Exploring Big Bend National Park, Texas
After working on Clifford the van for the better part of 4-months straight, we decided we needed a test run to see what was working and what was not so we jumped in and headed as far south as we could to Big Bend National Park to meet up with a few of Joey’s friends for a week of hiking, mule riding, and good times around the campfire.
About Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park is an American National Park located in West Texas, bordering Mexico. The park has national significance as the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology in the United States, and was named after a large bend in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo rivers.
The park protects more than 1,200 species of plants, more than 450 species of birds, 56 species of reptiles, and 75 species of mammals.Additional park activities include scenic drives, programs led by Big Bend park rangers, and stargazing.
The area has a rich cultural history, from archeological sites dating back nearly 10,000 years to more recent pioneers, ranchers, and miners. The Chisos Mountains are located in the park, and are the only mountain range in the United States to be fully contained within the boundary of a national park. Geological features in the park include sea fossils and dinosaur bones, as well as volcanic dikes.
The park encompasses an area of 801,163 acres (1,251.8 sq mi; 3,242.2 km2), entirely within Brewster County. For more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km), the Rio Grande/Río Bravo forms the boundary between Mexico and the United States, and Big Bend National Park administers approximately 118 miles (190 km) along that boundary.
Because the Rio Grande serves as an international boundary, the park faces unusual constraints while administering and enforcing park rules, regulations, and policies. In accordance with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the park’s territory extends only to the center of the deepest river channel as the river flowed in 1848. The rest of the channel and the land south of it lies within Mexican territory. The park is bordered by the protected areas of Cañón de Santa Elena and Maderas del Carmen in Mexico.
How do you get to Big Bend National Park?
While the isolation of Big Bend National Park is a draw for many visitors, it also means your trip must be well prepared and carefully planned. Big Bend National Park is located in Southwest Texas, a considerable distance from cities and transportation hubs. There is no public transportation to, or within Big Bend National Park.
Several highways lead to Big Bend National Park: TX 118 from Alpine to Study Butte or FM 170 from Presidio to Study Butte (then 26 miles east to park headquarters), or US 90 or US 385 to Marathon (then 70 miles south to park headquarters).
Distances between towns and services are considerable. Be sure you have plenty of gas, oil, food, and water for your trip. There are no electric vehicle charging stations in Big Bend National Park. The closest EV charging station is 130 miles away in Fort Stockton, TX.
The park has four camp stores, but supply and selection can be limited. There are also small stores in the communities outside the park. The last major shopping areas (grocery and hardware stores) are Alpine, Fort Stockton, and Del Rio.
When did we go? Where did we stay?
We went January 13 – 16, 2023 and felt like the 4-days was ample time to do most the items on our bucket list for the park. That being said, if we could have stayed an extra day we would have to find our way to the Balanced Rock in the Grapevine Hills and for Joey to spend a day enjoying the park on his motorcycle.
There is not a lot of BLM land near Big Bend National Park and we wanted to be close to Joey’s friends Jeff and Rachel so we ended up staying at Ocotillos Village. A cute campsite a few minute drive from the entrance of the National Park that had lovely showers, bathrooms, and A-Frame stargazers.
Other places to stay
What did we do in Big Bend National Park?
We spent 4-days exploring Big Bend National Park, countless hikes, a boat ride across the Rio Grand into Mexico, and a mule ride into Boquillas del Carmen, Mexico. Here’s a few of our favorite things we did while in Texas. Want to see more of our hiking adventures? Check this blog post out!
Santa Elena Canyon – 1.7 Mile Hike / 1.5 Hours – All Trails
- Hike felt shorter than expected, but that could have been because the water levels were higher than expected so we could not go that far
- Outside of the first climb (once you crossed the river-bed) it was basically a leisurely stroll.
- Very cool experience to be on the USA/Mexico border
- Fairly crowded trail – was hard to photograph
- One of the farthest hikes from the entrance of Big Bend NP, if you were going to do it it was going to take up half your day.
- There was a bathroom at trail head (which is always nice)
Window Trail – 5.2 Mile Hike / 3 Hours – All Trails
- It’s all downhill for the first 1/2 of the hike but the climb out was not that bad
- The view was definitely worth it. The hike out had one of the best sunsets we’ve experienced. Beautiful.
- Trail was very well maintained and easy to follow
- Good amount of people on the trail to make it feel safe knowing there are bears and mountain lions nearby but not too many that it felt crowded.
- It was nice that it started near the visitor center parking lot (and there was a grocery store there for a post hike snack – we got sodies)
- There was a bathroom at trail head (which is always nice)
Hot Springs Trail – 1 Mile Hike / 1 Hour – All Trails
- To get there you’ll need a vehicle that is small due to cliff drops (5-10 feet) on either side of the road – the van was too large to do it so we parked a few miles away and drove in with a friend in his Jeep Gladiator. Don’t even think about driving in with a trailer or an RV
- Parking lot was pretty full so there is definitely a risk that you could drive in and have no where to park
- Lots of interesting historical information along the hike
- The hot spring was very crowded but people were friendly. If you waited a moment, a spot would usually open up.
