Big Bend National Park

Year Established: 1944
Annual Visitors: 581,000
Size: 801,163 Acres

Designated International Dark Sky Park
State: Texas

Best Time to Visit Big Bend National Park

March to May, September to October

We’ve visited Big Bend National Park twice. The first time in May and the second in September.

Both times were absolutely gorgeous! While May was definitely the warmer of the two months…

The first time we went, we met a retired park ranger hiking the Lost Mine trail with us and she suggested we come back in September.

Her reasoning is September is the best time to visit Big Bend National park because monsoon season is just finishing up (the bulk of the rainfall is in August) and you are left with a desert in full bloom!

Not only was she right about how beautiful it was, but it is the last month to really see the Milky Way.

The one downside was we couldn’t go back to Santa Elena Canyon in September because it was closed due to flooding. So keep that in ming when visiting!

If you are planning to visit more national parks, check out our complete list of all US National Parks here.

Best Experiences in Big Bend National Park

Float the Rio Grande

The Rio Grande is a continental river that separates Mexico and the United States. It also gives the Big Bend and the state of Texas their unique shapes.

The Rio Grande starts in the high snowfields of the continental divide in the San Juan range of central Colorado. After taking a sharp turn to the east, the young Rio Grande turns south to water the fields in the San Luis Valley. As the Rio Grande flows from New Mexico into Colorado, it flows through the Rio Grande Gorge, a deep rift valley. In 1968, this section of the river, with its remote wilderness canyon and steep, wild water, was named the first Wild and Scenic River in the United States.

Lost Mine Trail

Lost Mine Trail is one of the best hikes in the park! If you leave early (around 7am) you are sure to beat the crowd and have some wonderful solitude in such an expansive place.

If you only have one day to spend in Big Bend, the Lost Mine Trail might be the most important hike to do. It’s not too long, gives you information about the plants, animals, and geological features you can see in Big Bend, and isn’t too far from the main park ranger station or the rooms at Chisos Basin Lodge.

The Lost Mine Trail is not an easy hike by any means. You’ll go nearly 5 miles and go up more than 1,000 feet. Starting at the waypoint “Trailhead,” the hike goes straight up. But the first part of the trail has less steep slopes than the rest of the trail, in case you’re tired of climbing or don’t have much time for the challenge.

The Window Trail

One of the most-hiked trails in Big Bend is the Window Trail. It starts near the Chisos Mountain Lodge and descends to a narrow opening in the rim of rock that creates the Chisos Basin. It’s the only way for water to leave the basin, so you wouldn’t want to be near the Window when it’s raining hard.

On the way back, this trail goes mostly uphill, so take it easy because the second half of the hike will be harder.

Santa Elena Canyon

This short trail follows the bank of the Rio Grande as it cuts through the Mesa De Anguila. It’s a short hike, but the stunning views in the canyon make this hike one of the top attractions of Big Bend.

When you start the trail from the parking lot, you can see the canyon ahead of you. Due to its closeness to the river, the area is full of lush plants and trees, some of which you won’t find anywhere else in the park.

Creek Cross is a waypoint that shows where the trail goes over Terlingua Creek. When we came to see this creek, there was some water but it was not too deep. If you go during a rainy month, watch out for this area because the creek may be too deep and quick to cross safely.

I recommend bringing a pair of hiking sandals to this one. We had to keep taking our shoes off and that was the only regret.

Emory Peak

For the real adventure seekers amongst us, you will love hiking up to Emory Peak!

It is the highest peak in the Chisos Mountains at 7,825 ft in elevation. It took us a total of 5 hours to complete hiking 5 miles up and 5 miles back (10 miles total).

From the South Rim Trail, you can get to the Emory Peak Trail. The top is 1.2 miles away, but the trail is very steep and hard to walk. Be warned there is some rock scramble required at the end of the trail!

A Brief History

The ribbon-like Rio Grande winds through this part of the Chihuahuan Desert. It is lined with mesquite and cottonwood trees and is full of catfish. Even though it rains less than four inches a year in some parts of Big Bend it looks green.

The purple-throated Lucifer hummingbirds are drawn to the red flowers of the ocotillo cactus with their narrow, deeply forked tails, and yucca moths are drawn to the white flowers of the spiky yucca.

The land is home to many different animals, like the roadrunner, coyote, collared peccary, and tricolor heron. (People staying overnight are warned to watch out for scorpions.)

It also has a lot of fossilized remains, like those of the scary 40-foot-long alligatoroid and the flying pterosaur from the Cretaceous period, as well as those of more recent saber-toothed cats and mammoths, some of which can be seen in the park’s Fossil Discovery Exhibit.

Big Bend RV Camping

If you are looking for nearby RV camping options for Big Bend National Park or in Texas, consider checking out our other post:

• Best RV Parks in Texas
• Best RV Resorts in Texas

Visitor Information

Fees

Individuals 15 years old and younger are admitted free of charge.

Weekly Park Passes

$15.00 per person/cyclist

$30.00 per vehicle

$25.00 per motorcycle

Passes are valid for up to 7 days

Annual Park Pass

Big Bend Annual Pass – $55

Contacting Big Bend National Park

Phone Number

(432) 477-2251

Visitor Centers

Panther Junction Visitor Center

The best place to start your trip is at the Panther Junction Visitor Center. Here, you can get permits to use the backcountry and rivers. Here, you can pay the entrance fee. The exhibits give an overview of the park’s geology, natural history, and cultural history. The visitor center also has a theater where you can watch a movie about the park if you ask for it. The visitor center complex has restrooms, a U.S. Post Office, and a bookstore from the Big Bend Natural History Association. There is a water faucet where people can fill their own water bottles.

Chisos Basin Visitor Center

There are hands-on displays about the plants, animals, and birds that live in the Chisos Mountains at the Chisos Basin Visitor Center. During normal business hours, permits to use the backcountry and rivers can be bought at the visitor center, where you can also pay entrance fees. At the visitor center, there are restrooms and a store run by the Big Bend Natural History Association. On the east side of the building, there is a water faucet where people can fill their own water bottles.

Castolon Visitor Center

The Castolon Visitor Center is open every day during the winter months. It is in the Castolon Historic District. During normal business hours, the Castolon Visitor Center is where you can get a permit to use the river and pay the entrance fee. There are restrooms and a bookstore at the Castolon Visitor Center, which is run by the Big Bend Natural History Association. The Officer’s Quarters building, which is very old, is now home to the visitor center. Stop by to talk to a park ranger and make plans for your trip.

Persimmon Gap Visitor Center

The Persimmon Gap Visitor Center is at the north entrance to the park and has maps and information about the park. There are exhibits, a bookstore, a small theater, and restrooms at the visitor center. The Persimmon Gap Visitor Center is where you can pay entrance fees and get river permits for the Lower Canyons during business hours.

Rio Grande Village Visitor Center

The Rio Grande Village Visitor Center is 0.25 miles north of where people live and work in Rio Grande Village. Rio Grande is the subject of new exhibits of how it has evolved over time, how NPS works with our Mexican counterparts to protect it, and the rich assemblage of species that it supports. A large raised-relief map of the area is on display in a ramada outside, and bronze sculptures of some of the area’s unique animals show how big they are. Permits to use the river are given out during regular business hours.