Thought I'd throw some notes out there for people who might be interesting in visiting Big Bend National Park. This isn't in a great write-up format, but if you need any info or suggestions, I'm happy to offer thoughts up.

You should plan on visiting between mid-October and mid-March. Avoid holidays/school breaks at all costs as those are peak times for the park. September/early-October temps can be WELL above 100*. I usually go in mid-February and the last couple years it's been warm....highs in the mid to upper 80's in the day. Top that with direct sunshine and it's hot. Three years ago that same time frame it was more like beautiful 70* weather.

If you’re going expecting to do some great off roading, you might be disappointed. I’d suggest going to see the park in general, and drive some of the back roads while there, but not have them be your sole reason for going. If you camp in the back country you’ll get to do plenty of this driving anyhow to get to some of the sites, but in general…..don’t go expecting to have a great overland adventure driving the back roads. You’re time is so much better spent seeing some of the magnificent things in the park. I’ve been 3 years in a row and still have plenty of hikes that I’d like to get back to do. So, with that said, here are a few things/sights with a short notes:


ATTRACTIONS/HIKES:

St. Elena Canyon – located on the west side of the park. The hike is ~1 mile back in to the canyon with a moderate ascent up some stairs and then back down. It’s beautiful once you really get back there with 1500 foot high cliffs on either side of the river. If at all possible, do this early one morning. The trail gets busy and honestly, the less people, the more tranquil the experience. I’ve been on the trail as one of very few and it was so peaceful. I’ve also been on this trail later in the day with about 1000 other people…..and groups that decided they were going to just have a party down at the end in the canyon and it absolutely ruined the entire experience. Go early and miss the crowd, but by all means go see it!

Boquillas Canyon – at the east end of the park is Boquillas Canyon. If you see St. Elena before going to this end, you’ll be disappointed. It is still nice, but is not near as scenic. One attraction at this end is the little town of Boquillas across the river. There will be guys that come hang out on the other side of the river and sing/serenade you for tips. It does add a little something unique to the visit. If you go early in the morning, there aren’t many visitors down there, and therefore not many people on the other side of the river trying to make a buck off them…..so you might view this as good or bad depending on if you want to hear some singing. From a heat perspective, the morning is better it’s not as hot down there yet, but the ambiance is definitely different. This is one attraction that I don’t think the amount of people seeing it at the same time is near as big of a deal. You really can’t see back down in the canyon like you can at St. Elena. Walk back as far as you can and you’ll end at a small rock bar. It’s probably a must see while you’re there, but there are definitely better things to see in the park.

Boquillas Village – if you take your passport, there is an actual border crossing in the park. You can go across the river to have breakfast/lunch/dinner and/or do a little shopping from the goods the locals produce. I have not done this myself.

Earnst Tinaja – this is a couple miles back Old Ore Road off the main road, and it’s worth going to see. I would shoot to hit this in the morning as you can be really exposed to the afternoon sun (you hike back towards the east in to a canyon to see it). It’s maybe a ¼ mile hike back from the parking area through some interesting rock formations. The tinaja itself offers great picture opportunities. You can traverse a bit further back from the tinaja a ways, but things start to get pretty dicey at a point. You’ll likely start thinking the consequences of trying to go further back in to the canyon are not worth it and turn around. Now, when you leave, you might think that going all the way down Old Ore Road up to the north might be worthwhile. If you enjoyed the drive back to Earnst Tinaja, then by all means go north. It is a lot more of the same……gravely road for miles and miles that will eat up a lot of time. I’d suggest there are so many things to see that you skip this unless you’re trying to do a hike down that direction.

Grapevine Hills/Balanced Rock – By all means this is a nice leisurely 1 mile stroll back through very unique rock formations. You are exposed to the sun in the middle of the day so be warned. If you go in the late afternoon or just before dusk, Balanced Rock itself is in the shade as the ridge blocks the sun. It’s better for pictures this way and a cooler place to sit and relax. It doesn’t offer a great sunset….at least in February, but not many people go in the evening so it’s more tranquil. We usually don’t start hiking back to the car until well in to sunset, making a nice peaceful walk back through the small valley in the dark really nice.

