Big Bend National Park Tips and Tricks
I first wrote this blog post in 2023, after two trips to Big Bend. Now, at the end of 2025, I have officially gone to Big Bend eight times, and West Texas nine times. Raised in Houston, my road trips across Texas were pretty limited to travels the other big Texas cities and some Southern cities when we'd drive to Mexico. I was not prepared to fall deeply in love with the desert out in the isolated West, and I'm already planning another trip back. After so many visits, mistakes, and new lessons learned on each trip, here is what I recommend and wish I knew before my first trip.
What To Know About BBNP:
This is a BIG park. A HUGE park. Fun Fact: Big Bend National Park is larger than the state of Rhode Island! From one side of the park to the other side of the park, it is over an hour of a drive. So while there's lots to do in the park, there may be long drives from one activity to the other, so it's important to consider location as you create your itinerary.
Big Bend is unofficially split into 3 sections:
- The Rio Grande Village: East side of the park, where there is an official border crossing to Mexico, along with the popular 'healing waters' hot springs.
- The Chisos Basin: In the middle of the park, where the mountains hikes are.
- The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive Region: West side of the park, where the popular Santa Elena Canyon is, along with other popular moderate hikes.
If you are planning on doing multiple things in different parts of the park, I would plan it so you group the activities together based on where they are. Sure, some hikes only take 30 minutes to an hour, so you can think you can do a lot in a day. But you have to calculate drive time in between each of them, and some of these hikes/activities are an hour drive apart. When I plan my park visits, I intend to spend at least 3-6 hours in one section before moving on the other, or sometimes, I dedicate a day for each section!
What I wish I knew before:
- Big Bend is one of the darkest places on earth, due to its limited light pollution. There are some incredible star gazing spots, and in certain hours, you can see the milk way! If you can, plan your trip utilizing moon calendars to pick a date with a low-phase moon, and then look up at what time at night the milky way will "rise" (be visible). Some days, the milky way comes out at 9pm, others at 4am. But I promise, it's worth it!!!
- Summer gets HOT, with the temperatures in the 100s. Every single year, people require medical rescue for attempting hikes on summer days. While you can visit in the summer, we recommend only doing early morning or evening trails, or just enjoy the river. The best months for Big Bend are in those in the spring and fall.
- Fall, Winter, and even early Spring nights can be cold at Big Bend! We recently went in December and had nights in the 30 degrees! We planned well and still enjoyed the trip, but we did sleep under 4 blankets and with jackets on.
- No pets are allowed in BBNP hiking trails. You also shouldn't bring them, because there are wild animals that could be dangerous for your pet (or your pet could be dangerous around other wild animals).
- This park is near the border, which means you will pass immigration checkpoints (more info at the end of this blog post).
- PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE and triple check what you have packed! This is the desert. Water is scarce. If you don't read anything else from this blog, at least read the bottom section.
- This might be obvious but phone signal is not reliable. I have great signal in Terlingua, the town next to Big Bend, and in certain spots in the park. But be prepared to unplug, and be ready to not have signal for the drive coming up to Big Bend (as West Texas is pretty isolated, and I even struggle to get signal for 2 hours leaving the park).
- While I recommend you camp/stay in Terlingua for your first trip to Big Bend, if you do want to camp inside the park, reservations go quick. I would book weeks in advance, and for some important dates (holiday times), even months.
What To Do:
If you have less than 2 full days at the park, I would aim to visit at least 2 of the 3 park regions (if not all 3!). I would prioritize these activities:
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| At beginning of Canyon Trail |
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| Grapevine Hills Trail |
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| Lost Mine Trail Peak |
I would also complete one of the two less strenuous, but still challenging, hikes in the Chisos Basin. On our second trip, we did the Lost Mine Trail and loved it! It is a 4.5 mile hike that takes around 2.5-3 hours. Because the trailhead is quite a drive uphill, you still get amazing views in less time than one of the longer hikes. Important info: the parking for this trail is *tiny.* It only has about 10 spots, and it fills up quickly. I would try to get to the trailhead by 9am to do this hike. If you arrive any time after 9:15am, you are relying on luck for a spot. And no, you can't really park anywhere else to reach this trailhead.
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| Windows Trail |
IF you cannot do the Lost Mine Trail because of lack of parking, no worries! Keep driving on the same road until you hit the Chisos Basin Visitor center, where you can do the Window Trail, which we equally loved to Lost Mine. This is an "opposite" hike, because you start by going down, and then the hike back is "up." Window Trail is 5.5 miles, takes about 3 hours. It has an amazing trail end that is great for pictures.
