Big Bend National Park II
Texas
Terrain // Campground + Dessert + River | Cost // $18/night
Big Bend, Round Two
When a National Park has 801,000 acres, you’re bound to see something new, no matter how many times you visit! This was our second visit to the Texas National Park. We spent roughly a week and a half trekking through the park in early December and weren’t disappointed.
PLACES STAYED
Rio Grande Village Campground // We stayed in roughly the same spots this year as we had previously. Site 62 is our favorite. It’s a lovely and large campground with some tree coverage. There's a little store nearby for any groceries or provisions you may need, along with a couple of shower stations and laundry. They were doing irrigation this year, which was fascinating to witness. There are so many trails nearby! It's a great location to get to many places.
Chisos Basin Campground // This campground is in the center of several huge mountains. The drive into the campgrounds is mind-boggling. This year, it felt a little more cramped, and the average age of the campers skewed much younger, with 20 to 30-year-olds. Stargazing was still gorgeous but not quite as vibrant. Big Bend is a gold-tier Dark Sky Park, so the stars were unimaginable. We slept in the back of our truck for the night. If you’re not into camping, the Chisos Mountains Lodge is nearby.
EXCURSIONS
Stargazing + Astrophotography
After epically failing at photographing the stars last year, we were much more prepared this year. Michael found this extremely helpful YouTube video spelled out the steps we needed to take using my Sony a6000 camera. Seeing the stars with your naked eye is a treat in itself. It’s hard to describe how humbling it is to see so many burning stars a million light years away. Capturing them through photography is just a bonus.
Boquillas del Carmen
This small Mexican town is very close to Rio Grande Village Campground. One afternoon, we crossed over at the Port of Entry to visit the city. Some workers row you in a paddle boat, or you can wade across if the river’s low enough. From there, you can ride over on horses or donkeys. If you choose that route, a local guide will stick with you and walk you through the town. This year, we opted to walk on foot. We had beer and margarita at Jose Falcon, where we had incredible birria tacos and sopapilla.
Terlingua Ghost Town
After one of our hikes, we drove to Terlingua Ghost Town to check it out. We had some delicious breakfast tacos and coffee at Espresso y Poco Mas. Their outdoor seating area was very cozy and full of live plants. Afterward, we walked through an authentic Boot Hill cemetery with actual dead people, both long-term and recently departed. Some graves were done entirely with flags, beer bottles, and other moments from their lives.
Hiking
There are so many different trails throughout the park. We did a few of the same trails as last year, and tried out a few new ones as well.
THE WINDOW TRAIL
The Window Trail has several different starting points. It is 5.5 miles out and back with a 961 feet of elevation gained. We made it all the way through this trail this time without running out of daylight! The views were just as lovely, and you ended up in a good-sized canyon at the end. We even spotted a tarantula along the way.
Lost Mine Trail
The Lost Mine Trail is my new favorite hike in Big Bend. The views were stunning. It’s a moderate 4.8-mile, out and back trail with 1,131 feet of elevation gain. There are a ton of switchbacks since you’re basically hiking up the side of a mountain. We got there around 7 in the morning and only encountered a few other hikers on our way up the mountain. It tends to get pretty busy later in the morning and afternoon. It’s close to Chisos Basin, so make sure you have this one on your list if you’re looking for good hiking views in Big Bend.
Balanced Rock via Grapevine Hills Trail
We squeezed this hike in during the middle of the day because it looked pretty intriguing. The drive back to it was STRESSFUL. Grapevine Road is very washed out the further back you drive it. NPS requires a sturdy, high-clearance 4x4 vehicle even to get back to this trail, so if you only have a car or minivan, I wouldn’t risk it. The out-and-back trail was easy, clocking in at 1.9 miles with only 246 ft of elevation gain. The balancing rock was pretty neat, and there are several other large rocks in the area you can scramble up to get a different view. Watch out for snakes, though!
Hot Springs Canyon Trail
I was not adequately prepared for this hike 😅. But that’s what I get for not eating the night before. You’ll want to ensure you have plenty of water on this trail, as there is no shade coverage along most of the 5.5-mile loop with 921 feet of elevation gain. The trail feels very desolate, but at the same time, it’s pretty incredible looking down at the Rio Grande and seeing all of the greenery surrounding it. You can cut out the canyon part of the trail if you’d prefer a more leisurely trek to the Hot Springs. Check out our blog post from last year to get a preview.
BOQUILLAS CANYON TRAIL
We revisited this short, in-and-out hike for the views and wild/free-range horses. The Rio Grande isn’t overly full at the moment, so you’re able to walk to the Mexican side if you really wanted.
RIO GRANDE VILLAGE NATURE TRAIL
This trail is located right outside the campgrounds. It winds through a small wetland with benches to watch birds at sunrise or sunset. There’s a decent-sized hill that’s a perfect spot to watch the sunset over the river.
Where TO Book:
It’s $30 / vehicle to enter Big Bend National Park. If you plan on entering a National Park at least three times in a calendar year, we highly suggest getting an Annual Park Pass. It’s $80 for a whole year, and the pass covers entrance or day-use fees to all National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands for one personal vehicle, including rentals and RVs/motorhomes, plus entry to 2,000 Federal Recreation Sites.
Recreation.gov is the federal government’s centralized travel planning and reservation platform for 14 Federal Agencies. We booked both of our campsites through Recreation.gov.
