| Big Bend National Park Travel Planner | |
Things to Do:
Big Bend National Park offers opportunities for a variety of activities depending on your personal interests and the amount of time you have to spend. No matter how limited your time, you'll probably enjoy the park more if you get out of your car and explore it on foot. To make the most of your visit, stop at the park headquarters at Panther Junction. There you can check for schedules of naturalist programs and other activities including ranger-led walks and evening programs.
Spring is the park's busiest season, when Texas colleges and universities are on spring break. Thanksgiving and Christmas can be extremely busy, also.
Hiking and Backpacking
Big Bend National park is a hiker’s paradise containing the largest
expanse of roadless public lands in Texas. More than 150
miles of trails offer opportunities from short, self-guiding nature trails
to cross-park treks, as well as mountain
biking and horseback riding.
Elevations range from 1800 feet at the eastern end of Boquillas Canyon to 7,825
feet atop Emory Peak in the Chisos Mountains. These elevation changes produce an
exceptional variety of plants, animals, and scenic vistas. All overnight
backpackers must obtain a free backcountry use permit. Permits are issued in
person only on a first come, first served basis up to one day in advance of
departure.
River Running
The Rio Grande borders the park for 118 miles, and is a Wild and Scenic
River for 191.2 miles along part of the park boundary and beyond. Park visitors
can enjoy canyon float trips or open water trips by raft, canoe, or kayak. Three
options are available: you can bring your own equipment, rent
equipment, or hire a guide
service that will provide all permits, food, equipment, and shuttles.
Driving
The park's 112 miles of paved roads includes the Ross
Maxwell Scenic Drive, which features a number of scenic overlooks and
exhibits along the way to the Rio Grande. For visitors with a sense of adventure
(and a high-clearance and/or four-wheel drive vehicle), the park offers more
than 150 miles of unpaved roads, including the River Road, a remote 51-mile
route parallels the southern boundary of the park from Castolon to Rio Grande
Village, and the Glenn Springs Road, which skirts the east side of the Chisos
Mountains toward Pine Canyon, Juniper Canyon, and the small desert oasis of
Glenn Spring.
Wildlife Viewing
Big Bend is home to more than 1200 species of plants, 11 species of amphibians, 56 species of reptiles, 40 species
of fish, 75 species of mammals, 450 species of birds, and about 3600 species of
insects. The park includes more types of birds, bats, and cacti than any other
national park in the United States.
Wildflowers
Generally, desert plants bloom in the spring, while plants in the Chisos
Mountains bloom in the late summer, during the rainy season. March and April are
probably the best time to see the park in bloom, but flowers can be seen almost
throughout the year.
