals and bring food in a large cooler. Most days we ate a bagged lunch in the park and made an easy dinner once back for the day. We made sure to bring a plenty of gallons of water because it is easy to get dehydrated in the dry desert environment. Normal hiking snacks like granola bars and fruit will keep you going while you explore!
Other items we brought which came in handy included:
- Hydration backpacks for when we were hiking (I found a 2L pack on Amazon for under $20)
- Hiking boots – I love my Ariat Boots I also found on Amazon
- Comfortable/Breathable Hiking Clothes – We brought multiple dry-fit shirts to hike in to cool us down in the heat
- Hat – A hat will keep the sun off your face and help you stay cool in the hot desert sun. Dilan loves his wide brim straw hats
- Sunglasses – Polarized sunglasses will save your eyes from UV rays. I loved this pair I brought with me from Blenders eyeware. (This link will get you $20 off!)
- First Aid Kit – Make sure it has moleskin and tape in case you get blisters!
- Snake Bite Kit – Can’t be too careful, especially when there are so many species of snake that live in the area
- Portable Charger – We would be gone all day and having one with us was important in case of emergency
- Maps – Make sure to grab one from the visitors center
- Sunscreen – You will definitely need it
What to Do
Now for what you really want to know – what should you do while you’re there? When we visited, we stayed for a total of 4 days. This was pretty short, but we fit in just about as much as we could. I would not recommend going for any shorter than this because the park is just so big and you’ll miss out on so many amazing parts of the park!
We made it a point to visit each of the habitats found within the park: River, Mountains, and Desert. I think this is a great way to split up the park when planning what you’d like to see.
River
The river areas of the park include the low lying areas that surround the Rio Grande. During certain months they do allow tubing and guided boat tours that are a great option for staying cooler!
Santa Elena Canyon was our first stop when we got to Big Bend. The canyon has been formed over hundreds of years of the Rio Grande slowly breaking down the limestone. The canyon is the largest Rio Grande canyon with walls reaching as high as 1500 ft. It is located on the western side of the park. This spot has a small trail that runs about 1.5 miles round trip. The park considers the trail difficulty to be moderate, but apart from the initial climb up from the river, the trail is very gradual. Being that the Rio Grande is an international border, the other side of the canyon you see during the hike is in Mexico. This is a great trail for during the day since the tall canyon walls provide some shade from the sun.
Being within the canyon, the views are spectacular. Looking back towards the park gives a great scenic view of the surrounding river and desert. Within the canyon, the towering rock walls make you feel so small in comparison. There are also beautiful flowering (depending on time of year) prickly pear cacti growing along the rocks.
Boquillas Canyon is a second canyon that lies within Big Bend on the opposite side the park. Located on the southeast border of the park, Boquillas canyon is a sandier hike that follows along the Rio Grande. The trail runs only about 1.4 miles round trip and is considered moderate difficulty. The elevation of this hike is much less and you stay along the ground of the canyon instead of on the walls. I suggest doing this hike earlier when the sun isn’t as hot as the beginning of the hike is entirely exposed. On the bluff, you are able to see mortar holes from the old inhabitants of the area adding some history to the hike!
Visiting the Historic Hot Springs along the Rio Grande was maybe one of our favorite to-dos within the park. The hot springs are located near the Rio Grande Village campground also near the southeast border of the park. Because the days were already so hot, Dilan and I woke up early to get to the springs before the temperatures rose – and it was so worth it! We were lucky enough to be the only ones there! Along the tiny 1 mile round trip trail, there are ruins of an old homestead and pictographs covering the rock walls. There are foundation remains from an old bathhouse that allow you to wade in and enjoy the 105*F water (great for sore muscles after hiking). Be forewarned though, driving in to the parking lot is a bit narrow and larger cars will have trouble getting through. There is a second lot that you can walk from if your vehicle won’t fit.
Mountains
The mountain area of the park includes the Chisos Mountain Range. From the surrounding desert you can see the Chisos Mountains rise like a green oasis in the heart of the park. To reach the mountain hiking trails and campground, you must follow a paved road that twists around the peaks and climbs into the Chisos Mountain Basin. The basin sits at an elevation of 5,400 ft and temperatures are often 10-20*F colder than the rest of the park. This makes the mountain hikes more suitable and enjoyable if visiting during the warmer months.
Emory Peak is the highest point in Big Bend National Park at 7,832 ft. This was by far our longest, but most looked forward to hike during our visit. The trail up to Emory Peak is approximately 10.5 miles round trip and is considered strenuous in difficulty. Dilan and I woke up before sunrise to get to the trail-head as early as we could. That way we would be done when the heat of the day finally hit. At the beginning of the trail, you get a perfect view of ‘the window’ with views out to the desert and beyond. This hike takes you through beautiful forests of aspen and douglas fir and up to sheer rock faces at the top. Actually, the final ascent of the trail is up the side of a boulder with cliffs to either side (not going to lie it was a bit scary). But you instantly get rewarded with views across the range and into Mexico.
I highly recommend this hike for experienced hikers and those who want a challenge. Although this was our only mountain hike, it was our favorite overall. Next time we go back we plan to try the South Rim trail. This trail branches off from Emory Peak trail and winds around some of the other Chisos tall peaks.
Desert
Desert hikes may be relatively flat, but they are grueling with the heat and low humidity. Be sure to have plenty of water when attempting any hikes in the desert regions of the park. Aside from the heat, the views are other-worldly and definitely worth a try!
Grapevine Hills trail is an easy desert hike that brings you to the Balanced Rock formation. The 2.2 mile round trip trail begins following a gravel wash full of rainbow colored lizards! It then climbs up rounded boulders and other rocks for the last quarter mile to reach the formation. Learn from us and do not do this in the middle of the afternoon! When we attempted this hike it was well over 100*F. But, being that we only had a few days at the park we gave it a shot.
The rest of our Big Bend Park desert experience took place driving the winding scenic routes throughout the park. Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive on the west side of the park provides views of Mule Ears peaks (yes they look like ears), Tuff Canyon, and Sotol Vista. We will surely be attempting more desert hikes when we make it back to the park!
Mexico
Being that Big Bend borders Mexico, there is also a border crossing that allows you to visit the town of Boquillas, Mexico. Doing so requires a valid passport. After passing through the port of entry, you can take a short row boat ride across the river for 5$ or walk if the water is low. Once across, you can choose to walk or take a horse/donkey into town for a small fee. The trip is only about 1 mile. Although we did not have a chance to see it, there is also the chance to hire a guide to visit the Crystal Caves just outside of Boquillas.
The town of Boquillas is extremely small, but is used to visitors from the park. The town was hit hard when the crossing closed after 9/11 and now only about 200 residents live there. There are two restaurants in town (Jose Falcon’s and Boquillas Restaurant) if you’d like to grab an authentic lunch or margarita, and the owners are extremely friendly. There are also a few shops where you can bring back a souvenir. Make sure to bring cash with you (dollars are fine and preferred). We were lucky enough to get serenaded by a gentleman on guitar while sitting on the patio at Jose Falcon’s for some tacos.
Adventure Awaits at Big Bend
Big Bend National Park really is unlike any other place on earth. You can experience deserts, rivers, and mountains all in the same day. Dilan and I had an amazing time exploring the park and are hoping we can return soon. So, if you’re in the mood for a little adventure, I highly recommend moving Big Bend up on your list! Hopefully this guide will help with your planning! Happy travels 🙂
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