Big Bend National Park: A Park FULL of Wonder
Big Bend National Park is located on the United States / Mexico border in Southwest Texas and covers over 800,000 acres! To put this in perspective that is close to the size of the State of Rhode Island! This park also covers such a vast variation of landscapes that you need several days to do it justice. From the peaks of the Chisos Mountains to the Chihuahuan Desert to the Wild and Scenic Rio Grande River, you’re sure to find something to please everyone!
THINGS TO DO
Big Bend National Park definitely has something for everyone’s taste. As with most parks there are plenty of hiking trails with many being shorter, less difficult options. The Boquillas Canyon Trail is an excellent overall trail with amazing views. At 1.5 miles and just 150 feet of elevation gain you’re sure to enjoy. The trail leads up to an amazing overlook where you can see the Rio Grande and into Mexico. It then leads down to the river where you can relax on a beach area and enjoy the water. Take note though that it’s common to see Mexican items for sale in this area but it is not exactly legal. The National Park Service states you should not purchase items left in the park.
Another great trail to check out is the Hot Springs Trail located in the Hot Springs Historic District. This 1 mile out and back trail is mostly level and takes you along the Rio Grande River to the site of an old hot springs bath house. The structure is long gone but the foundation remains with the hot springs still flowing! You can take your turn here relaxing in the “healing water” while watching the horses roam free across the river in Mexico.
Also on this trail you will be greeted by old buildings from the period along with petroglyphs and pictographs on the rock ledges over the river.
After you get your fill of hiking you can head to the North side of the park and locate the fossil exhibit. Here you’ll find the 30 foot crocodile that was found in the park. You will also be able to stroll through a couple buildings to learn more about the dinosaurs and fossils that have been located in the area. While here be sure to look up because you don’t want to miss the life-sized pterodactyl hanging above!
VISITING MEXICO
One of the great things about Big Bend National Park is that it has a dedicated border crossing into Boquillas del Carmen, Mexico right inside the park. The crossing is manned by National Park Rangers and has varying days based on the time of year. Summer crossing days are Friday-Monday and the Winter/Spring days are Wednesday-Sunday with all hours being 9:00am - 4:00pm.
To cross into Mexico (and return) you will need a valid passport but it’s worth the visit!
To get to Mexico you will go to the Boquillas Crossing station inside the park and check in with the rangers. From there you will walk down to the Rio Grande where you have a couple options depending on river levels. The first option is to simply walk through the water into Mexico. The other option, and the one we chose both times, is to board the Boquillas International Ferry for the trip across which costs $5.00 per person round trip. I know this sounds like an elaborate option but in reality it’s an aluminum row boat pulled by a guy across the river!
Once you arrive on the Mexican side you will be welcomed by a group of men from the town and provided a few more options to get into the actual town. (It’s 0.6 miles from the river to the town) Again the first option is to simply walk up the dirt road into town as we did on our second trip across. Another option is to ride the donkeys into town led by a guide who works for tips. This option is $10 per person round trip but provides the true rural Mexican experience! Still another option is to ride a horse into town which is $15 per person round trip. The final option is to hop into the bed of a pickup truck for $10 a person.
The guides that go with each option all work for tips and are not required. We took a guide and donkey on our first trip and it was definitely worthwhile. Felipe told us about the town and what each building was. He also was available to translate as needed; which wasn’t often as most of the townspeople speak at least some English.
In the small town of Boquillas you will find several vendors along the streets selling everything from trinkets to clothing. The younger kids will constantly run up to you trying to sell bracelets for $5.00 and trust me when I tell you the excitement on their face when you buy one is worth the cost in itself! Remember American tourists are how these people make their money so be generous!!!!
One final thing you have to do when in Mexico is partake in an authentic Mexican lunch. There are 2 restaurants in Boquillas positioned across from each other. We highly recommend Jose Falcon’s on the left!!! I can’t stress this one enough. Lilia Falcon, the daughter of the founder, still runs the restaurant and is usually there greeting her customers. She has an amazing story and quite the shop for souvenirs. You can dine outside in the covered dining room while looking out over the river and mountains and listening to the mariachi playing guitar. We’ve had such a great experience every time we’ve visited and will most definitely return.
After you get your fill of Mexico you’ll head back to the river and return to the United States. As you return you’ll provide your passports to the park rangers who will scan them and put you on a video chat tablet with the Border Patrol in El Paso, Texas. Here they will verify you and ask if you’ve brought anything back to declare. We bought some bracelets and a blanket on our trips.
CAMPING / LODGING
The park has several campgrounds located throughout but they are all primitive sites. Most will accommodate RVs unless noted. There are also several back country sites that you can obtain permits to utilize. Additionally the park has a concessioner that operates a small, full hook up campground at Rio Grande Village along with a store, gas station and laundry facility. These spots go for $42.00 per night and it books WAY in advance.
If camping isn’t your thing then you’re still in luck! The concessioner also operates the Chisos Mountain Lodge and a restaurant in the basin of the mountains. In this area you’ll also find a small store and a visitor center along with several hiking trails. The caveat here is that this area is high enough that the temperature is lower and you must take precautions for bears AND mountain lions!
Outside the park you’ll find several campgrounds. Several are on the West side of the park near Terlingua and one North of the park in Marathon. On our first visit we stayed at the Marathon Motel & RV Park since it is a Passport America park meaning we got a 50% discount with FULL HOOKUPS!!!!! This park also does a nightly stargazing program as long as the weather allows.
FINAL THOUGHTS
You can’t go wrong visiting Big Bend National Park but take a lesson from our first visit. DO NOT VISIT DURING LOCAL SPRING BREAK!!!!! This is the busiest week in the park and EVERYTHING gets packed. You’ll wait forever and chances are you’re not going to enjoy all the park has to offer. May 1 through the Fall is technically the “off season” for the park due to the extreme temperature potential but it’s still a great visit regardless of the time of year. Just be prepared and remember that, for the most part, you are in the desert so you need to be drinking water. Fatalities occur in this park WAY more often than they should and you don’t want to be another number in that column.
One final thing to note is that you’re not going to have cell phone service in the park. Each visitor center has WiFi and the store at the Rio Grande Village has Wifi. I say this to let you know to be prepared. Have a GPS and paper maps for the park so you don’t get lost!
Enjoy your visit and tell Mrs. Falco we said hello!!!