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There’s no doubt about it: like most things in Texas, Big Bend National Park is big. A single day isn’t enough to do the 1,252-square-mile park justice. Ideally, you’ll want to spend 3-5 days here to make the journey worthwhile and take it all in.
Of course, you’ll need your own vehicle to explore the park. Trying to use public transportation here isn’t realistic.
If you really have only one day, consider the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive through the desert toward the Rio Grande at Santa Elena Canyon, stopping at overlooks en route. Then drive to the Chisos Mountains and walk the Window View Trail (less than half a mile). Wrap up your day with a visit to the Fossil Discovery Exhibit. After the sun sets, treat yourself to some stargazing. Here you can enjoy views of astoundingly dark night skies filled with glittering stars and stretches of The Milky Way.
Then come back someday to see what else Big Bend has to offer. You’ll need a few extra days for the full itinerary. It’s well worth it, because Big Bend National Park is one of the best places to visit in Texas.
A Great 4-Day Big Bend Itinerary
Here’s the short, quick and dirty version up front: a 4-day itinerary featuring the best things to see and do in Big Bend National Park. Most of this is manageable when the weather’s cool, even if you’re not in tip-top shape. Follow along with the official Big Bend National Park map, courtesy of the National Park Service, to stay oriented. Be sure to get a printed copy of it (or two) from one of the visitor centers.
Day 1: Drive the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, stopping at scenic overlooks en route. Visit Sam Nail Ranch and Homer Wilson Ranch. Hike the Lower Burro Mesa Trail (1 mile round trip), Burro Spring Trail (2 miles round trip), Tuff Canyon Trail (0.75 miles), and Castolon Historic District. Check out Castolon Peak.
Day 2: Explore the Chisos Basin. Hike at least the first mile of the Lost Mine Trail and stop by the Chisos Basin Visitor Center. Hike the Window View Trail (0.3 miles roundtrip) and Chisos Basin Trail (1.9 miles roundtrip). Then drive out for more hiking at the Grapevine Hills Trail and Balanced Rock (2.2 miles roundtrip).
Day 3: Drive out to the Panther Junction Visitor Center and listen to a ranger talk at the Fossil Discovery Exhibit, which hosts a great collection of dinosaur, reptile, and mammal fossils. Hike the 100-yard Panther Path trail. Then drive out to the Santa Elena Canyon vicinity and hike the trail there between mountain walls.
Day 4: Visit the easternmost reaches of the park in the Rio Grande vicinity near Mexico. Walk the Chihuahuan Desert Trail (0.5 miles roundtrip) then hike the Hot Springs Trail (1.1 miles roundtrip). Stop at the Rio Grande Visitor Center and walk the Rio Grande Nature Trail (0.75 miles rondtrip). Hike some or all of the Boquillas Canyon Trail (1.5 miles roundtrip).
Big Bend Itinerary In Detail
Now here’s a more in-depth look at what you’ll see and do on this great itinerary exploring the rivers, desert, and mountains of Big Bend National Park:
Day 1:
Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive
Start off early in the morning in the western part of the park so you’ll have plenty of time on the 30-mile Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. Download the free Just Ahead Big Bend audio guide app to your phone, which will provide interesting tidbits about the various places you visit. As your approach the entrance, you’ll see the imposing welcome sign. Buy your entry pass (about $30 per vehicle, good for seven days) at the park entrance’s Ranger Station if you don’t already have an annual pass like the America the Beautiful Pass.
Early in the morning you’re likely to see some wildlife. Feel free to stop at scenic overlooks en route.
Sam Nail Ranch and Homer Wilson Ranch
The first notable sight you’ll come across is Sam Nail Ranch. Pull over at the sign by the side of the road and walk about five minutes along a short loop trail to find it. Originally settled in 1916, the remains visible today include the ruins of an adobe ranch, a couple of windmills, and fig and pecan trees.
Adobe remains at Sam Nail Ranch
Proceed until you arrive at the sign for the Homer Wilson Ranch. After you park, walk down a short trail (about half a mile) into a canyon to see the ranch, which was abandoned in 1945.
Black bears and mountain lions have been spotted in the area. If you’re unlucky enough to cross paths with one while here, try to keep your distance. Shout and wave your arms to scare it away.
Imagine what it was like to live during the age of frontier ranching while you see the bunkhouse, corral, and vat for sheep and goats.
