Texas: Big Bend
Big Bend is one of the coolest, and most remote, places I have been. When I went, we made a 7-ish hour drive from San Antonio in one day to get to the park. If you’re traveling out there, be sure to stop for gas and groceries along the way and know where your last chances are to do so - there are LONG stretches of nothingness, and even the “nearby towns” are very small. As always I strongly recommend downloading your map and directions ahead of time, as service can be very spotty.
On the way from San Antonio, we stopped at the Caverns of Sonora, which had a very cool underground cave tour. Everything was well marked and well lit - I typically don’t like to explore caves but this was really nice. There were also peacocks on the property just roaming around….not sure what to say about that. But there they were.
The park has basically two main roads. Along these roads are lots of places to pull off and see things right from the road. We took this epic picture just once from a side-of-the-road stop, and it’s one of my favorites ever.
We were there at the end of January 2022, and there was a snow & ice storm one night, so we saw some really unique aspects of the park, as many plants were covered in ice and snow the next morning. It was cold, and our experience at Big Bend was probably pretty different from what most people get to see!
Santa Elena Canyon is at the end of one of the main roads through the west side park. This is along the Rio Grande River, and you can walk into the river and stand with one foot in Mexico and one in the USA. It's a long drive into the park, but well worth it. We spent a whole day driving the road to the Santa Elena Canyon and back.
East Side of the Park
We visited Ross Maxwell Scenic drive and the Window View Trail, but this was the “snowstorm day,” and it was incredibly foggy, and we weren’t actually able to see much.
We spent most of a second day driving the other main road in the east side of the park to the Rio Grande Overlook. We met a Mexican man riding his horse through the area, and checking on some small items that people from the nearby Mexican town set out to sell to tourists. This is also near the main border crossing into Mexico if you want to go into the nearby town of Boquillas (we did not do this because of time).
In this same area of the park is the Langford Hot Springs, and it is can’t miss! Literally one of the coolest things! It’s a remnant of an old bath house over top of a natural hot spring, so it’s a big natural hot tub right on the Rio Grande River. There is a brief walk from the parking lot to get to the springs, but trust me, it’s there and it is SO worth the trek. Bring a swimsuit and towel, but if you forget, there were lots of people just in underwear and no one cared. It’s not worth missing this.
Terlingua
The little town of Terlingua outside Big Bend is cute, but there really isn’t much there. This is likely where you’ll stay if you don’t stay in the park. We stopped by a graveyard that was sobering but also interesting. We stayed at Paisano Village RV Park and Inn, which was very nice and perfect for the 3 nights we were there. It was very quiet, but also not totally remote (which would freak me out).
The real attraction (again, CANNOT MISS THIS) was the Little Dipper Food Truck parked in front of the inn. I would think I was crazy if I hadn’t eaten there, but it was no joke some of the best food I’ve had in my life! THE BEST brisket, AMAZING breakfast burritos, AWESOME baked potatoes - it was all so insanely good, and very cheaply priced. Mike and I have already talked about making a trip back to the area just for the food truck.
Be sure to go out on a clear night and check out the stars. According to the National Park Service website, “Big Bend has the darkest night skies of any national park in the lower 48 states.”
When we left the park we were heading to Dallas for a flight home, and stopped at the Monahans Sandhills State Park. It was a good place to make a quick stop and the huge sand dunes were very cool to see (Mike tracked a coyote with his drone) but I wouldn’t say it was can’t-miss.
Big Bend is a very large park, covering over 1,200 square miles. It is also very remote. When we visited in the winter, it was VERY quiet. There were almost no sounds of people, bugs, or city life. There was also no light pollution, so the stars at night were spectacular. Before going, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was an incredible trip. I definitely recommend adding it to anyone’s bucket list!