Big Bend Questions
Nov 30th, 2008, 02:22 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,443
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Big Bend Questions
Was thinking about trying Big Bend over Christmas Break 09 (next year). We could go then or over spring break. I would prefer to do a one day float trip on the Rio Grande and then 2 or 3 days of hiking. Does anyone have a tour company they like best? We would stay at the Lodge. Any comments would be appreciated.
Dec 1st, 2008, 10:09 PM
#4
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,304
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When is your spring break compared to everyone else?
Spring break, Thanksgiving week and the week between Christmas and New Years are the busiest times in Big Bend. If your spring break happens to fall real early or late you might not have as many people there but probably Christmas break is quieter anyway.
I'm surprised Chisos is completely full for next year. Lajitas might be a good choice for the day you want to raft if you choose to do a one day trip through Santa Elena Canyon. The put-in is at Lajitas so you'd be right there, but you would have to make sure whichever company you pick is OK with you not checking in at their office. I believe the offices for all of the tour companies are either in Terlingua or Study Butte. You will also have to check on passport requirements with them. I think you'll be required to have a passport by that time but that requirement has been postponed at least once. I don't have a specific recommendation, but I think they're all fairly similar.
Definitely keep checking with the Lodge in the Basin as that is much more convenient for day hiking. Study Butte/Terlingua are the next closest and are just 5, maybe 10 minutes from the west entrance. Lajitas is 25 minutes or so from the western park entrance. From that entrance, it's at least 30 minutes to the Basin, about an hour to Santa Elena Canyon and close to 1.5 hours to Rio Grande Village. So depending on where you want to dayhike, you're going to do a lot of driving if you're out in Lajitas the whole time.
Keep in mind the road in/out of the Basin is pretty slow going for the last few miles so plan on the drive out to the main road to take at least 15 minutes even though it's only 7 miles. And from there you still have more driving to get anywhere. Big Bend is somewhat like Death Valley in the distances and driving time, although not quite as big and spread out.
Your choice in lodging might hinge on whether this is a Christmas trip or spring break. In winter, you're more likely to want to hike in the desert as the Chisos are apt to be a bit chilly, so lodging outside the park isn't such a bad option. In spring, you'll want to do some desert and some mountain hiking so staying in the Basin is your best bet.
Spring break, Thanksgiving week and the week between Christmas and New Years are the busiest times in Big Bend. If your spring break happens to fall real early or late you might not have as many people there but probably Christmas break is quieter anyway.
I'm surprised Chisos is completely full for next year. Lajitas might be a good choice for the day you want to raft if you choose to do a one day trip through Santa Elena Canyon. The put-in is at Lajitas so you'd be right there, but you would have to make sure whichever company you pick is OK with you not checking in at their office. I believe the offices for all of the tour companies are either in Terlingua or Study Butte. You will also have to check on passport requirements with them. I think you'll be required to have a passport by that time but that requirement has been postponed at least once. I don't have a specific recommendation, but I think they're all fairly similar.
Definitely keep checking with the Lodge in the Basin as that is much more convenient for day hiking. Study Butte/Terlingua are the next closest and are just 5, maybe 10 minutes from the west entrance. Lajitas is 25 minutes or so from the western park entrance. From that entrance, it's at least 30 minutes to the Basin, about an hour to Santa Elena Canyon and close to 1.5 hours to Rio Grande Village. So depending on where you want to dayhike, you're going to do a lot of driving if you're out in Lajitas the whole time.
Keep in mind the road in/out of the Basin is pretty slow going for the last few miles so plan on the drive out to the main road to take at least 15 minutes even though it's only 7 miles. And from there you still have more driving to get anywhere. Big Bend is somewhat like Death Valley in the distances and driving time, although not quite as big and spread out.
Your choice in lodging might hinge on whether this is a Christmas trip or spring break. In winter, you're more likely to want to hike in the desert as the Chisos are apt to be a bit chilly, so lodging outside the park isn't such a bad option. In spring, you'll want to do some desert and some mountain hiking so staying in the Basin is your best bet.
Dec 2nd, 2008, 03:44 AM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,443
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I didn't make my post clear. I was thinking Christmas 08 or 09, or spring break 09. We already have plans for springbreak 09. They are full for Christmas 08.
I think I would be much happier at the Lodge, especially after you confirmed my thoughts on the driving a long way to get to where I would want to be.
