Big Bend National Park

Overview

There is a place in Far West Texas where night skies are dark as coal and rivers carve temple-like canyons in ancient limestone. Here, at the end of the road, hundreds of bird species take refuge in a solitary mountain range surrounded by weather-beaten desert. Tenacious cactus bloom in sublime southwestern sun, and species diversity is the best in the country. This magical place is Big Bend...

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

What to see and do

Activities

• Auto and ATV
• Scenic Driving
• Astronomy
• Stargazing
• Biking
• Camping
• Backcountry Camping
• Food
• Guided Tours
• Self-Guided Tours - Walking
• Self-Guided Tours - Auto
• Hiking
• Backcountry Hiking
• Front-Country Hiking
• Paddling
• Canoeing
• Canoe or Kayak Camping
• Kayaking
• Junior Ranger Program
• Wildlife Watching
• Birdwatching
• Park Film
• Shopping
• Bookstore and Park Store

Browse hiking, biking and paddling routes on AllTrails

Plan your visit

Hours

Big Bend National Park: Big Bend National Park is always open. You can enter and exit at any time of the day or night. Park entrances are open 24 hours daily, all year.

Fees and passes

• Entrance - Private Vehicle — $30.00
• Entrance - Per Person — $15.00
• Commercial Entrance - Motor Coach — $200.00
• Entrance - Non-commercial Groups — $30.00
• Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus — $100.00
• Commercial Entrance - Sedan — $25.00
• Entrance - Motorcycle — $25.00
• Annual Entrance - Park — $55.00

The America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees at federal recreation lands across all four agencies.

Getting there

Several highways lead to Big Bend National Park: TX 118 from Alpine to Study Butte or FM 170 from Presidio to Study Butte (then 26 miles east to park headquarters) or US 90 or US 385 to Marathon (then 70 miles south to park headquarters). Distances between towns and services are considerable. Be sure you have plenty of gas, food, water, and supplies for your trip. There are no electric vehicle charging stations in Big Bend National Park. The closest EV charging station is 130 miles away in Fort Stockton.

Visitor centers

• Chisos Basin Visitor Center
• Castolon Visitor Center
• Persimmon Gap Visitor Center
• Panther Junction Visitor Center
• Rio Grande Village Visitor Center

Campgrounds

• Chisos Basin Campground (56 sites) — reserve
• Rio Grande Village Campground (93 sites) — reserve
• Cottonwood Campground (22 sites) — reserve
• Rio Grande Village RV (25 sites) — reserve

Weather

Big Bend is in the Chihuahuan Desert. Sunshine is abundant year-round. Spring (March) is typically warm and pleasant and is the park's busiest season. Summer heat begins in May. It is extremely HOT. Temperatures vary greatly between the desert which is usually well above 100 degrees F by late morning, and the Chisos Mountains, which can be 10-15 degrees cooler. May - August are the hottest months. Fall and Winter (Nov-Feb) are mild and pleasant, but some freezing does occur. Snow is rare.

Phone: 432-477-2251

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

Pair it with

• Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River NPS · 68 miles
• Blackwell School National Historic Site NPS · 84 miles
• Fort Davis National Historic Site NPS · 98 miles
• Amistad National Recreation Area NPS · 130 miles