At first glance, the hardscrabble terrain of Big Bend National Park, which hugs a bend in the Rio Grande between Texas and Mexico, looks like a moonscape: desolate and slightly threatening. The sun sizzles from the sky, parching the Chihuahuan Desert. The ground bristles with plants that seem determined to scrape your shins. A cluster of mountains called a sky island rises from the sprawling desert floor.
Visitors don’t just stumble onto this prickly, 801,163-acre wilderness. In 2021, a record 581,000 made the long trip to get here. And for those who do, the rewards are great: Hiking up mountains to get a glimpse of gray and purple peaks rippling into the distance, walking into canyons carved by water over eons, spotting petroglyphs made by nomadic tribes of Native Americans some 3,000 to 8,000 years ago, or dipping a toe in warm waters flowing from a natural hot spring. Lucky ones might catch a glimpse of a black bear, a species whose population is rebounding in this corner of the Lone Star State. Mountain lions, tarantulas, snakes, and tusked pig-like creatures called javelina call the park home, too.
This Big Bend National Park guide will help you make your way to the far West Texas destination, with tips on the best time to visit, where to stay, and of course, what to do once you’re there.
How to get to Big Bend National Park
Most people drive to Big Bend National Park, which is situated 400 miles west of San Antonio and 300 miles southeast of El Paso. The closest commercial airport is in Midland, 200 miles north. From Austin, it takes about six and a half hours to drive to the park’s headquarters at Panther Junction. From Dallas, it’s about seven and a half hours; from Houston, eight and a half.
When to visit
West Texas gets hot, and by hot we mean searing, with well-over-100-degree highs between May and September. Visit between November and April, when most days dawn crisp, bright, and mild, with highs in the 60s or 70s Fahrenheit. Snow occasionally falls between November and April, but a layer of white on the Chisos Mountains is a lucky bonus. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and spring break season can be busy, so book at least six months in advance if you plan to travel during those times.
What to do in Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park has two entrances—Persimmon Gap on the north side, which is accessible via U.S. Highway 385 from the quaint old railroad town of Marathon, or the Maverick entrance from the west, via Highway 118 from the funky enclaves of Study Butte and Terlingua. If you’ve never visited the park before, first head to headquarters at Panther Junction, where you can get an overview of the sprawling grounds and plot your adventure.
Hiking in Big Bend
With more than 200 miles of trails from which to choose, this is a hiker’s paradise. The best hikes in Big Bend National Park fan out from the Chisos Mountain Basin, in the park’s mid-section. The ecosystem at the higher elevation there, with firs, pines, and even a few aspen, contrasts sharply with the spear-like sotol and prickly pear of the desert floor.
The 12.6-mile South Rim Trail climbs 2,000 feet as it makes its way to the top of a ridge. Once there, flop on your belly and look out over the desert, which drops away like a rumpled brown and green blanket below. If you’re feeling hearty, take the spur up to Emory Peak, the highest point in the park.
For a shorter option, take the Lost Mines Trail. It’s half the distance of South Rim, but a series of switchbacks serve up a good workout, with sweeping views of the Chisos Mountains. Or opt for the 5.5-mile Window Trail, which leads to a slick rock pour-off that frames the desert below like you’re peering out a window.
On the west side of the park, follow the pathway over Terlingua Creek to get a glimpse of one of the park’s most famous sights, Santa Elena Canyon. A trail leads along one side of the chute-like formation, whose cliff walls rise on either side like 1,500-foot curtains.
Hot springs
On the east edge of the park, drive the bumpy, two-mile gravel road to the Hot Springs Historic District. There, you can explore the crumbling ruins of a 1930s resort, admire petroglyphs of arrowheads chipped onto limestone cliffs, or take a dip in the rock-walled hot springs along the edge of the Rio Grande. (When the river floods, the pool fills with mud and rocks, so check at park headquarters before making the trip.)
Prehistory
To learn more about the pre-history of the park, stop by the open-air Fossil Discovery Exhibit. A replica of a large flying dinosaur called Quetzalcoatlus hangs overhead, and kids like to stick their heads inside the jaws of a replica of Deinosuchus, a bus-sized crocodile that once roamed the area.
Guided excursions to book
Desert Sports has specialized in mountain biking and river running excursions in both the national and nearby state parks for more than 25 years. Another long-time business, Far Flung Outdoor Center, offers river trips, Jeep tours and ATV tours, and casita rentals arranged around a real desert rarity—a swimming pool. Hidden Dagger Adventures offers custom sightseeing and stargazing trips, and Angell Expeditions offers guiding services for hiking, biking, rafting, and vehicle tours in Big Bend National Park.
Big Bend National Park lodging
Big Bend National Park has three developed campgrounds, including the Chisos Basin Campground, tucked in a saddle of the park’s sky island with perfect views of two nearby peaks, Emory Peak and Casa Grande. Primitive camping is also available at designated sites, with a permit. The Chisos Mountains Lodge, the only lodging in the park, offers basic but clean rooms, along with beautiful stone cottages built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1941.
Outside the park, the old mining town of Terlingua, 26 miles to the west, has rental homes, cabins, and campgrounds. La Posada Milagro Guesthouse, with six rooms built of stucco and rock, is perched on a hillside. Pitch your own tent, or rent a yurt, at Paisano Azul Ranch.
In Marathon, 40 miles north, book a room at the historic Gage Hotel, designed by architect Henry Trost in the 1920s. And while you’re there, sip a margarita in the adjacent White Buffalo Bar.
Where to eat in and near Big Bend National Park
The Chisos Mountain Lodge dining room at Big Bend National Park is open from noon to 7 p.m. daily, and all meals come with a great view of a notch in the mountains known as The Window. Basic packaged foods are available at the Basin Convenience Store, the Panther Junction Convenience Store, and the Rio Grande Village Store and RV Park, all within park boundaries.
If you’re looking for more dining options and West Texas’ version of a bar scene, make the trip to Terlingua, 26 miles away. At the Starlight Theatre Restaurant, you can order chicken-fried antelope, chili, or a cheeseburger. Wash it down with a margarita made with sotol, an earthy-tasting spirit akin to mezcal. Locals gather on the porch out front to strum guitars, and the restaurant regularly hosts live music on its indoor stage. Check out the adjacent Terlingua Trading Company, which sells an excellent selection of books and souvenirs. Long Draw Pizza on the outskirts of Terlingua serves good pizza pie in a corrugated metal building.
Nearby attractions
If you’re into mountain biking, head farther west toward Lajitas, and Big Bend Ranch State Park. The 311,000-acre state park features the same rugged terrain as the national park, crisscrossed by 238 miles of multi-use trails. From the Barton Warnock Visitor Center on Ranch Road 170, visitors can pedal a mountain bike past an old mining operation, over a sparkling mound of white rock crystals, or around the ruins of a wax factory. The park offers camping, backpacking, and hiking, too. For a beginner friendly—and shady—hike, try the Closed Canyon Trail. The canyon walls sweep closer together as you go, until you reach a narrow pour-over that’s too steep to climb back up.
