Our Top 10 Fun FREE Things To Do in Big Bend National Park! Big Bend National Park is amazing in that if you get tired of the desert, you can drive less than an hour and be in the mountains. Or if you get tired of cactus and brown, simply drive closer to the Rio Grande river where everything turns lush and green. Such a unique eco-system. According to the rangers, it may be the only one in the world. It is also the only national park with a mountain range entirely contained within the national park boundaries – the Chisos Mountains. Spectacular!
Santa Elena Canyon Hike
Everyone hikes to the iconic Santa Elena Canyon and the Balanced Rock. These are the iconic photographs used most often in Big Bend National Park promo materials.
David at Balanced Rock – the icon of Big Bend National Park
However, when most visit a national park (any national park), they barely scratch the surface. According to the rangers at Grand Canyon for example, 95% of visitors never take ONE STEP below the rim. To us that’s almost unbelievable. We spent 10 days at Big Bend National Park and we feel like we barely scratched the surface!
Top 10 “Off The Beaten Path”: Big Bend National Park
Rio Grande Sunset from the Nature Trail at Rio Grande Village Campground
1. Take in the sunset from the nature trail in the Rio Grande Village campground. Or sunset from just above the trailhead at Boquillas Canyon. Both have essentially the same westward sunset view. High above the Rio Grande meandering through the valley and off into the mountains in the distance. Or maybe take in sunsets from both locations!
Boquillas Mexico nestled in the valley
2. Boquillas Mexico US Border Patrol Crossing. May be the only place in the US where you can leave the country in a rowboat, enjoy a “real” Mexican margarita, buy a handmade souvenir and be rowed back to the US. Technically this one is not free – it costs $5 to be rowed roundtrip. But you’re allowed to wade across the Rio Grande, and then it would be free, so I’ve included it anyway!
Hiking to the Hot Springs on a day when it was 105 – to sit in 105 degree water seemed a bit crazy, but …
3. Soak in the Hot Springs … where better to relax in 105 degree water during a 105 degree day? Cool off by wading in the river next to the hot springs/hot tub. Be careful with the depths and current! It was very shallow while we were there.
The view from the top of Lost Mine Trail.
4. Hike a mountain trail – we hiked Lost Mountain Mine trail giving us a totally different perspective on Big Bend National Park than the desert and river oasis.
Desert Ranger Walk, Big Bend Natl Park
5. Take in a Ranger Program/Walk. Unfortunately the Starry Nights program is at the Chisos Basin Campground, high in the Chisos Mountains. Great place to view dark skies, but we opted to skip it because of the narrow winding mountain road leading up to it (and back down well after dark). We did attend other ranger programs – there are an amazing variety of birds, well worth an hour spent at a ranger birding walk. Even the desert ranger talk was fascinating. I love learning new things, especially about the national parks we’re exploring.
Santa Elena Canyon just after sunrise.
6. Sunrise at Santa Elena Canyon. OK, so this one is not off the beaten path, but sunrise is spectacular. And just after sunrise is the perfect time to enjoy the Santa Elena Canyon hike.
Gilberto Luna’s “jacal” — 108 & fathered 50 children here. Must have been a character!
(After this, we drove Maverick Road which is a barren desolate 4 wheel 14 mile river wash drive through the desert to the west entrance to the park – but you do get to see Gilberto Luna’s “jacal” – a low dirt roofed dugout house where a legendary Big Bend character named Gilberto Luna, who subsisted on crops cultivated in a dry wash, fathered more than fifty children, and lived to be 108. Amazing how nice and cool it is inside the dugout house versus the harsh desert outside! Step inside and see for yourself.
Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, Big Bend National Park
7. Drive the Ross Maxwell Scenic Road – Everyone that comes to the park drives the Ross Maxwell Scenic Road. It’s one of the main events. But it is well worth taking a day and stopping at each and every point of interest. We hiked the Lower Burro Mesa Pour-off Trail which was an easy walk. We also stopped anywhere we saw a point of interest plaque.
One hand in Mexico, one hand in the USA. Middle of the Rio Grande!
8. Wade in the Rio Grande! One hand in Mexico, one hand in the United States!
Catching a mouse in the next campsite? The Road Runner! Beep! Beep!
9. Stop, sit quietly & look around. Birds are everywhere. Lots of which we’d never seen before. Be sure to take some time and watch – especially in the campgrounds, Rio Grande Village, Chisos Basin and Cottonwood Campgrounds where the trees attract more birds than elsewhere. Having a bird ID book is helpful. We use the Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America.
Highway 170, River Road winding through Big Bend Ranch State Park
10. Big Bend Ranch State Park. River Road Scenic Drive. We left this to our last day, almost an afterthought which turned out to be a major mistake. Big Bend Ranch State Park is every bit as scenic (maybe more so?) than Big Bend National Park. The scenic drive winds along the Rio Grande in spectacular fashion with vistas around every curve. We wish we would have camped in Lajitas a night or two and spent a bit more time hiking the trails. Be sure to stop at a visitors center – there’s one at each end of the drive – and get a brochure showing the highlights and don’t miss spots on the drive.
Closed Canyon Hike, Big Bend Ranch State Park
The one trail we hiked, Closed Canyon, was easily accessible and I always love a slot canyon. The movie set was fun to explore and scenic as well.
So what were some of your favorite epic memories from your visit to Big Bend National Park? Please comment and share so others can make their must do lists for when they visit Big Bend! Cheers! Jan
2 Comments
Hi Jan. I have a new 1685. What kind or style of trash can do you have inside your camper and what type of paper towel holder would you recommend? I’ve been following you for the past several months and really enjoy all of the tips you’ve shared. Is there any easy way to make up the bed? I’m single, female and not very strong. It took all of my might to get the fitted sheet on the mattress. UGH really hard to do by myself. Thanks
Hi Cathy! Congratulations on the new 1685! We’ve struggled with the trash can issue for years! The first year we owned the trailer we went to the Container Store, to every Camping World we passed and various other places to figure out a trash can. Bottom line is, we finally gave up. We have a smallish rectangular trash can that sits on top of the water heater enclosure in the rear closet. It’s big enough for one days trash, but it’s not a big deal to empty it daily. We use plastic grocery/Walmart bags as trash bags as they fit fairly well over the top (but don’t go all the way to the bottom). At least it’s hidden and I don’t have to look at it!
Sheets? I call washing the sheets my aerobic exercise for the day and yes, it’s an ordeal. I change them all myself too, so I know what you mean about getting that fitted sheet on. It wasn’t as bad until we added a memory foam topper and now it’s even more frustrating. Eventually I do get it though. I just keep telling myself that this is the torture I have to endure for all the rest of the days living in paradise in between. 🙂
Enjoy your 1685!
Cheers – Jan