- The hike was flat and short, not really a hike and more of a walk along a dirt path
- If you are going to Boquillas del Carmen, it’s worth the stop because it’s on the way there/back but if you were on the other side of the park it’s not worth it
- Water was not “hot hot” at 105* but it was nice to jump in
- People were jumping into the river and swimming across to Mexico
- There was a bathroom at trail head (which is always nice)
Emory Peak Trail – 10.4 Mile Hike / 7 Hours – All Trails
- Watch out for loose rocks if you’ve got weak ankles. Hiking poles are an absolute must.
- Incline is comprised mostly of stairs and very rocky paths
- Views are stunning, especially the last 1.5 miles (after the junction where the toilet was). The mountain wall in Mexico was breathtaking and somewhat creepy as it looked fake
- There are two “summits” when you arrive at the end, the right one is much more difficult and without bouldering experience we would not recommend. Joey ended up doing the left summit (which is a little bit lower and did not have the view into Big Bend National Park but instead towards Mexico). It was still a scramble but less sketchy.
- If we had to go back to Big Bend, we would probably not do it again since it’s a fun day hike. We did it for the bragging rights.
- There was a bathroom at trail head (which is always nice)
What if hiking is not your thing?
A trip to Boquilas del Carmen, Mexico through Big Bend National Park
How did we rank Big Bend National Park?
Crowds: 9/10
- We were in Big Bend during a Holiday weekend with a free entry dayWe were never fully alone on a trail which was nice for wildlife safety but we were never stuck behind or having to walk with other groups of people.
Parking: 7.5
- Parking seemed adequate for the crowds that were there this weekend.
- We had trouble finding a spot when doing the Window Trail because the parking lot was full and not RV/Van friendly except for the overflow lot that we had no idea about. (There was a park ranger at the base that was turning people around during the day)
- Parking at hot springs trail head was a bit hectic and due to the road in there was no way a van could have made it anyway.
Bathrooms: 7/10
- There was a bathroom at every trailhead.
- Visitor center at the Windows Trailhead only had one male stall and two women stall. There was always a line for the men’s stall (4-5 people deep) Joey had to use the women’s restroom to avoid a accident.
- Katie says there was more bathrooms at the lodge, Joey saw no signs that said that
- Bathrooms were relatively clean.
In Park Transportation: N/A
- There was no in-park transportation.
Roads (Quality): 9/10
- Roads were beautiful. Pristine cement and wonderfully grated dirt roads (until the dirt trails start)
Traffic: 9/10
- Speed limits were slow throughout the park (30-45 mph) so traffic started around that, but nothing terrible.
- The only time we sat in traffic was going through the entrance gate (10am) – every other time we had no issue.
Van Life Friendly: 6/10
- There are camp sites in the park (no rv hookups). There was same-day availability in some of them.
- There was no BLM outside of the park to do dispersed camping but there are other campsites not in the park (some closer than others).
- Very few parking spots that would accommodate RVs but they did have spots coned off specifically for RVs but if there were more than a couple RVs then some would not fit.
Things To Do (In Park): 8/10
- Small visitor centers but there were quite a few to visit on all sides of the park.
- The dinosaur one at Panther Junction was cool.
- The mountain lion one at Chisos Basin was small.
- Tons of hiking.
- Scenic “overlooks” are just small pull-offs on the main road with no real parking lots.
- USA/Mexico border crossing into another country from the park was super unique and very fun.
- Hot spring, enough said
Things To Do (Out of Park): 3/10
- On the west side there was a small town with a few restaurants and a small general store for groceries. High prices. There was a ghost town.
- There were some longhorns on a ranch on the side of the road.
Wildlife: 3/10
- We saw a bunch of deer. There are bears and mountain lions in the park, but we didn’t see any. The many Blue bird were very pretty.
Bugs: 3/10
- On the last day by the welcome sign we got fully attacked by bugs. Some of those bugs were biters and joey got a bunch of bites. We only really encountered them on that last day.
Uniqueness: 4/10
- While beautiful it was not truly unique. It was a high desert that could have been confused with other South West States. The only saving grace in Joey’s mind was the Mexican wall in the distance and the ability to jump between two countries in a single National Park.
Total Points: 68.5
Ranked: 7/10 (we rounded up)
In conclusion, would we return?
- Yes. It is pretty. There is a lot more to see that we didn’t have time for. This is a HUGE park and we only scratched the surface in the 4 days we were there.
