Big Bend National Park is a remote and expansive preserve of desert beauty along the Texas-Mexico border. While Big Bend is not the easiest National Park to get to, the remoteness is part of the allure. The hiking trails are less traveled here and offer sweeping views of untouched wilderness. Far from the light pollution of cities, Big Bend has earned an International Dark Sky designation. The primeval skies here sparkle with thousands of stars and the Milky Way.
Day 1 in Big Bend National Park
Sunrise at the Window
Start your morning with a colorful sunrise overlooking the Window, a V-shaped notch in the Chisos mountain range. The Window can be viewed from a variety of locations including the Window Trail, the Chisos Mountain Lodge patio, or even the Chisos campground.
If you are camping in the Chisos campground, just roll out of your tent in the morning for an incredible view. For our first trip to Big Bend, we arrived at the Chisos Campground well after dark and set up the tent by the light of our headlamps. The scenery around us was hidden in the darkness so we were clueless to what was around us. Early the next morning, we groggily stumbled out of our tent, only to be invigorated by the view waiting just outside – the iconic Window filled with pink and blue hues of sky.
South Rim Loop Trail
Mileage: ~11 miles RT (~14 miles with optional Emory Peak adder )
Elevation Gain: ~3,000 feet
The South Rim Loop Trail is THE hike to do in Big Bend. This ~11 mile scenic hike winds through the Chisos Mountains along trails lined with juniper trees and prickly pear cacti. The trail leads to the South Rim, an overlook with expansive views across the Texas and Mexico landscape.
Start your hike at the trailhead near the Chisos Cottages. We opted to hike the loop in the clockwise direction starting with the Laguna Meadows Trail, then continued on to South Rim Trail, Boot Canyon Trail, and, finally, Pinnacles Trail back to the parking lot where we started. Laguna Meadows Trail is a more gradual grade than the Pinnacles Trail so those who prefer to get the harder climb out of the way first and go easier on the knees on the way down should hike the loop counter-clockwise. This trail took us about 6 hours to hike.
Black bears may be sighted on the trail. Before your hike, read the National Park Service guidelines on what to do in case of a black bear encounter. There are different guidelines for different types of bears. Fortunately, sacrificing your slowest companion is not part of the guidelines.
Emory Peak
The trail junction for Emory Peak, the highest point in the park, is along the South Rim Loop Trail. You can decide how you’re feeling at this point in the hike and decide whether or not to take this detour. From the junction for the Emory Peak Trail, it’s a ~3 mile round trip hike/scramble with ~1,000 feet of elevation gain. After the Emory Peak junction, continue along the Pinnacle Trail back towards the trailhead.
Shorter Alternative to the South Rim Loop Trail: Lost Mine Trail
If you are looking for a shorter hike with great views, the Lost Mine Trail is a winner. At under 5 miles round trip with ~1000 feet elevation gain, Lost Mine Trail is an ideal alternative.
Langford Hot Springs
After a long hike, Langford Hot Springs is the perfect place to relax. Langford Hot Springs is a natural soaking pool that sits right along the Rio Grande River. It was formerly the site of a bath house in the early 1900’s, and to this day, the warm waters provide soothing relief for weary travelers.
The drive to Langford Hot Springs from the Chisos Basin takes about 50 minutes. There are two areas to park for the Hot Springs. One is 2.5 miles east of the hot springs near the Rio Grande Village and the other is 0.25 miles west of the hot springs. After our long hike on the South Rim Loop, we wanted to minimize the amount of hiking we had to do, so we chose the 0.25 mile hike option from the west side parking lot.
The road to the west side parking lot is unpaved. 4WD is not required to drive on this road, though the drive is more treacherous than we expected. Along the way, the road splits into two narrow, one-way roads carved into opposing hillsides with a steep drop-off on the left side. Don’t look down! This road was a tight squeeze for our sedan. Large vehicles like RVs and trailers should use the east side parking lot.
Sunset from the Chisos Mountain Lodge Restaurant
End your day by enjoying a vibrant sunset from the Chisos Mountain Lodge Restaurant patio. From here, you can watch the sun dip behind the infamous Window with a prickly pear margarita in hand.
For dinner, choose from American staples like chicken-fried steak, ribeye, and chicken quesadillas at the Chisos Mountain Lodge Restaurant. All of the dishes were generously sized and reasonably priced, especially since the Chisos Mountain Lodge Restaurant is the only restaurant within Big Bend National Park. The next nearest restaurant is ~45 minutes outside the park.
Stargazing
Big Bend National Park is one of the best stargazing destinations in the world. Not only is Big Bend an International Dark Sky certified park, it has some of the darkest skies available on Earth. Amateur astronomers use a sky darkness measurement system called a Bortle scale, which ranges from Class 1 (best) to Class 9 (worst, inner-city skies). Big Bend has a Class 1 Bortle rating, the best possible dark sky classification.
Stargazing in Big Bend is spectacular and is worth the trip in itself. The blanket of sky above the mountain basin is saturated with a continuum of stars and bright planets, interrupted only by the shimmering stripe of the Milky Way. The spaces between major constellations, which appear void when viewed from the city, are filled with pinpricks of twinkling light. Although this cosmic beauty is always on display, we seldom see it due to the light pollution at home. It takes leaving the city lights to experience the hidden majesty of the night sky.
