Big Bend National Park — Attraction in Manuel Benavides

This park has been on my bucket list for more than 20 years, and after seeing it, all I could say was DAMN! Hiking the Chisos Basin trails, the desert trails, the river trails, it was all so unbelievable. Everywhere I turned, I was literally saying DAMN! And I mean “damn” in a good way. I was just awestruck and flabbergasted with the views and the scenery every time I turned a corner.

On day one of your visit, head straight toward the Chisos Basin near the Chisos Mountain lodge. These trails offer the best views in the entire park. The trailheads all start behind the Basin Store. Stop in the visitor center and get a trail map before you go though - (they charge $1.50 for it).

The Chisos Basin consists of several trails that make up a loop that get you back to where you started. Here’s the path I recommend for the Chisos Basin (most of these trails are rated as moderate to difficult): Start on the Laguna Meadow Trail in the morning, then the Colima Trail followed by the Southwest Rim Trail, then Boot Canyon Trail, then take the Pinnacles Trail and it will loop all the way to where you began. If you have time, you can take a short detour off of the Pinnacles Trail and check out the highest peak in the park - the Emory Trail. But I feel Emory Tail is overrated. The Southwest Rim Trail is only 100 feet lower, but offers more breathtaking views (and fewer people). My recommendation is to do the whole loop, starting with Laguna Meadow in the morning (if you go the opposite direction, the Laguna Meadow trail will be sun baked upon your return in the afternoon). If you start with the Laguna Meadow trail, please be aware that the Pinnacles Trail is almost all downhill when you are returning, and it can be rough for those with knee problems - so pick your poison folks. It will take you about 8 hours for the whole loop depending on your pace and the amount of stops you make.

If you just want to go to Emory Trail, then you should start on the Pinnacles Trail. It’s a shorter distance to Emory Trail, but be warned, it is all uphill to get there.

The Lost Mine trail is also a fun trail, but mostly in the sun. It’s not a loop, it’s an in and out trail for a total of about 5 miles with an elevation gain of 1100 feet. Great views from up here too. Don’t pass this one up!

Desert trails: Boquillas Canyon - this one is about 1.5 miles round trip. It takes you to the top of a cliff where you can see both sides of the Rio Grande. Then you hike down it and you are practically on the banks of the Rio Grande. This one gets hot and there is very little shade.

Rio Grande Village Trail - another short one (.75 miles) but pretty cool. It starts on a bridge that crosses a small marshland area, and then a gradual incline up a hill with good views of the Rio Grande, the Chisos Mountains on the U.S. side, and the Del Carmen Mountains on the Mexican side. This trail is designated as “easy.” But it’s still HOT! Skip the drive out to the Hot Springs Historical Trail. It’s about 1.6 miles round trip with 200ft elevation change - and the hot springs are very disappointing. It’s basically a 15’x15’ concrete box of 105 degree muddy water.

And last, but not least, make sure you check out the Window View Trail at sunset - it’s downright amazing! (it’s only .3 mile and it’s all paved)

Except for camping, there’s only one place to stay and one place to eat within the park; the Chisos Mountains Lodge, and the Chisos Mountains Lodge Restaurant.

Camping spot and room reservations must be made MONTHS in advance. Or you can get really lucky like I did and check for a cancellation the day before you drive out! I swear, this trip was just...

