We were so wrong about Big Bend! I expected to be amazed at the vast flatness of the area and an overwhelming abundance of mesquite bushes as far as the eye could see. You know, to put it into a word, boring! Instead we were greeted by mountains — yes real, serious mountains as well as stunning canyons and beautiful views of the Rio Grande. To say we were surprised would be an understatement and this park has earned a special place in our hearts. This post is more focused on our itinerary for planning while this other post for Big Bend focuses on our favorite hikes.
As an aside, with all the news recently about the border we had a thought in the back of our minds we could see some of that play out in the park and to be perfectly honest we didn’t see anything concerning either in the park or as we drove there and back from El Paso. This area was “safe,” at least as much as any oppressive desert can be 🙂
So, on to the park! If I had to compare it to another park I would say it is most like Death Valley. If you’ve read either of our posts on Death Valley you know that this is high praise from me as I rank that park among my top 5 favorite parks. It is a diverse ecosystem with dry desert areas and the higher elevation areas in the Chisos Mountains, which have lodgepole pines and remind you more of Colorado or the area around Idyllwild, California. Three days is perfect for visiting the park as you get to truly experience each of the three areas.
A note on logistics — Big Bend is a difficult park to visit unless you plan ahead. Lodging is very limited outside the park and we heard many visitors talk of camping as far away as Alpine (about an hour north of Study Butte/Terlingua). The park has one lodge, the Chisos Mountain Lodge, and campgrounds in each of the three areas we highlight in this post.
Because we flew to the area we were doing VRBO home rentals and for this trip stayed at a Terlingua Ranch rental home that was very nice, quiet, and allowed for some night photography, but added some time to each day as we drove in and out of park. I would stay there again but the dirt roads are tough on a vehicle and an SUV (ideally with 4 wheel drive) is definitely recommended for this home.
So without further delay, here’s our 3 day Big Bend itinerary:
Day 1: Rio Grande Village, Boquillas Canyon, Hot Springs, Ernst Tinaja, and Daniels Ranch
For our first day we wanted to get in and around and gain familiarity with the roads and navigating the park. Driving out to the Rio Grande Village and exploring the southeastern part of the park is the perfect way to do so!
Our first destination was the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail, which leaves near campsite #18 in the Rio Grande Village Campground. There are parking spots right near the trailhead so check those first before you park elsewhere. It is a nice short hike that is a great way to see the river, the border, and some of the civilization in Mexico.
After leaving the Rio Grande Village Nature trail, we headed to Boquillas Canyon which is east of the Village. Skip the Rio Grande Overlook as it is now a poor view of the river due to trees and frankly you get a better view from the Boquillas Canyon Overlook. The Boquillas Canyon Trail is a moderate 1.4 mile trail that has an initial climb from the parking lot (which also has a pit toilet) but then runs gradually along and into the beautiful Boquillas Canyon. You will know when you hit the end of the trail and there is a nice spot to wade into the water, skip rocks, and relax along the shore!
You are all but guaranteed to experience something unique here including Mexicans selling food and various products along the trail. We even were serenaded by “Singing Jesus” from across the river with his tip jar placed alongside the trail. I assume this is since the crossing to Boquillas Del Carmen is still closed due to COVID and the locals are trying to find ways to support their family. It is “illegal” to purchase these items and we understand that park rangers will confiscate goods including those you buy so consider this fair warning. We also saw a few Mexicans cross over to collect their money as well.
It’s odd for us Minnesotans to think about the differences of this and the Canadian border we see often on our trips to the Boundary Waters where you see so few people and the border is often the middle of a lake you are canoeing on.
After the Boquillas Canyon we went on an adventure up the Old Ore Road to hike the Ernst Tinaja Trail. This road is a for real 4 wheel drive road where we honestly thought about turning around about every half mile. After a few miles of gritted teeth as we scraped our rental cars lower bumper (and the side) traversing washboard and wash areas we arrived! The trailhead for Ernst Tinaja trail is 5 miles up the road and it is quite the 5 miles.
If you have a pickup, Jeep, or a rental Tahoe like we did it will be just fine. It won’t work in a car and some wimpy crossovers could pop a tire or struggle out there so only do this one if you are prepared and you don’t want to be the last one on the road for the night or you could be spending it in your vehicle.
A few things in this part of the park we didn’t get to do are the Hot Springs, which were closed due to COVID and otherwise would be a must do and we regretted not going to the Daniels Ranch. It turns out that Javelina frequent the area and bobcat have also been sighted here. Oops! We thankfully saw some Javelina near the Fort Davis National Historic Site so at least weren’t fully shut out on seeing wildlife we definitely don’t have at home.
