The first destination in our South Texas Road Trip was Big Bend National Park. Located in a remote part of southern Texas, Big Bend got its name because of its location on the bend of the Rio Grande. It is the 15th largest national park, and one of the biggest in the lower states. I didn’t even know Big Bend existed until I found it as I mapped out our route to southern Texas. In hindsight, our visit to Big Bend was one of our most memorable experiences on this trip.
After enjoying the in park lodging at Zion and Bryce Canyon, I searched and discovered Chisos Mountain Lodge located inside Big Bend. Because of the size, and the distance from the entrance, I do highly recommend staying inside the park. Of course, camping is another option.
Keep in mind that cell service is sketchy. There are warnings and reminders for emergency preparedness, water needs, and sun warnings. The closest hospital is 100 miles north of the park headquarters and response to 911 calls can be slow.
We only had one full day there, two nights. We did very little hiking because of the great road access to key sights and we made the most of the time we had. Below are some of my favorite photos. Our highpoint was Santa Elena Canyon. I did very little research before we arrived, so we just took off driving. We missed a couple of things we would have enjoyed seeing, however, what we did experience was beautiful!
Below is the view as we drove towards Rio Grande Village, located on the east side of the park. The store was open there, but the Visitor Center was not. Three of the park’s Visitor Centers were closed until the peak season starts November 1st.
From the Boquillas Canyon Overlook in the far Southeast part of the park. The Rio Grande:
After we visited Rio Grande Village, we headed to the far west side of the park.
Below is the view of Santa Elena Canyon Overlook. The left side is in Mexico, the right side is in the US. The Rio Grande River runs between the two:
We drove down to where you can access the Santa Elena Canyon Trail, a 1.4 mile round-trip hike. You need to cross Terlingua Creek that runs into the Rio Grande. We observed people crossing the creek to do the hike and in some places it was about waist deep. On the day we went, it was very warm, but access the other side and climbing up the bank did not look like an easy task,
Looking to the left of the canyon below, you can see the Rio Grande continuing to flow south:
Views as we drove along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive:
View of the Chisos Mountain Lodge located in Chisos Basin:
View of The Window, from the Window View Trail (below). The 0.3 mile loop is an easy and beautiful walk. The Visitor Center, small store, lodge, and restaurant are all located in very close vicinity in the Chisos Basin.
Below are a few more photos taken along that loop of the surrounding area:
We noticed a lot of the yellow flowers outside of the park, and in the park as we drove. Butterflies were bountiful and very beautiful to see.
Staying at the lodge inside the park was a fabulous experience. It wasn’t fancy, the bed wasn’t super comfortable, and the water pressure in the shower left much to be desired. But it was comfortable enough, convenient, and with the open windows, the nature sounds lulled us to sleep each night. The restaurant on site provided wonderful food. I had the spinach salad, fried green tomatoes and tea both nights! And there was a lovely view from the restaurant windows.
I am so grateful we discover Big Bend and scheduled the time to visit. The isolation and lack of cell service makes me nervous, so this took me out of my comfort zone. What gave me some comfort was that we saw a lot of other people along the way that I trusted would come to our aid in an emergency 😊
Interesting to note, when I was in the Chisos Basin store, I asked the clerk where employees live. I can’t imagine how they would commute from outside the park each day. We came through Marathon, on the north side of the park. It took us about an hour and 20 minutes to enter the park and arrive at the lodge. There is a store and Visitor Centers at the east end of the road and the west end of the road, quite a distance from any town. We were told there is a housing community located behind the main Visitor Center in Panther Junction (where the Post Office is also located). Panther Junction is located close to the center area of the park.
If you get the opportunity to visit Big Bend, take it! There were other activities that we did not take advantage of, such as a trip across the Rio Grande into Bouquillas, Mexico. Do some research before you go and expect to enjoy a great adventure!
peace of life today 
Looks like you had a great trip, Lisa! It’s a place I’ve always wanted to visit.
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We did! As we plan future road trips we will make sure to explore any National Parks along the way. …already planning our next one 😊I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy it.
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It looks like it would be a great adventure. Thank you for sharing your photos and info.
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Thank you, Anne Marie!
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Big Ben sounds remote and looks spectacular. Sounds like you had a wonderful trip.
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Yes we did, thank you!
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Looks like a wonderful trip! We are thinking of going to this Park. Thank you for sharing!
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Oh, I hope you go! And you will have a great time. I wish I’d read up on it just a little bit more beforehand. I was too focused on next stops at the beach! 😊
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Wow – that’s a gorgeous trip. Your photos are stunning. I enjoyed your recap and your suggestions. I love that you asked where all the employees live. I’d be worried too about the lack of the cellphone connections. On the other hand…we could all use a bit of disconnection from the world of connectivity, can’t we? And what a wonderful place to do so!
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I totally agree with you on the disconnection thing, Shelley! There are hidden treasures to losing your connection with the world craziness!! I especially LOVE listening to nature sounds away from cars and people noise,
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Yes, indeed. 🥰😍🥰 I saw a short video yesterday talking about meditation in the sense that if you’re a worrying type person, internalizing thoughts might not be the best type of meditation, instead, go out side, listen to the sounds of the wind, the birds, the water, etc., that type of meditation is good for introverts who already spend too much time in their own heads. Like you, I LOVE listening to nature sounds – it is so peaceful!
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Would you believe I grew up in Texas but have never been to Big Bend? On my bucket list now.
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For a while now, I look at the map along the route we are taking, and I discover things I didn’t know were there! We’ve only been doing road trips now for about 4 or 5 years (since my husband retired). So adventurous we are!
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Good for you! 😊
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I’m a great admirer of the US national parks system and we try to stay in lodges in the parks whenever we can. This looks like a great option for if/when we make it to Texas. I love your photos, especially of that Window View Trail – this is clearly a landscape I would enjoy photographing too 🙂
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I hope you make it some day! And we almost didn’t stop there, or only for one night. But when I called, they had just one room, and it was available for two nights, and I took it! We are trying to still be a little adventurous as we age 😁
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Sounds amazing! I’ve never heard of Big Bend. I’ll have to explore the next time we make it to Texas! 💛🌟
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Thank you, Collette! It was certainly worth our time, and fun to explore. I was fasinated by the Rio Grande River!
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What an amazing place! Thanks for posting.
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Thanks for reading! …yes, it was amazing!
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I love Big Bend! Sometimes Texas’ natural areas get overlooked, so I’m glad for this blog!
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Thank you! It was a side trip on the way to the beaches and ended up being one of our favorite stops!!
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Thanks for sharing your experiences in this incredible park!
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Thanks for stopping by Matt! It was one of our favorite adventures!
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Thanks for sharing the experience , it was wonderful going through it !!
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Thank you, Neha!
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