My husband and I made a trip out to Big Bend National Park before the Texas summer heat.....but it…read morewas unfortunately unseasonably hot this year. The dessert was beautiful and the park as a whole was very well taken care of! Old Mine Trail: Since we went around "Spring Break", the parking lot was very busy and spaces were limited. I would recommend downloading the "All Trails" app to gauge how busy the trails are. By 7:30, all the spots in the small parking lot were already taken. The trail itself was very well managed. Although the parking lot was busy, the trail was not bad! We were pretty spaced out between hikers! Take lots of water and snacks! The views up top are spectacular. Star Gazing: We were at Sotol Vista (for panoramic stars). The stars were especially beautiful inside the park because there was no light pollution (aside from the headlights from passing cars down below us).

I once hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and spent a few nights camping down there. While…read moredown there, an elderly man easily every bit of 70 years old asked me if it was my 1st time down at the bottom. I told him that it was and asked him if it was his 1st time. He chuckled and said, "No this is my Sanctuary". After my 3rd visit to Big Bend in 12 years, I think Big Bend may be my sanctuary. Big Bend is in the middle of nowhere. You do not just stumble upon Big Bend; it is a planned destination. You won't find a Gatlinburg like town next to it or an exit sign off the interstate saying 8 miles from here. It's miles from anything. The type of place you don't pass a gas station, and you carry a case of water in the vehicle. We have hiked various trails before and canoed Santa Elena Canyon, but I will focus on the trails we hiked this visit. Note: I have only done day hiking here, so no Insite in this review about backpacking although I would love to at some point. We started off at the visitor's center at Panther Junction as everyone should do in my opinion. Rangers can give you up to the minute updates like telling us the Hot Springs road was still closed because of a flood this past July (2025). She said we could still hike it but it would add an additional 4 miles (2 each way) to our trip. Good Insite. Our 1st hike was a short one in Boquillas Canyon. It was a short 1.4-mile round trip up a small cliff and back down to the Rio Grande river. It was an extremely easy hike that anyone who can walk can do. we then did a forementioned Hot Springs hike. This is a very cool spot with old, abandoned buildings from a time when the area was a resort. There is still a hot spring alongside the river that had people soaking as we walked past. The only downfall of the area was it still hadn't been repaired since the flood, so picnic tables were under sand, and I don't want to tell you what the bathroom looked like. The next day we did the Window Trail and it's a 5.6 miles hike right in the middle of the Chisos Basin. This one was I guess I would call moderate, but I am also an overweight old fart. It's really not bad except if it's hot out because you will be in the direct sun and the small number of switchbacks on your return trip. Other than that, the views are gorgeous. Just don't slide off the rocks at the "window", it's a long way down. The last hike we did was the Grapevine Hill's Trail aka The Balanced Rock. This one is a little more challenging to get to as you have to drive miles down a dirt road that is a little rocky. You don't need a 4-wheel drive, just don't be a speed demon. The hike itself is short, 2.2 miles each way and 95 percent of it is easy. The last little bit is a rock scramble up to see the balanced rock. It is worth it. Amazing views. We had the whole area to ourselves for most of the hike but saw lots of people on the way back so go early. Big Bend is amazing but requires some planning. Don't wing it. Bring lots of water and be smart. Cell service is limited but a lot better than 13 years ago.

Erin and Eric were great guides! The whole experience was a joy. The guides were knowledgeable and…read morefunny, and experts in shepherding a group of people who varied wildly in their boating experience. You could tell the owners and guides had a passion for what they do! Eric told great and humorous stories on the drive to the put-in, and we learned a lot about the area. Ditto on the return trip. The float was a hoot, and the scenery incredible. We did a half-day trip, but we felt that the time just flew by. Next time we'll do a whole-day trip for sure. They also gave great recommendations on food and other trips in the Terlingua/Big Bend area. This is a well-run operation, and everything went smoothly. We give our strongest possible recommendations! Don't miss this adventure!

We had an amazing time!! All our guides did an outstanding job and were exceptionally…read moreknowledgeable. You can truly tell they love their jobs and their excitement rubs off on you. It was a treasure to experience this beautiful landscape. Highly, highly recommend. If you come all the way to Big Bend, please do the river trip.

It was a long shot, but I dropped by because I'd broken my front brake hours before leaving for a…read moretrip where I planned to MTB for several days in Lajitas and the State Park. The owner found a used 4 piston brake in the back that got the job done and sold it to me for more than a fair price. But tangent to that, he volunteered a wealth of knowledge about the local trails. A true enthusiast of his trade.

Knowledgeable steady source of equipment for the adventures of a lifetime. Kind good humored chill…read morefolks.

This is a beautiful sunrise hike (which is when I did it). It's a fairly quick hike in my book;…read moretook me about an hour and a half to get to the top? It's not too steep but there are a decent number of switch backs. The view was lovely; not as lovely as Emory peak in my opinion but I really enjoyed even the views along the way, especially at the saddle right as the sun was coming up - the colors of the sunrise were absolutely incredible. Overall if you're short on time and can't do south rim for eg, this is a lovely shorter alternative.

Great hike! The views are unbelievable. It'll take about 3 hours or so but it's not too steep or…read moredifficult. Well worth checking out!