Day 2: Chisos Mountains, Panther Junction, and Fossil Discovery Exhibit
This day was our big day – the day we saved our energy for! We were really excited to do it and glad it all worked out. The Lost Mine Trail was calling our name and we were prepped for its’ 4.9 miles (roundtrip) and 1,135 feet of elevation gain. What we weren’t prepared for was how different it was than what we saw just yesterday! The mountains were beautiful and much of this hike is in tree cover or on rock at the top. This is our favorite hike in Big Bend and one we would recommend without hesitation! Note that there are no restrooms at the trailhead, something we wish we would have been better prepared for. This is a good hike to start in the morning, pack a lunch and eat it on the top of the mountain (we love cooler backpacks for this purpose).
After our hike we continued on to the Chisos Basin area and did the small paved loop to see the Window overlook, shop in the Visitor Center store, and headed back down the mountain.
We stopped at the Panther Junction Visitor Center to complete the Panther Path which was the final activity in our Junior Ranger books. The other benefit of doing that Path is you receive a special patch just for Junior Rangers who complete it and there are other patches they can earn if they do either the Emory Peak hike or Hot Springs hikes.
Our final stop in the park on day 2 was to run up to the Fossil Discovery Exhibit which showcases the fossils that have been found in the park. It is a quick stop with a very well designed exhibit.
Speaking of old things, we hadn’t been into the Terlingua Ghost Town and so headed to explore it quickly and bought some keepsakes in the shops. By this time we had worked up an appetite and got some truly excellent BBQ at DB’s Rustic Iron BBQ.
Day 3: Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, Castolon, Santa Elena Canyon, and Balanced Rock
On our final day we headed to the western parts of the park and the views on Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive did not disappoint! You first have awesome viewpoints of the Chisos Mountain range as you angle away from the main park road. We stopped a few times at small pull-offs to snap photos before arriving at the Sotol Vista, a must stop that is your first good chance to see Santa Elena Canyon in the distance. It is just a small notch and a reminder both of how imposing the range it is carved through is as well as how far away it is! Sotol Vista also has a pit toilet.
Leaving Sotol Vista you begin to descend to the valley floor and will pass the Burro Mesa Pouroff, which we drove into on our way home but did not do any hiking at. We instead stopped at the Mule Ears View Point, a neat geologic feature that truly looks like mule ears. Our final stop before the Castolon Visitor Center was Tuff Canyon and it is an impressive small canyon with a few metal overlooks that get you right up to the rim of the canyon and you can look either back toward the Chisos or Cerro Castellan which is and impressive mountain that dominates your view.
Castolon Visitor Center was a pretty quick stop as it, unfortunately, burned and is pretty limited as far as services are concerned. There is some interesting antique cotton harvesting equipment at the visitor center and is a history lesson on what else this area has been used for. There are some temporary bathrooms here to use and the rangers were friendly!
We did a slow drive through the Cottonwood campground just after the Visitor Center as a ranger suggested it may be a way to see the Roadrunner that Kim had her mind set on seeing. I wasn’t one to judge as I’ve dragged the family on many many moose hunts in parks before! We didn’t see one there, but did on the road shortly after.
The Santa Elena Canyon Overlook is a quick stop that has some information about the Canyon as well as a nice photo spot from a bit more elevation. Finally, we were at the trailhead! The trailhead has a fair amount of parking but when we left there were a number of cars parked along the road heading in and out of the area so do plan accordingly. The trailhead has pit toilets and picnic tables.
The Santa Elena Canyon trail is rated as moderate and is 1.7 miles round trip. You really must do this trail! It has a climb in the beginning, and may include crossing some muddy or wet areas if the Terlingua Creek is flowing. After that you have a beautiful canyon to walk into with 1500′ walls on either side of you! Because of the microclimate in the canyon we saw Ocatillo that had leaves that weren’t anywhere else in the park and a cactus that was flowering. We played in the cold water here and also saw some kayakers. We didn’t do this, but there are companies that provide boat tours down the Rio Grande that would be fun to do if we went back and are a good option for those who don’t bring their own kayaks to explore the river in.
Our final Big Bend destination was Balanced Rock on the Grapevine Hills Trail, which is located near the end of the Grapevine Hills Road. This unpaved road was about as rough as the Old Ore Road with some pretty awful washboard sections. It definitely gets a lot more traffic but does not have washes that require a true 4-wheel-drive. The parking area is decent sized and you can park along the road. There are no restrooms at the trailhead. Once you get underway you come into something again unique in the park – a very distinct geologic playground of boulders all around you!
After exploring this park we had such a better view of Big Bend and it is truly a special place! While I want to share it with others I am glad that it isn’t overrun with people and able to be as wild as it is. Enjoy! Also, don’t forget to check out our post on our picks for the best family hikes in Big Bend.
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