Three nights and two days at Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA, turned out to be just right. Far West Texas continued to delight. We were careful to watch the weather as some activities such as visiting the Hot Springs would be more fun with a little sunshine, while others, like hiking, could be managed in a jacket.
Essential to planning is the online Big Bend Paisano Visitor Guide. You can pick up a print copy when you enter the park the first time. Big Bend is very large. It can take half an hour to drive to your trailhead, so planning days specific to the parks different regions really helps. Heads up, though, not all trails marked easy are, in fact, easy. (We had quite the discussion about this in the common room at our lodging.) There are manageable trails, though. Our first hike was Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail. It started at Dugout Wells, an oasis once settled by early pioneers. The Park maintains a working windmill there that pumps several gallons of water each hour. (Click here to open a very short video of the wonderful, squeaky windmill in a new tab.)
The Boquillas Canyon trail, the first photo above, starts with a climb. It’s hard to see in this photo, but since the pandemic, young men from Boquillas, Mexico, ride to the top of the ridge on horse, gallop down the hill on foot, and then leave their souvenirs for purchase on the honor system. They stop in several times during the day to collect any cash. Several Mexican nationals were also on the trail near the river selling tamales and souvenirs. National Border Patrol is familiar with their pattern, and the park is working with the peddlers to move them back across the border, but once established, it’s been hard to reduce this practice.
In addition to the Boquillas Canyon, we made it to the Hot Springs that first day. The drive to the Hot Springs is very narrow and can’t be completed in a really large vehicle or RV. The walk to the springs from the parking lot, once you arrive, is mostly sand. The same Mexican souvenirs are here in several locations. There’s a picnic area along the way, but an organized outfitter had commandeered it for the day. There is very little shade in the park. Carrying drinking water is essential. We carried canteens and kept gallons of water to refill them in the car.
The second day we took a boat across the border into Mexico starting at the Boquillas Crossing. The Port of Entry is staffed Wednesdays – Sundays in the winter. After a brief lecture on what can’t come back over the border, we were on our way down a dirt path to the Rio Grande where a boat was waiting to row us across.
Once on the other side, stables of horses and mules were available to carry you to town. Tom took the mule. I took the optional pick up truck. Both were inexpensive, and were supposed to be round trip, but we learned that if you didn’t stick with the guide you were assigned, then you were on your own for the return. We walked back after lunch. It was about a mile along a sandy path. Not too bad.
Having spent a lot of time in Central America, we were confident that we’d be able to navigate the very small town on our own. The guides shuffle you to specific restaurants and vendors based on family ties. We just wanted to roam. Boquillas, Mexico, is really tiny. We were fine. The boat was $5 per person round trip. The mule was $5 and the truck $8. Lunch was about $10 each. But the experience? Well that was priceless. I just can’t imagine Big Bend without this excursion.
(Just a note, there was also to be a $3 per person fee at the Mexico side to keep the small town going, but we didn’t have anyone collect it.)
Essentials for this unique experience: 1) Your passports. 2) Plenty of dollars in small bills. 3) A sense of adventure. You’re visiting according to their rules, so you simply adjust.
Upon return, we had a virtual meeting with Border Control in El Paso where you scanned your passport and smiled for the camera as the remote agent verified your identity. Masks were required inside the Port of Entry building, but likely won’t be necessary by the time you visit.
The weather continued to cool on that second day. After lunch in Mexico, we took a drive to the Chisos Basin. This area in the park is known for its campground, but also surprises by being very green in sharp contrast to the desert surrounding it. Described as a “climate island” by the park ranger, the area also has bears and mountain lions not found in the other parts of the park.
The final drive for the day was the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive all the way to Saint Elena Canyon. Part of the trail at the canyon was starting to flood from the Rio Grande. Wet weather had moved in to the west. We were still dry, though, and really enjoyed the fascinating geology on the drive. My inner ten year old, who had never seen a rock she didn’t want to take home, was happy here. I didn’t pocket any of the rocks, though. That’s against the rules!
Signs along the road throughout the park explain the various unique features and are always worth your time. There are many who bike these long interior roads, too.
That night the weather turned and we found ourselves in a snowy desert. I would liked to have been around a few days later when flowers bloomed from the moisture, but we were expected back in the Dallas area to catch a flight north. Plans changed when we saw that a stay in Abilene would be a good idea as the roads between Abilene and Dallas were mostly iced over. Plans changed a second time once we saw the next week’s weather for Brookfield, WI.
One of the greatest advantages to travel in the two years of the pandemic is the opportunity to cancel flights and bank the funds. We spent that evening in an Abilene hotel booking instead a week to Tampa, Florida, February 9th through the 16th. And I’ll tell you all about it soon.
I have to catch up on this blog before we head to Greece. Did I mention that we love to travel?
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