Big Bend National Park map
29.25° N · 103.25° W · Brewster County · 801,163 acres · Central Time
Big Bend takes its name from the turn the Rio Grande makes here, swinging from southeast to northeast around the bottom of Texas. The park covers 801,163 acres of Chihuahuan Desert with a mountain range dropped in the middle of it, and the river forms its entire southern boundary.
The whole park at once. The dark mass in the centre is the Chisos Mountains; the river bends around the southern edge, with Mexico on the far bank.
Where it is and how to get there
There are two paved entrances. Persimmon Gap is the north gate, on US-385 running south from Marathon; from Marathon it is about 40 miles to the gate and about 70 to park headquarters at Panther Junction. Maverick Junction is the west gate, on SH-118 running south from Alpine; that drive is roughly 80 miles to the boundary. A third approach comes in from Presidio on SH-170, the River Road, which follows the Rio Grande through Lajitas and Terlingua and joins SH-118 outside the west gate.
From Marfa the usual route is US-67 to Alpine then SH-118 south, about 105 miles to the west entrance. From Midland and Odessa, count roughly 240 miles by I-20, US-385 and Fort Stockton. There is no interstate within 100 miles of the park and no fuel inside the boundary at most points, so distances here are planned in tank-fulls rather than minutes.
The three parts of the park
Big Bend reads as three separate places that happen to share a boundary. The desert floor sits between about 1,800 and 3,500 feet and is hot most of the year. The Chisos Mountains rise out of the middle of it to 7,825 feet at Emory Peak, cool enough to hold pines and maples. The river corridor cuts through limestone in three deep canyons. Where you sleep in the park largely decides which of the three you spend your time in.
| District | Road access | What is there |
|---|---|---|
| Chisos Basin | Chisos Basin Road, 6 miles of switchbacks off the main park road | A bowl inside the mountains holding the lodge, campground and trailheads; the Window gap frames the sunset to the west, and the South Rim trail runs along the escarpment above the desert |
| Santa Elena Canyon | End of Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, about 30 miles from Santa Elena Junction | The Rio Grande cut through the Mesa de Anguila; sheer walls of roughly 1,500 feet with the United States on the left bank and Mexico on the right |
| Boquillas Canyon and Rio Grande Village | Paved spur east from Panther Junction, about 20 miles | The park's low, warm eastern end; campground and store, a hot spring on the riverbank, and the Boquillas port of entry to the village of Boquillas del Carmen |
| Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive | Paved, from Santa Elena Junction south | The scenic route past Sotol Vista, Mule Ears, Tuff Canyon and the Castolon historic district on the way to Santa Elena |
| Old Ore Road and River Road | Unpaved backcountry, high clearance | Long primitive routes across the eastern desert and along the river between Castolon and Rio Grande Village; no services and no reliable phone signal |
| Persimmon Gap corridor | US-385 inside the park | The northern desert approach, crossing Tornillo Flat and the Dagger Flat turnoff before reaching Panther Junction |
The border and the river
The Rio Grande is the international boundary for the whole length of the park's southern edge, and Mexican protected areas face it on the other bank. The river is small here by the standards of its name; in low water it can be waded in places, which is one reason crossing outside the official port at Boquillas is not permitted. Downstream of the park the canyons continue through the Lower Canyons of Terrell County, some of the most remote river in the state.
Nearby
Terlingua and Study Butte sit just outside the west entrance and hold most of the lodging that is not inside the park. Big Bend Ranch State Park lies west along SH-170 in Presidio County and is larger than any other Texas state park. Alpine is the nearest town with a hospital and a rail stop. The other big desert park in the state, Guadalupe Mountains, is roughly 320 miles northwest.