Path toward Homer Wilson Ranch
Lower Burro Mesa and Burro Spring Trails
Next, drive out to the parking lot by the Lower Burro Mesa Trail. The trail is 1-mile roundtrip. You’ll walk through a gravel creek bed to a narrow canyon. Along the bluffs are alternating yellow and orange bands of tuff that reflect the area’s volcanic past.
Then try the Burro Spring Trail (2.4 miles round trip), where you may see big tarantulas and Angora goats.
Tuff Canyon Trail
The Tuff Canyon Trail (not so tough at just 0.75 miles), named after the rock hard volcanic ash known as tuff, offers superb views above and inside a white canyon. First visit the West overlook, then the East overlook, to get a bird’s eye view of the Tuff Canyon Trail. It’s an interesting view of the geologic layers in between the sheer walls.
Tuff Canyon
Castolon Historic District
Then visit Castolon Historic District. The area has been partially restored in the wake of a terrible fire that jumped the Rio Grande and damaged many of the buildings here in 2019. The view of Castolon Peak nearby is a highlight, kind of like a volcanic layer cake.
Castolon Peak
Day 2:
The Chisos Basin Area
The following morning, set out for another day of sightseeing centered on the Chisos Basin. Here you’ll find the best amenities in the park.
Upon entering the vicinity, you’ll see imposing mountains and signs warning that this is bear and mountain lion country. Remarkably, you’ll see pine, juniper, and Douglas fir trees in this much cooler section of the park. That will contrast sharply with the barren, arid eastern part later in this itinerary.
Lost Mine Trail
Try to get a parking space early at the Lost Mine Trail. If it’s not peak season and you arrive before 0900, your chances of finding one are good. By late morning, the parking lot will be full. The Lost Mine Trail was named after a story about Spanish explorers who enslaved the local Chisos Indians to mine the region’s valuable ore. The natives revolted, killing all of the Spanish and sealing the mine. This hike offers wonderful views of mountains and valleys, However, it’s a bit more strenuous than some others because of the elevation change. If you’re feeling winded partway through, the best sights can be seen on the first mile out to Juniper Canyon.
Chisos Basin Visitor Center and Window View Trail
At around mid-morning, visit the Chisos Basin Visitor Center. You can buy snacks, drinks, or gifts here. The bathroom facilities are very good. Don’t miss the short and sweet Window View Trail (0.3 miles roundtrip) by the visitor center. It offers the greatest variety and quality of scenic views of any hike in such a small area of the park.
Several other trails branch off the Window View Trail. A good option is the Chisos Basin Trail (1.9 miles roundtrip), which involves some climbing and lots of exotic flora.
Grapevine Hills Trail and Balanced Rock
From there, make your way across a long gravel road of several miles to the Grapevine Hills Trail and Balanced Rock (2.2 miles round trip). This is a mostly easy hike up until the last quarter mile to the iconic Balanced Rock, a giant boulder perched and suspended seemingly precariously on a couple of other tall rocks.
Day 3:
Panther Junction Visitor Center and Fossil Discovery Exhibit
Head out to Panther Junction Visitor Center (if it’s not open yet, you can still use the restrooms). See the Fossil Discovery Exhibit nearby and try to catch a Ranger talk about Big Bend’s prehistoric past if you can. If not, the exhibit is still well worth seeing on your own. A partially enclosed open-air museum showcases many fossils from the area, which was a sea 100 million years ago. Over time this became a coastal and then inland area by the end of the dinosaur era. Some of the fossil highlights include the skull of the 18-foot carnivorous fish Xiphactinus, the complete fossil of a 35-foot wingspan Quetzalcoatlus, Tyrannosaurus skulls, Deinosuchus skull, and a tiny horse called Hyracotherium.
Return to Panther Junction Visitor Center. Visit the on-site museum and walk the 100-yard Panther Path Trail, which is loaded with assorted plants and trees with informational displays.
Santa Elena Canyon
Proceed to the Santa Elena Canyon vicinity. Here you’ll see a massive mountainous wall that belongs to the United States and another of similar size across from it that belongs to Mexico. The Santa Elena River runs between them.
Hike the Santa Elena Canyon trail between the two imposing mountain walls, which should take around an hour. The river between them is loaded with vegetation—kind of like bamboo in some places—and interesting rock formations on the banks.
Day 4:
Chihuahuan Desert Trail and Hot Springs Trail
Explore the easternmost reaches of Big Bend. Walk the Chihuahuan Desert Trail. This is an easy 0.5-mile loop with views of many interesting cacti, yucca, ocotillos, and even palm trees in a small oasis. Much of it is framed by mountains in the distance.
