The Best Kept Secret - Big Bend
If you think Texas is all just flat and brown, you haven’t been to the Big Bend area. With both a national park and a state park right next to each other, it is a place full of history and radical terrain. Big Bend National Park is not visited that much despite its massive size and ranks as the 36th most visited of the national parks. Whether you come from the east, the north or the west, you are going to be driving for a while to get there.
Source: BIBE Plan Your Visit
Being a Dallasite, I know it best from the east. You can make the 8 hour drive from Dallas a fun day by stopping at the Monahans Sandhills State Park. These sand dunes are not the massive ones you find in other places, but they are right off of I20. I recommend bringing one of those round discs that are usually used for sledding. The top off of a plastic tub doesn’t really work, and you will probably break it. I speak from experience here.
Zoe and I “riding” the Monahan Sand Dunes
If you are up for a detour go out to Marfa and Alpine, TX to see what an artist community looks like in the deep red state of Texas. I highly recommend Front Street Books in Alpine, TX. You can touch and feel the books, check out recommendations from the staff and get first hand advice on what to read next. And plan your trip to hit Marfa Burrito for breakfast tacos. Be sure to check their hours as they work on their schedule, not yours.
After Marfa and Alpine, it’s time to get focused and make the last push to Big Bend National Park. Settle in because there is not much to see except dust storms and tumbleweeds until you get to the park. The park though is an epic place, full of history and beauty. It is the largest protected space in the United States. Geological research has shown that there are archeological sites dating back 10,000 years in the park. The park is on the border of the US and Mexico, and you can see Mexico or even get some genuine Mexican tamales if you have an adventurous appetite.
If you want to dig in to learn more below are some links you will want to check out:
While there are many ways to experience Big Bend. With its more than 100 miles of paved roads plus unpaved roads, you can drive for hours and see only a portion of it. (Note: Fill up with gas before you get to the park and never let your tank get below 50%. I have been hypermiling in a 15 passenger van out there. It is not a relaxing way to enjoy the scenery!)
Of course the best way to explore the park is under you own power on foot. Getting deep into the mountains and canyons gives you the chance to immerse yourself in the deep geological and anthropological history of the park. The red rock spires and canyon walls are so close it feels like you are just another of God’s creatures looking for your next meal or adventure.
Natalie and Corey soaking up the beauty of Big Bend National Park
There are over 150 miles of trails in Big Bend National Park. You could spend weeks exploring the trails and if you add in the backcountry, it would take years to see all of it. Below are some of my favorite trails and places to visit:
The Window:
Natalie in front of The Window.
In the center of the park in the Chisos Basin, the window is an impressive demonstration of the power of water to carve through rock. The culmination of the trail is the walk down a tight canyon where the water has carved its way through the rock to eventually a cliff that looks out on the plains below. There are basically two ways to get to this point. You can start at the visitor center and have a leisurely 3+ mile walk downhill and then turn around and hike out. This route is well known and easy to follow. It also has a healthy amount of traffic. My preference is to start to the west of the window and hike up from the backside. If you look at the right times you can see the window up above, and you are likely to be alone for most of the hike. This hike is 8.8 miles with 3,700 ft of ascent. After the window you can either hike on to the visitor center if you have transportation for a thru hike or return back to the west trailhead. If you decide to go to the visitor center, you will be missing the fun downhill on the return.
Blue Creek:
If you want to be enveloped in the beautiful canyons and cliffs of Big Bend hike the Blue Creek trail. It starts just off the main drag of Ross Maxwell Scenic Dr. and goes east. You will quickly come across the Homer Wilson Ranch which is a great way to experience the days when the area was still wild. From there you can go as far as your feet will take you. If you want to do the big loop you can hike Blue Creek, Pinnacles, Juniper Canyon and Dodson Trail for over 30 miles and almost 7,000’ of elevation gain. Just remember that it just gets hotter in that area. Unless you are going to camp for the night, you need to turn around before you overcommit yourself.
Emory Peak:
Emory Peak is the high point in the park at 7,800 feet. You can get there from the Chisos Basin visitors center with an out and back 10.4 mile hike with 2,520 feet of elevation gain. This is a good big day out for most people. If you want to bite off something bigger, you can make a loop of it. You descend from Emory Peak back to the main trail and rather than going back you continue to go out and hang out on the ridge to the south for about 5 miles before you start descending back towards the visitor center. If you are up for this longer route, the views are spectacular as you basically get a 360 degree view of the park as far as you can see.
These are just a few of the ways to see the park, and there is also great stuff in the adjacent towns. In Terlingua you can see cemeteries with gravestones from the 19th century. You can experience the wild west by visiting the ghost towns that echo with the past. I highly recommend the Villa Terlingua for an overnight stay. This boutique hotel is a rebuilt mining residence. Cynta, who purchased the place when it was just in ruins, has created a sustainable and unique place that will keep you comfortable and enrich you with the history it holds.
The entire Big Bend area with this parks and towns is a destination you can’t miss. It is full of history and adventure. If you would like to join us for an adventure there, you can check out our all-inclusive trips on our website, TopOutAdventures.
About the Author:
Dave Smithey is the owner and a guide for Top Out Adventures. His passion for the outdoors and people comes from his experiences as an ultra runner and exploring mountains around the world. You can contact him at DaveS@TopOutAdventures.com. He would love to hear about your adventures.