Best Things to Do in Big Bend National Park: Hikes, Scenic Drives & More

After spending a full week exploring this park’s vast, wild landscapes, I’ve narrowed down the best things to do in Big Bend National Park so you can skip the guess work and make the most of every mile it takes to get there. Whether you enjoy hiking, biking, driving, or just gazing at the beauty of the natural world, there is something for you in Big Bend.

Activities

We will start with the physical activities since we personally can’t seem to sit still. If you plan on visiting at least three national parks in a calendar year, I would highly suggest getting a National Parks pass to save you tons on entrance fees.

Hiking

There are approximately 200 miles of hiking trails in Big Bend so if a little or a lot of walking is on your favorite things to do list, look no further!

• Easy hike–Santa Elena Canyon: 1.6 mile round trip, 80′ of elevation gain, trailhead is 8 miles west of Castolon on Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive.
  The change in vegetation and landscape that is on display here is amazing. Lush marsh grasses line the Rio Grande (Mexico on one side of the canyon, U.S. on the other) with wispy willows and dusty green pines emerging as if from thin air after miles of desert cactus and scrub brush en route to the trailhead. The best time to hike, sunset, look back at the Chisos mountains painted in desert sunset colors.

• Moderate hike- Upper Burro Mesa Pouroff: 3.5 miles round trip, 500′ of elevation gain, trailhead begins north of burro mesa spur road on Ross Maxwell scenic drive.
  This trail requires a bit of rock scrambling, but nothing too intense. Most of the hike goes through a wash where you can see windows and arches in the rock walls and it ends at a secluded grotto with a hearty drop off from which you can view the canyon below.
  We found ourselves remembering Arches National Park on this hike with its hidden offshoots and unique rock formations. Be sure to bring water, sun protection and salty snacks as well as a jacket if visiting in winter, the wind can be quite piercing.
  *This hike is not on the visitor handout, we found it based on park ranger rec.*

• Strenuous hike – South Rim including East Rim Trail: 14 miles round trip, 2,120′ elevation gain, Chisos Basin Trailhead.
  The south rim hike including the east rim would be a very hearty day hike. We opted to make it an overnight backpacking adventure and added in Emory Peak for a total of about 17.7 miles and 4,394′ of elevation gain.
  There are no reliable water sources on this hike so all water needs to be carried with you. We each carried 5 liters for the overnight and hiked it in January when daytime temps did not exceed 60°F. If you have the time and like a little bit of punishment for a BIG reward, I cannot recommend this hike enough. It was absolutely spectacular, the sunset and sunrise as seen from the east rim and the starry goodnight in this dark sky park will remain in my memory forever.
  *South rim has a nice viewpoint, but east rim stole the show as the trail follows the rim closely, so whether you day hike or overnight, do not miss east rim.*

Biking

• Beginner bike ride: Balanced rock via Grapevine Road, 15 miles biking round trip and 1,060′ elevation gain plus a little 2.2 mile round trip hike to the feature with 80′ elevation gain.

The road to the trailhead is a 4×4 or high clearance vehicle only per the rangers, but we did see two wheel drive vehicles at the trail head. We did not want to rattle the van too much, so we went on our drop bar, rigid frame mountain bikes with 2″ tires and they handled just fine.
It is a chunky ride to the balanced rock trailhead, so we only rattled a couple fillings loose (not really, just jokes) and enjoyed the super fun downhill getting there.

Bikes are not allowed on the trail to balanced rock but it’s a quick trip to the feature by foot. The ride back out is a slow gradual grade, yee haw! Be sure to bring water, sun protection and salty snacks my friends, the desert sun just hits different. The 4×4 vehicles that traverse these roads are very cordial and share it happily with the crazy cyclists chattering away over the rocks.
*Note, Joshua Tree National Park has a super fun bike-to-a-hike like this if you are CA way.

• Bike monster ride: Panther Junction to Rio Grande Village via Glenn Springs road and River Road East 4×4 roads, 36.52 miles, 1,227′ elevation gain.

As I am sure you have gathered from the title of this ride, Eric scouted the route. I dropped him at the Panther Junction Visitor center, he traveled a few miles down the main paved road in the park and then hopped on Glenn Springs 4×4 road where he got to explore areas of the park few others get to experience. Glenn Springs road is definitely a true 4×4 road and so is River Road East that connects. Do not attempt driving on this in something without high clearance and four wheel drive, or by bicycle with specs per below.

As you can see the road is very rugged but offers a great challenge for any gravel or mountain bike enthusiast. Eric rode his full rigid drop bar mountain bike with 2.1″ tires and it handled just fine. He does not recommend going any smaller than a 2″ tire though and did mention that “suspension wouldn’t hurt.”
There are several other 4×4 roads that would make for a challenging bike ride in the park, Old Ore Road, and a massive 168 mile bikepacking loop is on Eric’s “next time” bike ride list.

Scenic Drives and Views

As we have mentioned before, everywhere you look in Big Bend it is just dripping with blissful desert or mountain beauty and it has a gorgeous scenic drive on offer with numerous easy to access view points.

The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive can be accessed by going south at the Castolon/Santa Elena Junction. A trip down this road just before sunset would set you up to end at Santa Elena Canyon where you could take a short hike as outlined above if you are so inclined.

The Mules Ear Overlook is a stunner and definitely needs to be a stop along the way. Tuff Canyon is another quick but gorgeous layover that has three viewing platforms to look down from. If you are feeling extra feisty, you can also enter the canyon for a traipse around like we did and scramble up the rock walls to exit out the other side.

