All About Big Bend National Park in Western Texas
Big Bend National Park in Western Texas is a large park along the Rio Grande with plenty of hikes for all ages.
The park is located in the Big Bend area of the Rio Grande River, which creates a natural border between the United States and Mexico.
What to do at Big Bend National Park
The Best Trails and Best Hikes at Big Bend
There are so many hikes to do at Big Bend National Park! You could spend days here even without doing the really long hikes in the park. These are some of the most popular hikes in the park.
Hot Springs Historic
Panther Path
Lower Burro Mesa Pour-Off
Santa Elena Canyon
Desert Trails
- Chimneys Trail
- Lower Burro Mesa Pour-Off Trail
- Mule Ears Spring Trail
- Panther Path
- Tuff Canyon
- Sam Nail Ranch
Mountain Hikes
- Boot Canyon Trail
- Emory Peak
- Lost Mine Trail
- South Rim Trail
- Window Trail & Window View Trail
River Hikes
- Boquillas Canyon Trail
- Hot Springs Historic Trail
- Rio Grande Village Nature Trail
- Santa Elena Canyon Trail
- Ernst Ridge Trail
Things to do at Big Bend National Park
- Go to the overlook for each of the deep canyons in the park: Santa Elena Canyon, Mariscal Canyon, and Boquillas Canyon
- Take a half-day trip into Boquillas, Mexico, from the Port of Entry in the park (check for which days the port is closed as it varies by season)
- Go on a float trip along the Rio Grande
- Work on the Junior Ranger badge with your kids
- Dip your feet in the Langford Hot Springs
- Spend a few hours at the Fossil Discovery Exhibit
What to see at Big Bend National Park
Points of Interest
Boquillos Canyon Overlook
Fossil Discovery Exhibit
Santa Elena Canyon Overlook
Big Bend Visitor Centers
Five visitor centers are located within the many acres of public land at Big Bend National Park. You can try to make it to all of them for a Passport Book stamp, but it will take a lot of driving time.
Panther Junction Visitor Center
Panther Junction Visitor Center is in the middle of the park and a great place to start if you are coming through the Maverick entrance. You can visit the bookstore and gift shop, talk to the rangers, get a junior ranger book, and so much more. The parking area isn’t very big, so it fills up quickly. The only gas station in the park is near this visitor center as well.
Passport Book Stamp Location
Rio Grande Village
The visitor center at Rio Grande Village had an outdoor display with a raised-relief map of the area and exhibits about how the area changed over time. As with the other visitors centers, you can talk to rangers, pick up a Junior Ranger book, shop at the park bookstore, and fill water bottles. This visitor center is one of the only places to get river use permits during normal business hours.
Passport Book Stamp Location
Castolon Visitor Center
Castolon Visitor Center is a bit more rustic. It is only open if they have the staff for it and only during certain seasons and peak visiting times. When stopping at this visitor center, we were able to get some limited cell phone service. This area is unique amongst most national park visitor centers that I’ve been to as it is made up of multiple buildings within walking distance of each other. One building housed the toilets, another had the convenience store, and another had the ranger station.
Passport Book Stamp Location
The Chisos Basin Visitor Center
The Chisos Basin Visitor Center has multiple interactive exhibits featuring the park’s flora and fauna. You can purchase items from the bookstore and gift store, talk with the rangers, and get backcountry permits at the visitor center.
Passport Book Stamp Location
Persimmon Gap Visitor Center
Persimmon Gap Visitor Center is at the north entrance to the park. At this center, you can find a mini-theater with a movie about the park, speak with the rangers, pay for river permits for the lower canyons, and use the restrooms.
Passport Book Stamp Location
National Park Passport Book Stamp Locations
- Castolon Visitor Center
- Chisos Basin Visitor Center
- Panther Junction Visitor Center
- Persimmon Gap Visitor Center
- Rio Grande Village Visitor Center
Big Bend National Park Basics
1 Panther Junction,
Big Bend National Park, TX 79834
$30 per vehicle
Valid for 7 days
Central Time Zone
1944
Location, Phone Number, and Address
Big Bend is located in Southwest Texas in the Chihuahuan Desert. The park is in an isolated area in Texas, so make sure to plan ahead properly for a trip to the park. There are two main ways to get to the park from within the United States. Enter through Terlingua or Persimmon Gap.
The entrance stations don’t have an address listed, so the best option is to search for the Visitor Centers and use that to guide you into the park. The central visitor center, Panther Junction, is at 1 Panther Junction, Big Bend National Park, TX 79834. The main phone number for the park is 432-477-2251.
What are the Entrance Fees for Big Bend?
For a passenger vehicle to enter the park, the fee is $30 per vehicle. The pass is valid for 7 days from the date of purchase. If you are on a motorcycle, you will pay $25 to enter the park, and pedestrians either walking or on a bicycle pay $15 per person.
The Big Bend Annual Pass is available for $55 and is good for one year from the date of purchase. If you will be making a trip to Big Bend multiple times in a year, outside of the one week your standard pass would be valid for, this will save you money.
Lastly, if you are visiting multiple places within the National Park System, it may be best to purchase one of their annual passes.
Current as of July 2024
What Time Zone is Big Bend National Park in?
Although it’s close to the time zone line, Big Bend is in Central Time Zone. Because it’s so close to the time zone border, the sun sets pretty late in the evening, especially during Daylight Savings Time.