From there, make your way to the Hot Springs Trail, a more challenging 1.1-mile hike. Highlights here include the 105-degree hot springs, lookouts over the Rio Grande, petroglyphs and pictographs, and many ocotillos over a rocky mountainside. This should take a little over an hour.
Rio Grande Area
Drive out to Rio Grande Visitor Center to walk the Rio Grande Nature Trail. The trail is a 0.75-mile hike across marshy areas bridged by boardwalks and a walk up a mountainside.
Finally, visit Boquillas Canyon Trail, around 1.5 miles long. This offers some very good overlooks of the Rio Grande, a small beach, and dramatic stone cliffs.
And that is a great Big Bend itinerary! It really is one of the best places in Texas to visit, and among the most beautiful places in the United States.
There’s even more to see in the area. Combine your trip to Big Bend with Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and Living Desert State Park for one of the best road trip ideas in the Texas-New Mexico vicinity.
Where To Stay
If you like roughing it, consider camping in Big Bend National Park. Note that a permit is required (available at Big Bend visitor centers) if you decide to tent camp.
Here are a few options for camping and RV parking in and around the park.
- Ocotillos Village in Terlingua (432) 300-6695
- The Goat Pens at Cigar Springs Ranch (432) 371-2242
- Rancho Topanga Campgrounds (432) 371-2131
- BJ’s RV Park (432) 371-2259
- Study Butte RV Park (432) 371-2468
If you prefer hotels, cabins, or home rentals, Terlingua Ghost Town offers several quality lodging options not far from the park entrance. The Big Bend Holiday Hotel is a good value within walking distance of a restaurant (Starlight Theater) and gift shop. Some rooms include a refrigerator, microwave, and coffeemaker.
A few other lodging options include:
- Casa de Amigos (Terlingua)
- The Summit at Big Bend (Terlingua)
- Terlingua Ranch (Terlingua, obviously)
- Willow House (Terlingua)
Where to Eat
You can buy surprisingly affordable groceries at the Cottonwood Grocery Store in Terlingua.
If you feel like dining out at a restaurant, try the Starlight Theatre (also in Terlingua). The brisket sandwich with fries is a delicious and good value meal, but it won’t win any awards for health-conscious fare.
Plants and Animals You May See in Big Bend
You’ll find around 60 types of cacti, including the rare Chisos Mountains Hedgehog Cactus, in the park. Lechuguilla and Purplish Prickly Pears are here. In the Chihuahuan Deset, shrubs like creosote, yucca, sotol, and ocotillo are common.
A few of the animals you may see in the park include Angora goats, coyotes, javelinas, and tarantulas. During the spring, many birds are visible. The park has more than 450 bird species, from the Lucifer hummingbird to the Montezuma quail.
Black bears, mountain lions, and rattlesnakes are uncommon, but it’s possible to see them here too. Bears and mountain lions are easier to spot at around dawn or dusk.
Nearest Cities and Airport
Big Bend National Park HQ is located 69 miles south of Marathon, Texas and 108 miles southeast of Marathon, Texas.
The closest airport is Midland International Airport, 225 miles to the north. The next closest airport is El Paso International Airport, about 363 miles away.
Weather and Visitor Information
Summers are hot in Big Bend. Don’t be surprised to see temperatures exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit in May and June. They can climb as high as 120 degrees, so be sure to take plenty of water. Thunderstorms are common between July and September.
The weather is far more mild in the winter, reaching into the 50s and 60s during the day. This is a relatively warm place to visit in the US in December. Nights are often colder and can dip into the mid-30s. Big Bend is a good option for a romantic Texas getaway in winter.
As you’d probably expect, the higher you go the cooler it gets. If you’re in a mountainous part of the park, the temperature may get as much as 20 degrees cooler than elsewhere in the park.
You’re more likely to avoid crowds if you don’t visit during spring break (March through early April), Thanksgiving weekend, and the end of December.
Big Bend National Park has five visitor centers:
- Panther Junction Visitor Center
- Persimmon Gap Visitor Center
- Rio Grande Village Visitor Center
- Castolon Visitor Contact Station
- Chisos Basin Visitor Center
Recommended Big Bend National Park resources (including a few of the best books about national parks in the USA)
- Big Bend National Park (official National Park Service site)
- Just Ahead Big Bend audio guide app
- Frommer’s National Parks of the American West
- Fodor’s The Complete Guide To The National Parks of the West
- Hiking Big Bend National Park (A Falcon Guide)
- National Geographic Big Bend National Park Trails Illustrated Topographic Map