Sam Nail Ranch and Homer Wilson Ranch offer historical factoids for any history buffs and are easily accessed from the Scenic drive as well.

If traveling in a vehicle under 20′ I would also recommend a trip to the Chisos Basin, the drive into the mountains is beautiful and from the visitor center parking lot you can go on a short .3 mile walk to the Windows view. It is amazing to see the desert and then the mountain region of the park in contrast to the areas near the Rio Grande, so many ecosystems all in one place. Big Bend is definitely not a one trick pony.

Best time to visit

We are slightly biased of course because we had such an amazing time when we visited in January but I will explain some of the pros and cons of the best times to visit.
I will say, it seems everyone agrees summer is not an option here. The heat is so intense and unbearable you wouldn’t really be able to enjoy the park in the summer, even some of the visitor centers close during this scorching time.

Winter: December-Early February

We visited in winter (mid January) and there were lots of things to love about visiting during this time of year.

Pros: There were not a lot of people, the temps were between 50-60°F during the day, some nights dipped below freezing but it was manageable in a camper/van, and the day time temps were spot on perfect for hiking and biking. It also made a trip to the hot springs a delightful treat.
Cons: Not a lot of flowering vegetation, this is dormant time for most plants which I guess really only matters for plant nerds like myself (the desert is still break your heart beautiful even without flowers though), and not a lot of critters. We love a good critter sighting but besides a deceased tarantula, a couple of road runners and a fox, we did not see a lot of animals.

Spring: Late February-April

Spring is the busiest time of year in Big Bend National Park. If fighting the crowds doesn’t bother you, then this is the time to visit.

Pros: Visiting in the spring, particularly March-April will give you a look at the desert in bloom which is an amazing gift. Animals are more active at this time of year so critter sightings would be more plentiful. Did you know that Big Bend has bears and mountain lions as well as wild horses?
Cons: March, due to spring break, is the absolute busiest time of year and campsites fill quickly and up to 6 months in advance. More people means less parking at trailheads too, so you could miss your most anticipated hike if a spot isn’t available. Temps are going to be fairly mild although hotter during the day (up around 80°F) so more water would need to be carried while hiking/biking, heavier load definitely a con.

Where to stay

There are several campgrounds within the park boundaries and one lodge in the Chisos Mountains. Additionally there are options outside of the park but since it covers a very large area, additional drive time would need to be taken into account.

Campgrounds

There are three campgrounds in the park as well as some back country campsites for overnight hiking and a few 4×4 accessible only sites that can be procured through the backcountry camping section of rec.gov.

• Chisos Basin Campground-This campground was experiencing a water pump failure when we visited, but is one of the most popular campgrounds due to the proximity to many trailheads in the Chisos Mountain Basin.
• Cottonwood Campground– A quiet campground with the cleanest pit toilets I have ever had the opportunity to use in my life.
• Rio Grande Village Campground– We stayed a few nights at this campground, be warned, there are areas you can use generators here so be sure to avoid if you don’t like the sound of an engine running!
• Backcountry Campsite Permit– To do an overnight hike like the one we noted above, you will need to secure a backcountry permit where you will reserve the campsite you would like.
  There are also campsites only accessible by 4×4 vehicle (or the right bicycle) on this list if that is more your jam than walking. Be sure to look at the map on the booking website to confirm where you want to camp and how you can get there.
• Chisos Mountains Lodge– This is the only hotel-esque option within the park boundaries. It is run by an outside company and unfortunately will be closing in April of 2026 for renovations, so book your stay quickly before it is closed.
  *The restaurant is closed currently but there is a food truck that operates daily from the Chisos Basin that serves up some enourmous portions of breakfast and lunch*

Lodging outside the park

Big Bend is a HUGE park and it is not really close to anything. I guess they aren’t lying when they say everything is bigger in Texas.
Terlingua is the closest town where a variety of accommodations are available.
To help put it in perspective, from Terlingua it is 41 minutes to Panther Junction visitor center, 48 minutes to Chisos Basin trailheads and 1 hour 6 minutes to Rio Grande Village. Below you will find a luxury, mid range and eco option for lodging that I would recommend if you want to stay outside the park.

• Luxury: If you made the trip all the way to south Texas, spring for a luxury stay at the Ghost House, a unique one bedroom “cabin” in the nearby Terlingua ghost town. It offers an outdoor fireplace and a modern interior with wifi as well as a mirrored exterior.

• Mid-range: Give the Chisos Mining Company Motel a try. They offer wifi, rooms with kitchenette and air conditioning, if visiting in the warmer months this is a must. You won’t find much signal in the park so taking advantage of the wifi is recommended for planning your day before entering the park.

• Economical: An economical and eco-friendly option can be found at Sanadora-Organic earthen domes. They offer a unique and peaceful lodging option with shared bathroom facilities and one of a kind earthen, sound proofed rooms.

The Wrap Up

There are so many things to do in Big Bend National Park, this post has barely scratched the surface. It is my hope that this has been a helpful guide, showing a smattering of all this incredible park has to offer.
I never personally thought I would have so many good things to say about one of the least visited National Parks but it’s impossible not to love this place.
Interesting tidbit, Big Bend is one of the least visited National Parks but it is one of the most revisited. It has desert views, mountains, hiking, biking, hot springs, history and scenery for days, what more could you ask for? Do yourself a favor and get on over to Big Bend before word gets out!