When is the Best Time to Visit?
Due to the extreme heat in the summer months, Big Bend is a Spring and Fall park. While you can do it over summer break, make sure to bring plenty of water, wear a lot of sunscreen, know your hiking limits and skill level, and consider hiking only early in the morning and late in the evening.
When did Big Bend become a National Park?
Big Bend officially became a National Park on June 12, 1944, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Prior to the National Park designation, it was a Texas State Park starting in 1933.
How Big is Big Bend National Park?
Big Bend is a huge National Park! It is the 15th largest in the National Park System, and that includes the parks in Alaska. Big Bend is 801,163 acres or 1,252 square miles. The entire park is larger than the state of Rhode Island!
Park Website
Always check the official park site for the most up-to-date information, hours, prices, and conditions.
Travel Tips for Big Bend National Park
Driving Through Big Bend National Park
Big Bend is host to more than 100 miles of paved road with gorgeous views around every turn of these scenic drives.
The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive is 30 miles long and cuts through the western part of the park ending at the Santa Elena Canyon. Driving down this paved road will give you a view of both the mountains and the river with many other stops along the way.
You can also drive the Chisos Basin Road and the pathway from the entrances throughout the park. From the western entrance to the easternmost point, it will take you about an hour without any stops or deviating to the other roadways. If you get too hot, tired, or sore from a long hike, driving one of the scenic drives is the best way to take in more of the park from the comfort of your vehicle.
Where are the National Park Entrances?
There are two entrances to Big Bend National Park. The north entrance is located at Persimmon Gap, accessible from US Highway 385 through the town of Marathon. The other entrance is the Maverick Junction entrance, located just east of Terlingua and Study Butte on Highway 118.
What is the Nearest City to Big Bend?
Just outside of the park, to the west, is Terlingua, Texas. This is one of the best places to stay during your trip and also has most of what you would need for a day in the park. You’ll find a small grocery store, gas station, and some restaurants in the town.
The closest big city to Big Bend is El Paso, Texas, about 300 miles away and a 4.5-hour drive from the park. The next closest is San Antonio, Texas, which is about 400 miles away, a 6-hour drive.
What is the Nearest Airport to Big Bend?
With how isolated Big Bend National Park is, the closest airports aren’t really that close. The nearest commercial airport is in Midland, Texas. From there, you have a 4-hour drive to get to the park entrance. Otherwise, you are best to fly into El Paso or San Antonio. No matter which airport you fly to, you will need to look at rental cars and make a road trip out of your visit.
Itineraries including Big Bend National Park
Lodging Near Big Bend National Park
Where to Stay
There is only one place to stay inside of Big Bend National Park, the Chisos Mountains Lodge. The lodge offers rooms and cottages as well as a gift shop, camp store, and dining room in the area. It is open year-round but will fill up quickly during peak season.
Due to the size of the park, you’ll want to choose which entrance you plan to use if you aren’t staying in the park. If you are going to use the north entrance, look for lodging in Marathon. It’s about 30 miles north of the park entrance. Otherwise, if you plan to use the west entrance to the park, look for a place to stay in Terlingua, Study Butte, or Lajitas.
Campgrounds in the Area
There are four campgrounds in Big Bend National Park, three run by the National Park Service and one by a third party. The NPS campgrounds are Chisos Basin Campground, Rio Grande Village Campground, and Cottonwood Campground. The Chisos Basin is open year-round, the Rio Grande Village has limited capacity in the summer, and the Cottonwood is closed in the summer. The Rio Grande Village RV Park is operated by Aramark but is within the park boundaries with 25 full hook-up sites.
What are the Closest National Parks to Big Bend National Park?
Facts about Big Bend National Park
The Plants and Animals of Big Bend
Even though the park gets extremely hot and dry, there are over 1,200 species of plants in the park. In the spring, there are a variety of wildflowers that grow throughout the park. In February and March, you are likely to see Bluebonnets, the Texas State Flower, growing along the sides of the road. As you would expect in a desert area, there are also 60 cactus species in the park and surrounding area. One of the most important to the area is the candelilla plan which was used to make candelilla wax.
Again, due to the heat and extreme temperatures in the park, most of the animals are not seen during the day. There are about 150 sightings of mountain lions in the park per year even though it’s estimated there are only about two dozen of them living there. Other common animals to see are the coyote, kangaroo rat, roadrunner, golden eagle, gray fox, black bears, and mule deer.
What is the Highest Point? What is the Lowest Point?
Emory Peak is the highest point in the park at 7,832 feet above sea level. Rio Grande Village is the lowest point at 1,850 feet above sea level.
In between all those extremes you have the South Rim at 7,375 feet, Casa Grande Peak at 7,325 feet, Chisos Basin at 5,401 feet, Panther Junction at 3,750 feet, and Castolon at 2,169 feet.
Big Bend Fun Facts
- There are three distinct ecosystems in the park: mountain ranges, deserts, and the riverfront
- The park borders with Mexico for about 118 miles
- Big Bend is an International Dark Sky park with amazing opportunities for stargazing
- The Chisos Mountains are the only US mountain range completely contained inside the boundaries of a National Park and are the southernmost mountains in the United States
- Archaeologists estimate there are over 10,000 sites including some as far back as about 8,000 BC
- There are more species of birds in Big Bend National Park than any other US National Park