Big Bend National Park

Location & Map

• When – February 2019
• Weather – 70’s – 40’s and one cool night in the 30’s!

Facilities

• Notes
• This was our first trip back to Big Bend in almost 30 years and it was quite a treat to see again. The park is full of vistas and I think we stopped to see as many as possible.
• We stayed in the Rio Grande Village which is a really quiet camping area! In fact, in the ‘no-hook-up’ area, there is also a no generator area keeping noise to a minimum. In the areas that are approved for generators, they are only allowed in certain hours of the day.
• The trailer and RV parking pads are level crushed rock and bigger rigs may find them a bit tight. We were disconnected from the trailer and could park parallel to the road.
• The dump station is accessible just past the RGV store and on the road to the camping area. It is clean but tight for multiple rigs, only one wash out and one fresh water fill line.
• The camping area itself is not overly ‘scenic’, however, the trees were just budding out and we are sure there will be plenty of color and shade.
• Plan to park and go explore on the roads and trails as there are very few trails near Rio Grande Village. However, the trails do not allow any dogs. Your pet can only go where you can drive!

Park Map

What we liked / disliked

• You are a Long Way from anywhere when you get to the park. In fact, you are probably 50 miles from the park entrance when you are in the Rio Grande Village!
  • Very limited cell service and amateur radio repeater coverage.
  • No TV service in the RGV.
  • If you are entering from the North, plan to fuel up in Fort Stockton as fuel prices in Marathon are $1.50/gal higher and fuel in the  park is at lease $.60/gal higher.

Boarder crossing

• The boarder crossing at Boquillas is closed Monday and Tuesday. If you are going to make a trip to the little village in Mexico, you must have your passport for return entry to the US. You need to plan on limited days and times for your crossing as well.
• Not everyone uses the legal crossing location. The US Boarder Patrol makes very frequent patrols throughout the park.

Rio Grande Village – store

• The ‘Village’ consists of:
  • A full-hook-up parking lot for big rigs;
  • A couple of large grassy camp areas;
  • A large no-hook-up area for tents, travel trailers and big rigs;
  • AND… a single convenience store with camp basics, fuel, laundry and showers.
    • Showers are so-so and run $2 for 5 minutes.
    • The laundry had only 2 washers and 1 working dryer.
    • Fuel was expensive.

Sights and Vistas

• Panther Junction – This is the main park headquarters and visitor center. Restrooms, water, Post Office, gas and permits for camping are all available here.
• Sotol Vista – Is probably the best kept secret in the park! The view, shown below is spectacular!
• The Hot Springs is down a dusty ‘4WD recommended’ road. This site is not a secret and parking is limited.
  • The pool space is limited and the mossy steps can be slippery for young children.
  • The path to the hot springs pool has a couple of vintage buildings and some ancient pictographs.
• Santa Elena – Is an awesome wall of granite! From the river the wall rises up several hundred feet and is worth the trip.
• Mule Ears – Has a nice hiking path and again unique views of the park.
• Unimproved roads – Many of the park’s unimproved roads should be traversed with 4WD vehicles… and expect to be shaken! After a rain, these roads could quickly be impassable with low-water crossings and heavy mud.
• There are many pull-outs for photos along the way, look for them and you won’t be a hazard to others.
• Wildlife – Spring is coming… but not quite here yet. Because of this, the wildlife sightings were fairly minimal. We did see:
  • Yellow Bellied Woodpeckers;
  • 1 deer;
  • Wild burros;
  • …and we heard coyotes each night.
• Chisos Basin – The Window is a fantastic view, no matter which trails you take, you will be treated to views which the park is known for.
• The Lodge – The lodge has a nice view of The Window, a restaurant and motel.
• The Basin Store – The store is nice, clean and well stocked.
• The Basin Visitor Center – This is a small visitor center and not as big as the main visitor center at Panther Junction.
• Trails – All the trails are well marked and back country camping is allowed with permits.
• The Lost Mine Trail -The Trail head is just off the main road to The Basin and has very limited parking.
• Study Butte and Terlingua – Terlingua is located outside the park on the West edge and has many services available including:
  • A market;
  • Gas stations;
  • Ghost Town – not worth the visit… stacked rock buildings… our opinion;
  • Snowbird and extended stay RV camp areas;
  • Art shops.
• Grapevine Trail – 6.5 miles of minimally maintained road, much of it bedrock!  
  • Limited trail parking to the Balanced Rock trail;
  • Parking for 7-8 cars max.

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Photos

Our Parking area

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