I'm not sure what words would best describe this park, I guess amazing will have to suffice. There was soo much to see and do. I did the Santa Elena Canyon Hike (Definitely Don't miss this). I did the Boquillas Canyon Hike, the Langford Hot Springs, Lunas Jakal and the Window Trail. I would plan at least 2 days to spend here, preferably more. I spent 3 days here. The first day I did the Boquillas Canyon Hike, which was fairly easy and provided some pretty views of the Rio. Afterwards, I left to make camp and get some much needed ice cream, the desert does get HOT. I went in early May, so it was not as hot as it could have been. Ideally I would plan to do this trip in March, April and beginning of May. You can still do it in other months and it would be just as nice, but you might get hot or cold, depending on nature's decision for the day. The second day I did the Santa Elena Canyon Hike, followed by lunch at Lunas Jakal. Santa Elenas Canyon is not to be missed and cooling off at the end of the hike in the Rio is probably the biggest reward, I almost did this Hike twice, because we liked it so much. Be prepared, when getting onto the trail, you have you cross a small section of river to get onto it. I had lunch inside Lunas Jakal(Bring your own lunch) and it was soo nice and surprisingly a great cool off spot. The road to get to it, is a dirt road, my Nissan Rogue easily handled it though. I would not take something on this road that is too low to the ground. I finished up my second day in the park with a short walk to the window view trail, this is a place to see at sunset. Saw lots of deer while on the trail. The third day, I took it fairly easy. I went for a drive early in the morning when it was still cool and visited the hot springs to help my muscles recover. The road to get to the trailhead is narrow, curvy and dirt. Once again my Nissan Rogue was up to the challenge and readily did it. A smaller car can do this road though. Definitely park at the trailhead and then the walk to the hotsprings is short and only .6 from the road. The hotsprings used to be a resort that was abandoned. No idea why, because it was amazing. I went into town after the hotsprings and went to Terlingua Ranch to spend the day at the pool (Pool pass is like $5 pp). I then went to Terlingua Ghost Town to explore and ate dinner at the Starlight Theater. The food was incredible. What you need to know, there is no cell service in any of the area, there is one grocery store and it's in Terlingua, there is wifi at all the visitor centers, plan for extra driving... the whole park is about an hour and a half across. The views the whole way are incredible. I stayed just outside the park in Terlingua, and even though it was close to the entrance, everything is VERY spaced out. Pack maps, print trails and how to get there, add pins on your GPS before leaving your home to visit, download offline maps so you can get to the pinned locations you plan on visiting once you arrive. I did all this and it helped. Pack tons of water, Gatorade and food.. there is food in the visitor centers to buy, but it is limited. Expect to go off grid in a way you haven't...

Big Bend National Park is a hidden gem that offers an unparalleled experience of nature’s raw beauty. I had the opportunity to visit the park twice, with my first trip in March 2024, and my second visit was in December, just in time for the Geminids meteor shower. But this visit focuses on my spring visit to this beautiful national park.

The journey to Big Bend is quite the drive, but it’s one of those rare trips where the journey itself is part of the experience. The open landscapes, scattered with wind farms, provide a beautiful contrast against the vast emptiness of the desert. Once we arrived, the scale and beauty of the park was awe inspiring. The mountains loomed in the distance, and the spring bloom added a stunning splash of color to the otherwise desert-like terrain. The contrast of the colorful flowers against the rugged landscape under the clear blue sky was an unforgettable sight.

The Chisos Basin Lodge, where we stayed, was exactly what we needed. It’s simple, functional, and fits perfectly into the natural surroundings. No frills, just the essentials—a comfortable bed, air conditioning, and a bathroom, with no TV to distract you from the true beauty surrounding the area. Being in the heart of a Dark Skies area was a real treat. With minimal light pollution, the starry sky at night was truly mesmerizing.

One of the highlights of the trip was the hike toward the Window, a popular trail in the park. There was a sign reminding hikers to stay hydrated in this dry environment, as the desert heat can quickly take its toll. We did a partial hike, reaching a lovely overlook, where we sat and watched the sunset. The colors in the sky as the sun dipped behind the mountains were simply breathtaking.

That evening, exhausted from a day of travel and then checking out some of Big Bend, we opted to have a sandwich from the vending machine at the Chisos Basin Lodge. It wasn't fancy, but it was just right after a very long day.

On our second day, we took a scenic drive along Ross Maxwell, which provided yet another perspective of the park’s diverse landscapes. Stopping at different viewpoints allowed us to appreciate the stunning vistas, rock formations, and desert vistas. The Visitor’s Center was a valuable stop—informative and well-staffed by knowledgeable rangers who offered great insights about the park’s history, flora, and fauna. It was also where we found out about stargazing programs, which would have been an excellent addition to our trip had we stayed longer.

Our visit to Santa Elena Canyon was another highlight—its towering cliffs and the winding Rio Grande River created an awe-inspiring scene. The scale and beauty of the canyon left me in awe, and it was the perfect way to end our time in Big Bend.

Although we only had a couple of days to explore, we made the most of our time, checking off some of the park's must-see spots. Big Bend is a place that offers so much more than you could ever experience in a short visit, and it left me feeling deeply connected to the wild, rugged beauty of the Chihuahuan Desert. I’m already looking forward to my next trip to explore even more of what this incredible park...