Big Bend National Park
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Big Bend National Park - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Big Bend Ranch State Park
The largest state park in Texas serves as an enormous western buffer to Big Bend National Park. This rugged desert wilderness extends along the Rio Grande across more than 300,000 acres from east of Lajitas to Presidio. It's far less developed than the national park (if that seems possible) and nearly one-third as large, and it's filled with amazing opportunities to hike, mountain bike, backpack, raft, and ride horseback. A collection of hiking trailheads spoke off from FM 170 across from the Barton Warnock Visitor Center at Lajitas, which serves as the park's eastern information post and contains excellent exhibits on the region as well as a covered picnic area. The western visitor center is at 23-acre Fort Leaton State Historical Site near Presidio and contains a thick-walled adobe fort and trading post that dates back to pioneer days, plus exhibits, a ½-mile nature trail, and picnic sites.
FM 170, Presidio, Texas, 79845, USA432-358–4444Sight Details
Rate Includes: $5 peak, Park 24 hrs; visitor centers daily 8–4:30 -
2. Chisos Basin
Panoramic vistas, a restaurant with an up-close view of jagged mountain peaks, and glimpses of the Colima warbler (which summers in Big Bend) await in the forested Chisos Basin. The spiritual heart of Big Bend, at an elevation of 5,400 feet, it's ringed by taller peaks and has a lodge, a campground, a grocery store, an amphitheater, a visitor center, and access to some of the park's best hiking trails. Winter sometimes brings snow, but in summer this is where you can find relief from the desert heat below.
Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USA -
3. Chisos Basin Road
This 7-mile road climbs majestically from Chisos Basin Junction to Chisos Mountains Lodge, with a spur leading to a campground. In these higher elevations you're slightly more likely to spot mountain lions and bears as well as white-tailed deer amid juniper and pinyon pines. You'll also see smooth, red-barked Texas madrone along with some Chisos oaks and Douglas fir trees. Roadside exhibits explain the various ecosystems. Because of sharp curves and switchbacks, this drive is not suitable for RVs longer than 24 feet.
Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USA -
4. Hot Springs
Follow this 1-mile loop trail to soak in 105°F waters alongside the Rio Grande (bring a swimsuit), where petroglyphs coat the canyon walls nearby. The remains of a post office, motel, and bathhouse point to the old commercial establishment operating here in the early 1900s. Along the hike, you can hear the Rio Grande at every turn, and low trees occasionally shelter the walkway. The 1.6-mile dirt road leading to the Hot Springs trailhead from Rio Grande Village Road cannot accommodate RVs and is best avoided after rainstorms. Also, don't leave valuables in your car, especially during the slow season. Temperatures can soar to 120°F, so hike in the morning or during cooler months. You can also hike to the springs via the more challenging 6-mile Hot Springs Canyon Trail, the trailhead of which is at Daniel's Ranch, on the west side of Rio Grande Village
End of Hot Springs Rd., Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USA -
5. Interpretive Activities
Ranger-guided activities are held throughout the park, indoors and outdoors, and include slideshows, talks, and walks on cultural and natural history, including wildlife and birds. Check visitor centers and campground bulletin boards for event postings, which are usually updated every two weeks.
Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USA -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Lost Mine Trail
Set aside about three hours to explore the nature of the Chisos Mountains along this 4.8-mile round-trip trail. It starts at 5,700 feet and climbs 1,100 feet to an even loftier vantage point that takes in spectacular, soaring peaks and colorful rock formations. There's a breathtaking view at marker 10, about a mile up—a nice photo op if you haven't time for the full hike. Try to get here early, as the parking lot is small and often fills up quickly. Moderate–difficult.
Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USA -
7. Museum of the Big Bend
This expansive history-lover's haven has exhibits representing the life and cultures of the region and sponsors an annual show on ranching handiwork (such as saddles, reins, and spurs) held in conjunction with the Cowboy Poetry Gathering each February. The map collection is renowned.
400 N. Harrison St., Alpine, Texas, 79832, USA432-837–8143Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Tues.–Sat. 9–5, Sun. 1–5, Closed Mon. -
8. Panther Junction Visitor Center
The park's main visitor center, near the base of the Chisos Mountains, contains a bookstore and impressive exhibits on the park's mountain, river, and desert environments. An elegantly produced 22-minute film detailing the wonders of the park shows every half-hour in the theater, and there's a sprawling replica of the park's topographical folds. Nearby, a gas station offers limited groceries.
1 Panther Junction Dr., Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USA432-477–2251Sight Details
Rate Includes: Daily 9–5 -
9. Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive
Although it extends only 30 miles, you can easily spend a full day on this winding ribbon of blacktop soaking up soaring alpine views, exploring historic sites, taking short hikes, and earning a true Big Bend education. There are scenic overlooks, a magnificent western perspective of the Chisos Mountains, informative exhibit signs, and the ruins of old homesteads. Top waysides along this route that don't take more than a half-hour or so to explore include Sam Nail Ranch, the remains of an adobe homestead in a shady grove with a creek that draws myriad birdlife; Sotol Vista Overlook, a grand promontory with sweeping views of the southwestern side of the park (including Santa Elena Canyon); and Tuff Canyon, a striking steep-walled volcanic-rock canyon. Slightly longer but highly worthwhile excursions include the 1-mile round-trip hike into a green valley to Blue Creek Ranch (aka Homer Wilson Ranch), and the 1-mile round-trip ramble to Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff, a sheer box canyon reached via a 1½-mile side road. Mile Ears Viewpoint, which entails a 4-mile round-trip hike to a gurgling desert spring, is another intriguing side adventure. If you have plenty of time and don't mind driving on a bumpy, washboard gravel road, you can make this drive a loop by reconnecting with West Entrance Road (near Highway 118) from Santa Elena Canyon via unpaved Old Maverick Road for 14 miles—allow an hour for this road, and avoid it if you're driving an RV or there's been a lot of rain.
Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USA -
10. Santa Elena Canyon
Body Of Water/WaterfallThe finale of a short but vigorous hike (1.7 miles round-trip) over a steep slope is a spectacular view of the Rio Grande and sheer limestone cliffs that rise 1,500 feet to create a natural box. Summer can feel like a sauna, but you might have this secluded place to yourself.
Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USA -
11. Santa Elena Canyon Trail
A 1.7-mile round-trip crosses marshy Terlingua Creek, scales a rocky staircase, and deposits you on the banks of the Rio Grande for a cathedral-like view of stunning 1,500-foot cliff walls boxing in the river. Try to visit near sunset, when the sun stains the cliffs a rich red-brown chestnut. In clear weather, an overlook on the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive affords a panoramic view into the canyon. Summer can feel like a sauna, but you might have this secluded place to yourself, and the trail sometimes closes due to mud and flooding following heavy rains. Easy--moderate.
Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USA -
12. Alpine Gallery Night Artwalk
For two days in mid-November, the peculiar mix of ranching and artist culture that inhabits Alpine overflows the galleries and seeps into the town's main drag, Holland Avenue. Musicians play at the train depot, barbecue vendors crowd the streets, and local artists display their works in many downtown businesses.
Alpine, Texas, 79830, USA -
13. Barton Warnock Visitor Center
Visitor CenterAffiliated with Big Bend Ranch State Park of Texas, this visitor center offers a self-guided walking tour through a 2½-acre landscaped desert garden. It's a good way to get acquainted with the Trans-Pecos region before adventuring to either the national or state park. Also on the grounds are an interpretive center, a covered picnic area, a bookstore, and a gift shop.
Lajitas, Texas, 79852, USA432-424–3327Sight Details
Rate Includes: $5 Nov.–Apr.; $3 May–Oct. -
14. Boquillas del Carmen, Mexico Crossing
If you have a valid passport, you can use this crossing, about 2 miles east of Rio Grande Village, to visit the village of Boquillas del Carmen. Check the park website for current hours, but generally the crossing is open May–October from 9 am to 6 pm, Friday through Monday, and the rest of the year from 8 am to 5 pm, Wednesday through Sunday. Once a mining boomtown that fed off rich minerals and silver, Boquillas has shrunk to a small village, but there is a restaurant and bar along with a few shops. U.S. citizens can bring back up to $200 in merchandise duty-free. To get across, you can access a $5 round-trip row boat across the river and a $3 entrance fee to enter the Mexican Protected Area that the village is located in. The remaining ¾-mile to the village can be made on foot, by donkey ($5 round-trip), pickup truck ($5), or horseback ($8). If you do not return to the border in time, you may be stuck in Mexico for two or three days.
Texas, USA -
15. Castolon Historic District
Adobe buildings and wooden shacks serve as reminders of the farming and military community of Castolon, near the banks of the Rio Grande. Although a 2019 wildfire caused significant damage to the district, including the destruction of the building that housed the Castolon Visitor Center and La Harmonia general store, firefighters saved many artifacts and buildings, including the Magdalena House, which contains historical exhibits. The old Officer's Quarters building now temporarily houses the visitor center, and a temporary building contains the general store. Eventual plans call for relocating these operations permanently inside the historic Garlick House.
Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USA -
16. Castolon Visitor Center
Temporarily housed in the old Officer's Quarters building following its destruction during a 2019 wildfire, this visitor center in the Castolon Historic District contains hands-on exhibits of fossils, plants, and implements used by the farmers and miners who settled here in the 1800s and early 1900s. There's also an old adobe gallery displaying poster boards explaining the U.S.–Mexico "transparent border."
Ross Maxwell Scenic Dr., Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USA432-477–2251Sight Details
Rate Includes: Nov.–Apr., daily 10–5; closed for lunch, Closed May–Oct. -
17. Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail
A windmill and spring form a desert oasis, a refreshing backdrop to a ½-mile round-trip, hot and flat nature trail; wild doves are abundant, the hike is pleasant, and kids will do just fine. Keep an eye out for the elf owl, one of the sought-after birds in the park. Easy.
Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USA -
18. Chisos Basin Loop Trail
This forested 2-mile round-trip romp that begins at 5,400-foot elevation affords sweeping views of the lower desert and distant volcanic mountains. The loop intersects with a few longer trails but offers a good sense of the basin if you have only an hour or so. Easy–moderate, elevation gain 500 feet.
Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USA -
19. Chisos Basin Visitor Center
The small but informative center, by the park's only lodge, is one of the better equipped, with an interactive computer exhibit and a bookstore. An adjacent general store has camping supplies and basic groceries. There are nods to the wild, with natural resource and geology exhibits, a map of bear and mountain lion sightings, and a larger-than-life representation of a mountain lion. The center sponsors educational activities here and at the nearby Chisos Basin Amphitheater.
End of Chisos Basin Rd., Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USA432-477–2251Sight Details
Rate Includes: Nov.–Mar., daily 8:30–5; Apr.–Oct., daily 8:30–4; closed for lunch -
20. Dugout Wells Area
There is a picnic table under the shady cottonwoods off the Dugout Wells Trail loop, plus a vault toilet.
Rio Grande Village Rd., Big Bend National Park, Texas, 79834, USASight Details
Rate Includes: No credit cards
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