Santa Elena Canyon Trail is one of the most popular trails in Big Bend. It takes you into the heart of one of the three canyons that define the park.
At the end of Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, you’ll find the trailhead for the Santa Elena Canyon Trail. This trail leads right into the Santa Elena Canyon along the Rio Grande River.
Big Bend National Park was first established to protect three canyons: Santa Elena Canyon, Boquillas Canyon, and Mariscal Canyon. All three canyons can be hiked, with Santa Elena being the most popular.
Santa Elena Canyon Trail Basics
1 Hour
1.7 Miles Round Trip
Out-And-Back
80 Feet
Duration: 1 Hour
The entire trail should take about an hour to go to the canyon wall and back. Although, if you want to spend some time by the river, it may take a little bit longer.
Distance: 1.7 Miles Roundtrip
Santa Elena Canyon Trail is not very long with the bulk of it being after the concrete steps to the lookout. This is considered a short hike for most.
Type: Out-and-Back Trail
When you reach the end of the short trail, as the river meets the canyon wall, the only way back is to retrace your steps to the trailhead.
Elevation Change: 80 Feet
The biggest elevation change is at the concrete steps that take you to the river overlook. From there, as you make your way into the canyon the path will slowly decline.
Season: Any
As with all trails in Big Bend National Park, they are open and doable any season, but you are best if you avoid the summer months. The temperatures soar to dangerous levels June through September and that’s the rainy season in the park meaning higher chances of flash flooding.
Time of Day: Any
The best time to do this trail is in the morning, but you can do it any time. In the morning there are fewer people around, parking is easier, and you’ll have the most shade.
Amount of Shade: Partial
The first part of the trail doesn’t have any shade. Once you start walking between the tall plants and into the canyon, you may have some shade from those unless you are there in the middle of the day when the sun is overhead.
Difficulty: Moderate
Most places rate this as an “easy” trail, but because of the creek crossing, the bank you have to climb, and the many stone steps, I would say it’s between easy and moderate. The creek bed was dry when we were there, so we had no issue with that area. If the creek is too full, the trail will be closed for safety.
What Makes Santa Elena Canyon Trail a Great Hike?
We enjoyed every part of this trail. From being able to play along the water’s edge of the Rio Grande to showing the boys how close we were to Mexico to hiking into the canyon and the spectacular views along the way.
From the parking lot, the trail leads down a small boardwalk to a dirt path that leads right up to the riverside. Once you reach the riverside, there’s plenty of space to lounge beside the river. A few families were sitting by the river and kids were skipping rocks.
When the Rio Grande has low water levels, some rocks go across the river. Multiple families were taking advantage and crossing just to say they were on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande… we may or may not have been some who did that.
Scenery on the Santa Elena Canyon Trail
Start of the Trail
When you start the Santa Elena Canyon Trail, you will quickly go from the first path to the edge of the Rio Grande and Terlingua Creek. There’s rocky ground around both of them and you can see down the river into the canyon.
On the Trail
About ¼ of the way into the trail, you’ll come to the top of the concrete stairs and ramps to an overlook. From here, you can look down on the Rio Grande River and into the canyon.
Continuing on, you’ll be walking between reeds about 12-15 feet tall.
End of the Trail
When you reach the spot where the trail stops at a canyon wall and the river, you’ve reached the end of the trail. From here, the only way to go on would be on a kayak tour through the canyon. Take time at the end to bask in the beauty of the canyon with 1,500-foot canyon walls on either side of you.
Notable Places on the Hike
The lookout is a neat place to stop and see the whole canyon and river in front of you. On a clear day, you can also see the Chisos Mountains in the distance.
Just before getting to the end of the trail, there are a few places where the rocks jut out into the river. We liked stopping at those to take in the scenery and a trail snack.
Santa Elena Canyon Trailhead Information
Finding the Trailhead
The Santa Elena Canyon trailhead is at the Southern end of the parking area. Look for the trail sign and walk towards the Rio Grande River.
Markers Along the Trail
Santa Elena Canyon Trail does not have many markers along the way. The only one we saw marking the trail was a small ribbon tied to a wooden stake across the bank of Terlingua Creek that indicated where the trail goes up the embankment. When you get to some of the rocky outcroppings you’ll find signs that tell about the marine fossils visible in the rock walls and the plants along the trail.
Nearest Restrooms: Trailhead
A vault toilet is located inside the parking loop at the trailhead.
Parking Area: Santa Elena Canyon Picnic Area
On the park map, look for the Santa Elena Canyon Trail or the Santa Elena Canyon Picnic Area. The parking is at the very end of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. It’s a one-way look around the picnic area and restrooms. The parking lot fills up quickly as this is one of the most popular hikes in the park. Come early or plan for the possibility of having to wait for a parking spot. When we were there, a ranger was letting one car in as another left by the time we were leaving.
Other Trails at this Trailhead
Santa Elena Canyon Trail is the only trail at this trailhead.
Tips for Santa Elena Canyon Trail
- Stop at the Santa Elena Canyon Overlook on the way to the parking area to get an overview of the area and the canyon. You may see local outfitters preparing their kayaks for a day trip.
- Make sure to cross Terlingua Creek at the designated spot. The trail is not marked if you go further up the creek.
- Check the weather forecast before setting out for this trail. Flash floods can make crossing Terlingua Creek difficult and you don’t want to get stuck on the other side.
- Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy when you reach the end of the trail if you are doing this around lunchtime.
Accessibility Information for Santa Elena Canyon Trail
Dirt & Gravel
Dirt Lot
Trail Type: Dirt & Gravel
Most of the trail is on a dirt path, but there are rocks and gravel in the river bed and creek bed that have to be navigated. Due to the rocks, the climb up the creek bank, and the concrete steps, this is not a wheelchair-friendly trail.
Parking: Dirt Road
The trailhead parking lot is a dirt parking lot. It’s mostly packed but may have a few soft spots that could be hard to navigate.