My perfect 'only one day at the park' itinerary would either be: Balanced Rock Trail at around 9am, drive to Panther Junction Visitor Center to pick up some souvenirs, drive over to Chisos Visitor Center to be in the middle of the mountains, maybe do a very short hike like the Window View Trail that is less than half a mile or the Chisos Basin Loop Trail that is just 2 miles, eat your packed sandwiches/lunch there (and if you're lucky, you can see one of the deer that hang out in the visitor center area), do the Maxwell Scenic Drive (with stops to read the side-of-the-road exhibits and take pictures!) and do the Santa Elena Canyon hike right before sunset, and if this is a Saturday, go to Milky Way Treats in Terlingua for some amazing post-park ice cream (more info on Terlingua below).
OR: Lost Mine Trail or Window Trail in the morning, eat your packed lunch at the peak of the trail, come down, rest a bit, drive over to the Maxwell Scenic Drive, and do the Santa Elena Canyon Trail before sunset, and still end with ice cream from Milky Way Treats in Terlingua.
If you have more at least 2 full days at the parks, I would recommend the following:
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| Emory Peak |
Cross to Mexico, Boquillas Del Carmen: Bring your passport and go over to Mexico! BBNP is unique in that it contains an official border crossing (and fun fact, it is the only official border crossing without staffed border patrol). When you arrive, a ranger will meet you at the office where they allow you to cross over the Mexico. Once you pass over, you walk a few minutes until you reach a portion of the Rio Grande River. There will be some men on a boat that will offer to cross you over for $10, cash only. When you reach the other side (happens within 2 minutes), you can chose to either walk yourself to the town about 20 minutes away, or take a donkey or horse for $10-15 round trip. When you reach the other side, there are local residents that sell artisan crafts and some yummy restaurants. We ended up spending a few hours in
closes at 4pm. Also, in the summer, the border is only open Friday-Monday, and
Boquillas, because one of the local residents was kind enough to actually bring us into their home (knowing Spanish helped for sure). This unique experience is something you can't miss, but make sure you plan ahead as the border
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| Crossing to Mexico |
in the winter, Wednesday-Sunday.
Choose a Backcountry adventure: If you own the proper equipment, you can fish, kayak, primitive camp, or backpack in the park. Make sure you read the official website about what is required because almost all backcountry activities require a permit, which you can get in the park at the Visitors Center. I have learned that they are relatively easy permits to get as long as you bring proper safety equipment (for ex. safety gear/life jackets for kayaking). On my next trip to BBNP, I am definitely interested in potentially doing the 16-mile kayaking float through San Vicente Canyon.
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| Half-Day Canoe Tour |
Book one of the canoe tours from an office in Terlingua: If you are visiting between October and April, I highly recommend the Far Flung Canoe Tour. As frequent travelers to BBNP, I generally avoid tours since I figure I can always "do it myself." However, this activity was SO fun and worth the price. It is not necessarily affordable, but if you're looking for a great way to do some activities besides hiking, choose this! To book the tour, go in person to the Far Flung Adventures office (where there's a great little coffee stand too) at the beginning of your trip. They usually have daily spots, but it'd be good to confirm your spot early on. I have also heard that Big Bend River Tours is another great oprtion too (right across the street).
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| Chimneys Trail |
- Windows Trails (tied for 1), in Chisos Basin, takes about 2-3 hours.
- Lost Mine Trail (tied for 1) in Chisos Basin, takes about 3-4 hrs.
- Upper Burro Mesa Trail, in Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, takes about 2-3 hours.
- Santa Elena Canyon Trail, in Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, about 1-2 hours.
- Grapevine Hills Trail, in between Chisos Basin and Rio Grande Valley, takes about 1-2 hours.
- Pine Canyon Trail, in Rio Grande Village, takes about 2-3 hours (has frequent bear sightings!)
- Trail, in Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, takes about 1.5-2.5 hours to complete.
- Mule Ears Trail, in Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, takes about 1.5-2.5 hours.
- Boquillas Canyon Trail, in Rio Grande Village region, takes about 0.5-1 hours to complete.
- Historic Hot Springs Walk, in Rio Grande Village region, takes less than 30 mins.
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| one of my favorite hikes: Upper Burro Mesa |
Join A Ranger: Rangers at the park organize a plethora of activities for visitors. Once you're in the park, learn what activities are going on the days you will visit and consider making time for a guided walk or activity with a ranger. From bird watching (fun fact: BBNP has more bird species than any other National Park) to "coffee with a ranger," you will be able to speak with an expert about the park and learn something new.
Where I stayed: Terlingua Ghost Town
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| enjoying a drink at Rustic Iron BBQ |
Terlingua!). There is also a cute shop with souvenirs. After a long day of hiking, you can also enjoy this ice cream trailer that had the best soft-serve I've ever had in my life (but unfortunately only open on weekends!).
Terlingua is a town that is mostly geared towards visitors, as a lot of locals don't even live there for part of the year, but it still has its unique culture and coziness as other Texas small towns.
While there are some restaurants and shops, they are mostly spread out from each other. So even though there was restaurants near me, when I was in my actual tent at my campsite, I still felt like I was in isolated area. I was still able to enjoy the quietness of desert mornings.
