Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park is located in west Texas and was established in 1944, it is one of the 2 national parks in Texas. The park has activities for all interests, ages, and abilities. Visitation has gone up 50% since 2016 and now has close to 600,000 visitors each year. The busiest times to visit the park are from October to April and during holidays.
The Park is 1,252 square miles of diverse landscape including the Chisos mountain range, part of the Chihuahuan Desert, Santa Elena Canyon, and the Rio Grande. This means you can choose from so many adventures on your visit! Here are just some of the activities you can do at Big Bend:
-Day hikes
-Backpacking
-Kayaking / canoeing
-Biking
-Paved roads to sight see
-Off-roading
-Bird watching
-Horseback riding
-Fishing
Know Before You Go:
Pets are not allowed in many areas of the park (including trails) or through border entry.
Campsites or lodging must be reserved in advance. There are no first come first serve spots.
Some campsite reservations are available 6 months in advance, others are available 14 days in advance at www.recreation.gov
Backcountry use permits are available in person at visitor centers.
There are bears and mountain lions in the area. Bear boxes are provided in campsites. The Big Bend National Park website has helpful bear safety guidelines at: https://www.nps.gov/bibe/learn/nature/big-bend-bear-safety.htm