Day 2 in Big Bend National Park
Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive
The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive winds through the desert between rocky hillsides towards Santa Elena Canyon. Take your time cruising along this paved road to enjoy the scenery. Keep an eye out for interesting geologic formations and a variety of wildlife like tarantulas, javelinas, road runners, and black bears.
Santa Elena Canyon
The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive ends at Santa Elena Canyon, one of the most well-known features of Big Bend National Park. A short walking path leads from the parking lot to the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon. The dramatic limestone cliffs cradle the Rio Grande, making this a popular paddling destination. To experience the canyon by foot, hike along the Santa Elena Canyon Trail. The 1.5 mile roundtrip trail leads into the canyon along the bank of the river. There may be a water crossing depending on the water levels so water shoes are recommended.
What to Pack for Big Bend National Park
Day Hiking Packing List
- Day Pack
- Hydration Bladder filled with water – The heat in Big Bend National Park can be very intense and many hikes are not shaded. For your safety, be sure to carry plenty of water.
- Sun Protection – Be sure to wear sunscreen, SPF lip balm, and a hat and/or sunglasses. Our favorite SPF lip balm is Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25. It comes with a screw on cap so it won’t melt in your pocket in the Texas heat!
- Food – Salty snacks in particular can help with hydration for hikes in the heat.
- Layers of Clothing – Clothing needs vary depending on the weather. For any weather, opt for quick-dry clothing materials and avoid cotton. Cotton retains water which can make you feel colder in cold weather and make you feel sweatier and cause chaffing in the heat.
- First aid
- Trail Shoes or Hiking Boots
- Trail maps – We recommend printing or taking screenshots of trail maps in case there is no cell service during your hike.
- Trekking Poles – The elevation change is not significant for most of the hikes in this itinerary though we were glad to have trekking poles for the South Rim Loop trail.
Camping Gear Packing List
- Headlamp – A headlamp with a red light option is preferred to make it easier to see more stars. The red light allows eyes adapt to the dark for better night vision.
- Tent
- Sleeping Pad
- Sleeping Bag
- Camp Kitchen
- Camp Shoes
Best Time of Year to Visit Big Bend National Park
Spring and fall are the best times of year to visit Big Bend. The weather during the spring and fall is typically warm and mild.
Summers in Big Bend are very hot so hiking during this time of year is not preferred. Hikers who visit in the summer should be knowledgeable in heat safety.
Winter usually has pleasant temperatures during the day, though nights in the desert can drop below freezing. Winter visitors should be prepared with layers and camping gear suitable for cold nights.
Getting to Big Bend National Park
The closest commercial airport to Big Bend National Park is Midland, Texas which is over 3 hours from the park entrance. From the Dallas – Fort Worth area, the drive to Big Bend National Park is 7.5 hours without stops. We drove to Big Bend from Fort Worth, which took over 9 hours with a quick food stop and some unexpected weather…
Caught in the Storm
Midland and Odessa are the last two major city areas along the drive to Big Bend. From Midland and Odessa, it’s about 3 hours to Big Bend so be sure to fill up on food and fuel here before continuing on. Additionally, there is limited cell signal along route 385 so take the opportunity to CHECK THE WEATHER while you have cell service. We learned this the hard way.
Halfway between Odessa and Big Bend, on a desolate road, miles from the nearest town, we got caught in a powerful hail storm.
It started with rain, then came the lightning and the grass-flattening wind, and, finally, the hail. We continued onward until the hail and rain intensified to the point where we lost visibility and we had to stop the car. As the hail hammered down in the tornado-like winds, we huddled towards the middle of our parked car hoping for the best. There was nowhere else to take cover.
After maybe five minutes of what felt like endless battering and deafening noise, the storm subsided. We had made it, and to our surprise, there was no damage to the car. It was as though the hail blitz had never happened.
We continued on our way to Big Bend with no problems, however, now we always check the weather before driving through remote areas.
Camping & Lodging in Big Bend National Park
For those who prefer not to camp, the Chisos Mountain Lodge is the only lodging option within the park.
For those who prefer to camp, the Chisos Basin Campground, the Cottonwood Campground, and the Rio Grande Village Campground are the three campgrounds within Big Bend National Park. There are options for backcountry camping within the park as well.
We recommended reserving a campsite at Chisos Basin Campground since it is the most centrally located campground in the park and the closest to the park entrance. This area also offers incredible sunrise and sunset views of the Window, a V-shaped opening in the rock rim that forms the Chisos Basin.
Chisos Campground Fast Facts:
- The entrance fee for Big Bend National Park is $20 per vehicle. For those with the National Park Pass, the entrance fee is waived.
- Campsites can be reserved November through May. For the remainder of the year, campsites are first come, first serve.
- Bear boxes are at each camp site to store food and scented items – use them! Big Bend is black bear country.
- Flush toilets and drinking water are available. There are no showers. The only showers in the park are at the Rio Grande Village.
For more National Park trip ideas, check out our National Park travel guide page.
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