The hike to Emory peak is iconic and stunning. You get an amazing view of the window along the…read moretrail, and from the top you can see all the way out to the south rim - it's like you really can see forever. The hike is fairly moderate up until you get to the scramble at the very end, which really does require using your whole body - arms and legs. The climb up really isn't all that bad, but coming down was a little bit tricky, even if just because it's easy to forget the path down and there's only one or two feasible options for a normal sized human. That said - I would recommend making the climb to the very top. It's a narrow area, just a few boulders wide - I'd guess that 15 people or fewer can actually fit up there at one time, and that would be standing close to one another. Overall: if you're going to do one long hike in big bend, I would say this should be it. You can do the whole thing round trip within 4ish hours if you walk fast, or take your time and spend longer. But seriously, you cannot beat the views.

Good hike. A bit strenuous, but worth it…read more But, if I had to choose between the South Rim, and Emory Peak, I would go for the South Rim. It's longer, not quite as strenuous, and more scenically diverse. Seeing the Rio Grand, from the South Rim, was amazing, but this is the Emory Peak page. If the South Rim had it's own Yelp page, I would go 5 stars! Once you get to the top, you are rewarded with a pretty good view, and cell phone coverage. At least we had it on two different networks. So get that selfies stick out, and watch your step. If you are aggressive, fast, and start early, you could probably do Emory and South Rim in the same day. Heading to the South Rim takes you to the path for Emory Peak, but it will add several hours. We did not start terribly early, so we just did a quick out and back, from the Chisos Basin Campground ( https://www.yelp.com/biz/chisos-basin-campground-big-bend-national-park ), which is where we were camping. Bottom line: If your pressed for time, I would skip it. Since we did South Rim, I would rather have seen more of the park, but hiking to the tallest spot in the park was pretty cool! PS. Review is a bit late. We were in early March, 2018.

Big Bend Ranch State Park tends to get overlooked when compared to its big brother Big Bend…read moreNational Park. I myself was guilty of this (and still am to some extent) on my 1st 2 visits to the region. On this 3rd visit, I made it a point to spend a day in the State Park. However, I only explored the river road section from Lajitas to Presidio. I didn't go deeper into the more mountainy region of the park. Here are some of the points I explored. Barton Warnock Visitor's Center- This is where you pay your fee to enter the park, if you aren't stopping to see things then you don't have to pay. It's only like 5.00 per person so don't be a cheapskate. There is a gift shop to get your refrigerator magnet or t-shirt plus a little garden area and small museum about the region. Contraband Movie set- This is about 45 minutes down the scenic river road from Barton Warnock VC. Beware of free-range cattle! It's just a little place to stretch your legs and check out a few buildings used for filming a few B-movies. Plus, there is a few picnic tables if you want to eat by the river. Closed Canyon Trail- 15-20 minutes from Contraband Movie Set. This was the highlight of the day for me. It's only like a 2-mile round trip hike over mostly flat ground through a gorgeous canyon. The canyon is much much cooler (temperature not hipness) than outside the canyon. There is a little (really little) rock scramble to get over before there is a sign that just says, "The end". Hoodoos Trail- This is only about 5-10 mins from Closed Canyon, so we did it on the way back from Presidio. The Hoodoos is said to be a 1.1-mile roundtrip trail but it's all open so there is not a real defined trail that I could see. So you can just walk around the cool looking rock formations and Rio Grande river and take in the nature. There is also a drive-up overlook if you don't want to walk Fort Leaton State Historic Site- 30 mins from Hoodoos. Cool historic fort that wasn't for military use. It was just a family who wanted a spot along the route to El Paso to sell goods and protect his family. Cool place to walk around and take pictures and learn about the region in a different time. Highly recommend the ride from Lajitas to Presidio. Plenty of points of interest along the route and places to grab a bite once in Presidio. Next time I will make may way more into the interior of the park.

Big Bend Ranch State Park is rugged, remote, and absolutely stunning. With dramatic canyons, vast…read moredesert landscapes, and abundant wildlife, it offers a true backcountry adventure. Less crowded than the national park, it's perfect for hikers, photographers, and solitude seekers. Be prepared this is wild Texas at its finest.

My family had a great experience exploring and learning about Big Bend with Hidden Dagger…read moreAdventures. We definitely recommend this outfitter. We plan to use them when we return.

HIdden Dagger Adventures provided the programming for a small, challenging level Road Scholar group…read moretrip to Big Bend. Joe and team were excellent guides -- leading us on hikes, sharing knowledge of the terrain, wildlife, history, and their lived experience in this beautiful part of the country. The team members are not only knowledgeable, but kind, accommodating, and enjoyable to be with.

A great way to spend a day in Big Bend! Our original goal…read morewas rafting but due to the low level of the Rio Grande, we ended up in canoes instead. John was our guide down the river and we had so much fun! We stopped by the hot springs for a swim before eating lunch. Then John took us on a short walk to see the remains of an old resort and hieroglyphics on the walls of the cliffs. Our trip then continued down the river through a series of rapids and into the canyons. John was great at pointing out wildlife and other points of interest along the way. We also enjoyed seeing the horses that come up on the side of the river that borders Mexico. If you have more than one day to spend in Big Bend, I highly recommend taking a trip down the Rio Grande with Big Bend River Tours. If you are lucky enough to get John for your tour guide, then you are guaranteed to have a great float!