A quick detour to this memorial site for the famous Judge Bean…read more Visitor center is amazing! Museum and buildings have been remodeled to replicate the street of the "trial". Self guided tour is free and informative. Visitor center has a packet of Texas maps and information. Very knowledgeable staff. Parking is easy and there is room for trailers. Across the street from post office were you can mail the free postcards they give you.

Do not drive pass this Visitor Center without stopping !!! Super friendly Staff in one of the most…read moreimpressive Visitor Centers we have been in. Despite going through renovations on the outside (the Historic Park) it is still worth a stop. They have exhibits and a couple of informative films you can watch. They also have cancelation stamps (like the NP'S) - you just have to ask at info counter. I cannot say enough how helpful & friendly the Staff is and full of information on the area. Pointed out the historic hanging tree & overlook across the street. Only improvement suggestion would be a vending machine with cold drinks.

A very busy visitor center when we were in the park over New Year's, they had a decent amount of…read moreparking but it was very full (apparently New Year's is one of the most popular times for Big Bend, who knew?!). We managed to grab a spot to use the WiFi, grab a stamp for our national park passport books, and check out some of the informative displays inside. This center has quite a few buildings around it, including a place to eat, and the Chisos Basin campgrounds are nearby. The head of the Window Trail is also close, and if you can't park here you can head toward the campground and park at the amphitheater parking (a semi-circle parking lot). No matter what, there are a lot of steps as you descend down into Chisos Basin between the mountains, and you should be prepared to hike back up them at the end of the hike so you'll want to be in decent shape. Always bring water too, and remember you can fill up on water at the visitor center!

Great place to stop for service in the park (like downloading the offline map of the park,…read moreobtaining the weather for the day, making a phone call). It is also only 5 minute drive from the Chisos Campgrounds so it is very convenient. It is also a 5-10 minute walk to see the Window Trail viewpoint and the starting point for many long hikes, so it is a center point of the Chisos mountains area! Just keep in mind the store hours are limited, but there is service 24/7 so you can always stop by for that! Also, the convenient store is right across so you can stop by for snacks, drinks, ice, etc. and the lodge restaurant is walking distance too.

A very small visitor center at the edge of the park, but you can still get a stamp for your…read morenational parks passport book, refresh your maps with the WiFi, use the bathrooms, and refill your water if needed. I think this center is only open when the accompanying camp ground is open so I'm glad we were here over New Year's to get the stamp and learn about the area. This visitor center seems to also cover the 'Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River' National Park, and is located close to a store where you can grab snacks, drinks, and get cash from the ATM if you want to be able to buy any of the souvenirs brought over from Mexico by the locals around Boquillas Canyon and the overlook.

Last chance for supplies! This is the only hint of…read morecivilization before you get to Mexico. The Rio Grande Village Visitor's Center is a place to get your food, camping supplies, or gas before you go out into the wild in Big Bend. At the end of the road leading from Panther Junction, you'll find this last outpost of the National Parks Service. There's really two buildings located within a quarter mile of each other. One is a building with a few informative signs telling you about the mining history of the place, with a few pieces of mining equipment that you can kick and marvel at. They have some signs telling you about the wildlife, how there's turtles, coyotes, and catfish in the area. In the general store, you'll find a laundromat, and gas station. Gas is really expensive here, but what do you expect for such a remote location? It was about 30% more expensive than in town. The park rangers at the general store were rather rude and unhelpful about anything. Me: "Excuse me, I made a reservation..." Ranger: "Not with me you didn't." Me: "I'm just trying to find my campsite" Ranger: "Go look for signs." Me: "Gah." The parking lot is ample, even for a big ol' RV. There's some good info on the signs, and if you run out of food or beer, this place will sell you some more. I was amazed to see that they're importing beer from Albuquerque.

I have a big interest in pictographs and other artworks from out earliest ancestors so I try to get…read moreup close and personal with them anytime I can. Many times the examples are see from quite a distance and out of sight with only pictures or descriptions to see. This park has some of the best up close views of artwork thousands of years old. Think about this for a moment. Some humans painted on cave walls many thousands of years ago and they are still on those cave walls for us to observe today! How remarkable is that? The staff is not the most personable compared to many others I've interacted with but they are very knowledgeable and helpful. There are a number of day hikes available here as well but I only took the guided tour down into the canyon so I can't speak to any of the other hikes available. Overall a good afternoon outing.

My brother and I visited this state park back in July 2019, when the weather was sweltering hot…read more Upon arrival, we opted for the guided tour around the canyon. A park ranger accompanied us to explain the low water of the Lower Pecos River Canyon, the flora, fauna, and loads of history. Our tour guide/park ranger was nice, friendly, and super knowledgeable. I loved seeing all of the pictographs still intact after so many years. My favorite thing about the tour was when shown replicas of what the past inhabitants ate and how they would survive on the land. The rock art was painted on limestone which was easier to preserve for longer periods. My brother and I even camped in the park. The campsites are spacious and private from any neighboring campers. The site we had came with a picnic table, a fire ring, and a designated spot for the tent. If you are into fossils and geology and are a history buff, I would check out this state park. It is one of the coolest Texas state parks. It does not get as crowded since it isn't considered as popular as the others. I loved seeing the fossils embedded into the limestones and seeing so many sotol plants and arid plants thriving out in the weather. Do make sure that you bring plenty of water as the heat is more dry than humid. There is no shade only if you get under the canyon to view the paintings. The hike can be rugged and steep, you may not need trekking poles throughout the walk, but going down the stairs into the canyon can be tricky if you aren't prepared.

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.

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's a an old style motel. Nothing fancy but comfortable bed, hot water (& bathtub! Great to soak…read moreafter hiking) AC is cold & heat is hot. Tiny refrigerator that you plug in at check in but usually works good. Tile bathrooms. If you want modern updated try the place down the road that charges 50-90$ more a night. Here you can still pay with cash if your preference. I've stayed a few times during different seasons. As I said not fancy but good place to sleep. And the guy who runs it is very nice & helpful with any questions you might have.

The place to stay if you are on a traveling budget. Hence Budget Inn…read more Quaint, quiet, & a most friendly & cordial manager named Danny. Treated us like old friends when checking in. Rooms were small, but clean. Comfortable beds, coffee maker in room, TV, all you need for a nights stay. Would have given 5 stars but bathroom seemed small for me.

The people at this hotel could not be more accommodating. I booked a Casita for my husband's…read morebirthday weekend. We had a few glitches upon arrival, but Lacey, the manager, stepped up and made everything great. Thank you for a very enjoyable stay! .

I was working on a film and had a great stay. The staff was wonderful and the owner was amazing …read more The decor and rooms were wonderful and the free breakfast was terrific. Let me put it this way when in Alpine Texas you would be a fool to stay anywhere else. Mike Spradley Set Medic San Diego Ca