Brrrrr! Winter has arrived, and I am tired of layering up to go outside. Wouldn’t a trip to someplace warm be great?
Thankfully, relief from the bitter cold is just a day’s drive away – a bit longer if you don’t have someone to share the driving duties. Let’s escape to Big Bend National Park, where temperatures are a warm seventy degrees – and with less than half an inch of rain during February, the sun always shines.
Over 200 miles of breathtaking hiking trails await, but if hiking isn’t your thing, with 100 miles of paved roads and 150 miles of dirt roads, there are plenty of natural scenic views to enjoy from the comfort of your vehicle. Be it on foot, on a bicycle, or in a car, the wildlife viewing opportunities are incredible. Floating is another option, as the majestic Rio Grande River borders 118 miles of the park. Paddling through the deep canyons, visitors have a completely different perspective of the park. And come nightfall, with zero light pollution, stargazing is one of the main attractions.
PLANNING YOUR BIG BEND ADVENTURE
Chisos Mountain Lodge, the only lodging available within the park, is full-service and offers rooms and cottages, a camper store, and a restaurant.
The National Park Service (NPS) operates three developed front country campgrounds that provide drinking water and restroom facilities to RV and tent campers. The park concessioner, Aramark, also operates a full hookup RV camping area.
For those who wish to escape into the wild, the park offers sixty-seven primitive campsites along backcountry roads. A sturdy, high clearance, and usually four-wheel drive is necessary to reach most of them safely. If solitude is what you are looking for, this is your spot.
Visit nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/index.htm for reservations.
THINGS TO DO
Your itinerary will be determined by the duration of your stay. At least three days will allow you to spend a day in each of Big Bend’s three sections, but it will not allow you enough time to fully explore the area’s features.
Section I, a thirty-mile drive winding through the western region of the park called Ross Maxwell Drive, begins at Panther Junction Visitor Center and ends at Santa Elena Canyon. The drive offers several turnouts for viewing popular features: a panoramic view of the Chisos mountain range, Mule Ears rock formation, Lower Burrow Mesa Pour-Off, and others. For those who have time, each stop offers a trail that provides a closer look. The drive terminates at one of the park’s highlights, the Rio Grande River, slicing through a mountain to create Santa Elena Canyon. A short hike offers breathtaking views of the canyon.
Section II is Chisos Basin. Many trailheads are located in the basin for the park’s most popular hikes, Lost Mine, Emory Peak, South Rim, Chisos Basin, and The Window Trail. If you follow a three-day itinerary, choose your trail wisely because there will only be enough time to complete one. But if you have a room at the lodge or campsite at the nearby Chisos Basin Campground, you will be home at the end of your hike.
Section III involves a twenty-one-mile eastward drive from Panther Junction Visitor Center to Rio Grande Village. There are several interesting hikes in the Village area: Ernst Tinaja is a hike up a remote canyon that has several water holes carved into the smooth floor of the canyon, and Boquillas Canyon Trail takes hikers to where the Rio Grande River enters the mouth of the canyon.
However, the main attraction here is the small Mexican village of Boquillas del Carmen. This visit includes a shuttle across the Rio Grande River in a rowboat and then a short donkey ride into town. Upon arriving, visitors usually sit on the terrace of one of the small restaurants to enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine and refreshments. You must have your passport to enter Mexico.
STAY A LITTLE LONGER
Those choosing to stay longer can visit Historic Rio Grande Hot Springs. Soak your tired muscles in the thermal waters of the natural spring, then jump into the bordering Rio Grande River to cool down. You will also have time to schedule a trip to Terlingua, the most famous ghost town in West Texas, where you can grab a plate of chicken-fried antelope strips at the Starlight Theatre Restaurant and Saloon while listening to live music. Stay a week or more, and you will have ample opportunities to experience more of the park’s scenic wonders via the hiking trails. Whether you have three days or longer, Big Bend National Park is a worthy destination for a winter getaway.
For more, visit NPS.gov and VisitBigBend.com.
words BOB ROBINSON // images NPS.GOV