Am I going to notice the flooding they had? Is that going to be a negative thing?
Our springbreak is usually 2nd or 3rd week of March.
We would do a one day raft trip. We like to hike so would probably do quite a bit of hiking. Just looking at it, Big Bend looks somewhat like Death Valley. Is that correct? Death Valley is the one park that suprised us, in the fact how much we liked it. We weren't expecting much, but were very pleased with it.
I think I would be much happier at the Lodge, especially after you confirmed my thoughts on the driving a long way to get to where I would want to be.
Am I going to notice the flooding they had? Is that going to be a negative thing?
Our springbreak is usually 2nd or 3rd week of March.
We would do a one day raft trip. We like to hike so would probably do quite a bit of hiking. Just looking at it, Big Bend looks somewhat like Death Valley. Is that correct? Death Valley is the one park that suprised us, in the fact how much we liked it. We weren't expecting much, but were very pleased with it.
Dec 2nd, 2008, 07:47 AM
#6
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,304
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If spring break is 2nd-3rd week of March, I'd skip that and go over Christmas. The park attracts hordes of people over spring break and you'd be there right in the thick of it.
Flood damage should still be evident if you go this Christmas. Keep in mind you'd only notice it down by the Rio Grande (Rio Grande Village, Santa Elena Canyon and the road between Castolon and Santa Elena). Everything else is well above and away from the river. The one day float trip through Santa Elena usually stops at a small slot canyon (Fern Canyon) on the Mexican side - I would suspect it's probably a bit messy in there. The hiking trail into Santa Elena is still being cleaned up. You could call one of the tour companies and ask about Fern Canyon damage - if it's bad go next year as Fern is one of the highlights.
I'd say go next year anyway, just so you can get lodging in the Basin for at least one night. They do occasionally get snow up there so keep that in mind.
I would say Big Bend has a lot more ground cover than Death Valley so it doesn't look quite as barren. Otherwise, they both have large desert areas with some mountains, but Big Bend also has the Rio Grande so that adds a different area to explore. They're similar in a general sense but very different in the details.
Flood damage should still be evident if you go this Christmas. Keep in mind you'd only notice it down by the Rio Grande (Rio Grande Village, Santa Elena Canyon and the road between Castolon and Santa Elena). Everything else is well above and away from the river. The one day float trip through Santa Elena usually stops at a small slot canyon (Fern Canyon) on the Mexican side - I would suspect it's probably a bit messy in there. The hiking trail into Santa Elena is still being cleaned up. You could call one of the tour companies and ask about Fern Canyon damage - if it's bad go next year as Fern is one of the highlights.
I'd say go next year anyway, just so you can get lodging in the Basin for at least one night. They do occasionally get snow up there so keep that in mind.
I would say Big Bend has a lot more ground cover than Death Valley so it doesn't look quite as barren. Otherwise, they both have large desert areas with some mountains, but Big Bend also has the Rio Grande so that adds a different area to explore. They're similar in a general sense but very different in the details.
Dec 2nd, 2008, 09:31 AM
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,443
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks, I think I'll wait. One of the frustrating things is I called to make reservations for next year and they could only make them thru December, not January 10. So I'll just wait until Jan 1 to see what I want to do. I know I would be happier staying at the lodge. Thanks again.
Dec 2nd, 2008, 09:50 AM
#8
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,304
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When you say Jan 10, I'm guessing you mean January 2010?
What are the approximate dates of your Christmas break? The busy time is the week between Christmas and New Years, after that it slows down again. So, if you're not looking at the last week in December but instead want a few days in January you should be OK. Maybe the 1st and 2nd would be busy if it's a weekend.
What are the approximate dates of your Christmas break? The busy time is the week between Christmas and New Years, after that it slows down again. So, if you're not looking at the last week in December but instead want a few days in January you should be OK. Maybe the 1st and 2nd would be busy if it's a weekend.
Dec 2nd, 2008, 10:05 AM
#9
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,940
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FYI on Chisos Lodge-- I had a hard time getting a room in October, but called every day and finally got two nights. Stay there if at all possible. If not, Study Butte or Terlingua would be my next choice. Lajitas was expensive and kind of disappointing, IMO.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
chimmicat
United States
15
Nov 18th, 2006 11:08 AM