Mariscal Mine – This is the one worthwhile reason to traverse the southern back country roads. If you plan this in the early evening, you can the mine and have plenty of time, then walk up further in to the hills and catch a great sunset to the west. Also, nobody is really there in the evening since it’s further in the back country….so you typically have the entire place to yourself. Probably seen my best BB sunsets from this part of the park.

Black Gap Road – I’ll include this as an “attraction” rather than a back road. Don’t get too excited about this, and sure the heck don’t let the national park people get you all worried about it. Honestly, this is NOTHING for even a stock jeep if you ask me, and if you’re built at all you’ll scoff at it. That said, it beats driving Glenn Spring Road or River Road East while trying to get to Mariscal Mine. I’d take it to the mine in the evening, driving back up through it again as you leave while it’s nighttime.

Hot Springs - meh. Unless you’ve seen everything else in the park, or you just have a hankerin’ to sit in a semi-warm natural hot tub with some strangers who are most likely 80 years old, bypass this. If that is your thing, I’d drive, park, and walk the ¼ mile or whatnot to it. I sure wouldn’t hike 3 miles from Rio Grande Village as I’ve seen some do….only to see their reaction at the destination. LOL.

Pine Canyon Trail – this is a nice ~5 mile trail back in to small canyon. The first mile is exposed to the sun, but then you get in to tree coverage. This trail is often less traveled. You hike back to a shaded rock outcropping that during times of heavy rain, provides a little water fall. If you take a hammock with you there are several trees you could strap one to and take a nice rest. On a scale of 1-5 I’d give this a 2.5 or 3. It’s not near as scenic as others, but I enjoyed a peaceful hike with my son.

Lost Mine Trail – this is one probably the 2nd most popular hike in the park as far as what the general tourists hit. Know what that means? Yup, lots of people. This is a ~5 mile hike up and back, with constant incline on the way up, and hence obvious decline on the way down. Lots of switchbacks and constant chattering amount people that takes away from the beauty. Do yourself a favor and do this hike first thing in the morning. If you can get your butt up there in time for the sunrise, I’d highly encourage it. If you can’t quite that early…..get on the trail BEFORE 8am, and you will likely pass 1 or two that are coming down from the sunrise, but more importantly probably get 30+ minutes of solitude up at the top. Spoiler alert….there is no mine. Once at the top, you can walk further out across the ridge and at the very end there is a rock formation that was made just for sitting up against and enjoying a little snack while you take in the beautiful view. It won’t be long before the masses start streaming up, and you’ll be glad you got an early start! Pick up a natural trail guide down at the basin store and read up about the points of interest on the way back down. Even though you just hiked 5+ miles, I’d suggest then heading over to The Window next.

The Window – probably the most popular touristy trail. Everyone tries to go catch the sunset, but there is a very narrow window (no pun intended) in which the sunset actually lines up with the rock formation. Skip the crowds here and go in the middle of the day rather than the morning or evening. For a decent part of the trail you get a little protection from the sun. If you drive down in the to primitive camping area (turn right before you get to the Basin Lodge) there is a small parking area by a bathroom. There are two picnic tables across from that which are not designated to a campsite, and can be used to sit and have lunch at before starting down the trail. The hike is ~2.5 miles down a gradual sloping trail, and then up on the way back out. The Window itself is a nice spot to sit and have a snack, and take things in for a few. It’s more peaceful when people aren’t around, but it’s rare to have this location to yourself unlike some of the others. You can start this hike from the Sam Nail Ranch, but I’ve never done that.

Sam Nail Ranch – meh, you want to see ruins of an old house and windmill along with a tree they planted….go ahead and stop.

Cat Tail Falls – This one is off the radar these days as the park is very sensitive to it. Their water source is right there and they don’t want people in the area….or at least won’t advertise it. The road to it is directly across from Sam Nail Ranch for the most part. I have never been, and tried to go this last year. You used to be able to drive down the road, park, and to a couple mile hike to the destination. This year they had the back road gated off at the pavement. I asked the ranger station and they said I could park and walk down the road to the trailhead……adding a few more miles to the hike. Ugh. I wasn’t up to adding miles fully exposed to the mid-day sun to just get back to the trailhead on that trip.

Upper Burro Mesa Pouroff – You’ll see a picture of the pouroff online and might think meh…pass. I really enjoyed this trail which dumps you at the top of the pouroff. It was a solid 5 miles round trip but was worthwhile. Once you get back by canyon walls you can find some protection from the sun. At the end there’s a little cave area at the top of the pouroff that provides a great place to rest, relax, and have a snack. Not as many people seem to do this trail so it’s often nice and quiet.

Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff – this is a short 1-mile hike down to the bottom of the pouroff. Since it’s short, this is what most people do and the view that you typically see online. Once you see the top, it’s kinda cool to go see the bottom, and makes you appreciate it a bit more. I think it’s worthwhile to see both.

Mule Ears – The overlook is what it is. I have not hiked out to them, but I’ve heard once you’re closer to them it’s a lot more grand. The hike seems to be fully exposed for the most part.

Tuff Canyon – it’s ok. Short hike down into the volcanic formed canyon. If you have time great, if not no big deal to miss. There are overlooks that allow you to get a view.

Basin Rim Trails – I have not had a chance to do either of the rim trails in the Chisos Basis, but by all accounts they are worthwhile. They are longer trails….more than most people are willing to do, so you see more serious people doing them or going up and camping half way.

Mariscal Canyon Rim Trail – I have not yet done this longer, mostly exposed to the sun, trail. Mariscal Canyon is really only visable via this trail or a rafting trip down the river which I’ve considered, but have not done.

Chimneys Trail, Juniper Trail, Dodson Trail, Paint Gap Hills – not yet done.


BACK COUNTRY CAMPING:

I enjoy primitive camping in the back country and the solitude it provides at night. You’ll see stars like never before. Sunsets and sunrises are spectacular. One thing to keep in mind however is the length of time it takes to get to the campsites. If you want to see many parts of the park, I’d suggest staying as close to the pavement as possible. On Old Ore Road, I wouldn’t get any further back than Earnst Tinaja. Off Glenn Spring Road, Nugent Mountain is ideally located. Pine Canyon fills up fast but is also nice. To give you an idea how far back something might be, last year I camped at Glenn Spring 2……and it was a 30 minute drive off the pavement in a lifted jeep with 37s going 15-20 mph (if I recall general speed). Consider that is a fairly progressive speed on those roads and anyone in front of you will really slow you up. It wore me out being that far back as that adds 30 minutes getting to anything new in the morning, and getting back at night. Personally, I’d not consider camping on River Road West unless you had zero other options.

BACK COUNTRY ROADS:

These are what they are. The first two years I went I entered the park on the west side, took Old Maverick Road down to St. Elena, and then River Road West all the way to Mariscal Mine, back up Black Gap and to Nugent Mountain to camp. That was an entire day. There’s not much to see down there along RRW. Desert scrub brush, rugged gravel road…..few campsites that shoot down to the river. Comments on Old Ore Road above…..kinda the same thing. If you’re thinking these “back country / unmaintained” roads might offer a great overland experience, I’d say that you’re going to a beautiful part of Texas (in its own way) and your time would be better spent seeing things in the park rather than driving desert scrub. If you’re set on doing it, by all means, it’s still an experience, but there’s so much to do/see in the park and those roads eat up a lot of time.

GAS:

There’s gas down at Rio Grande Villiage and close to Panther Junction. Fuel should be no issue for you at all.

SURROUNDING AREAS:

Terlingua – if you happen to be down around there around or after the chili cookoff, get some chili!

170 Drive – the drive from Terlingua up to about 2/3 of the way to Redford is really scenic and nice to take in. There are a couple short hikes along the river that you can look up on TripAdvisor. I’ve not had a chance to do them. If you’re coming from the west, coming through Fort Davis (great state park there, and McDonald Observatory are great visits) and Marfa is very scenic, down through Presidio and across 170 is a great way to drive. Not the fastest, but gives you a different perspective.

Big Bend State Park – I have yet to get to this park. The entrance is so far out of the way that it really needs to be a destination for you and not just a visit while there. An old ranch that provides a lot of back rugged unmaintained back roads if that is your thing. Ruins and some hiking, but IMO, doesn’t offer AS MUCH as the national park does.

Alpine & Marathon, TX – if you’re coming/leaving the park from/to the north, don’t expect to find anything food or fuel wise in Marathon. Po-dunk nowhere. There are some hotels in Alpine if you’re stopping to/from the park. Not a ton of fine dining or anything, and nightlife/food establishments seem to wrap up fairly early.