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| BEST soft serve ever at Milky Way Treats |
I only saw one gas station in the town, and it has a small convenience store and tiny restaurant inside. We were able to buy some essentials (like batteries when we forgot to bring our own), but the supplies/snacks are really limited, so I recommend double checking your packed items as it can be hard to find items/preferred snacks in the park or in Terlingua. There is also a larger mini-market called Cottonwood, where you can find more items like toiletries, a larger array of snacks, and even some basic camping items. We always get our firewood here! While there is a more extensive list of items, again, you should still plan properly and bring everything you would need. It is great, however, to have these smaller stores for items you may have forgotten!
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| me enjoying the view from one of my Terlingua stays. |
While Big Bend has campsites, they are primitive, which means they usually do not have communal showers/restrooms. In my opinion, if this is going to be your first trip to Big Bend, I would definitely stay in Terlingua. Terlingua is part of the magic of Big Bend! A lot of campsites here offer showers and other amenities. It is also nice to enjoy a drink or some ice cream after an activity-filled day at the park. Once you finish your first trip to Big Bend and experience the different areas of the park, you can do a future primitive camping trip after deciding which area of the park you prefer to stay in!
America the Beautiful Pass:
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When Moises and I started to plan our first trip to Big Bend, we learned about the America the Beautiful Pass. It is $80, and it allows 2 owners to be signed onto the pass. Additionally, a pass owner can allow 3 friends/family members into the park with their pass, or one commercial vehicle (for example, if there's 5 people in the vehicle going into a park that charges per vehicle instead of per person, all 5 can go in on a single pass). Considering that entrance to Big Bend National Park costs $30 per vehicle, or $15 per person not in vehicle, and the America the Beautiful Pass provides free entry for a YEAR to ANY National Park in the U.S., the choice was clear. The pass essentially pays itself off after just 2 trips to any national park within a year. You can purchase it at the entrance of the park or through an approved vendor.
We had our pass delivered before our trip, and we signed the back of it as the 2 pass-holders. When we first arrived to the park, the ranger asked for our ID to see if the name matched. Once it was good to go, our "entrance" was valid for the next 5 days. We were given a piece of a paper to stick to our windshield so we didn't have to continue to show our card each day.
If the 'America the Beautiful Pass' is not for you, no worries. You can pay $15 per person, or $30 for a vehicle (with 1-6 people inside) and the pass is valid for 5 days.
Plan for: Limited Gas, Food, and ATMs and Border Patrol Checkpoints near the Park:
Because we loved the charm of the town of Alpine on a previous trip to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, we chose to take 1-10E to Alpine and then turn south to the park area from there (this also tends to be the shortest route oftentimes, time-wise). We had also previously taken the road from or to Marathon. In our experience with both, for at least 50 miles, there is a significant lack of gas stations, food, or restrooms. This is definitely the desert! Once you are in the park, there is a singular gas station near Panther Junction Visitor Center. And even in the town we stayed in right next to the park, Terlingua, there was only one gas station, and it was about $1.20-1.60/gallon more than what gas costed in other towns we passed by before reaching the park area.
Long story short- Our advice for planning:
- If you are road tripping and you are about to turn from a major highway to one of the smaller highways for the last 1-3 hours of driving to reach the park, pump gas, take out needed cash, and buy food before. It will quickly become very isolated. Even if you have enough gas to reach the park/neighboring campsite, the gas stations in this area are very expensive.
- There are ATMs in the park/neighboring campsite, but not with any major bank. However, cash was not needed during our trip nor do we recommend carrying a lot of it for your trip as most places take card/Apple pay and some don't even take cash. Park entrance fee is card only (unless you have an annual pass which makes entrance free). You will need cash if you decide to enter Mexico through Boquillas crossing, however. But even then, you will need less than $50-100.
- Food and restaurants: there was enough dining options near the park. However, it is recommendable to pack your own food/buy snacks to eat while exploring the park. We usually cooked breakfast at the campsite, packed snacks and sandwiches to eat inside the park, and then for dinner, we either dined at one of the restaurants in Terlingua or cooked again.
Remember: this park is next to Mexico. When approaching the park, you will definitely see some border patrol vehicles, and more than likely, you will stop at one of the border patrol checkpoints. When taking the road to/from Alpine, Marathon, and Del Rio, we had to stop at a checkpoint. They will ask "Are you U.S. Citizens" and since Moises and I both were, we did not show I.D. However, on our recent trip, the foreign exchange student we are hosting was with us, and she had to show her U.S. visa. While Big Bend National Park is a beautiful park that I believe everyone should experience, it would be unfair for me to not provide this information. I do not believe there is a way to reach the park without hitting a checkpoint, but even if there was, Border Patrol officers are present enough outside (and at one point I even saw a vehicle inside) the park that I do not believe you can visit without risking encountering immigration officials. If you are on a non-immigrant visa, please consider bring all proper documentation.
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