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5 Incredible Hikes in Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park was my 27th U.S. National Park that I visited and it honestly surprised me. I had been to a lot of cities in Texas and even visited Guadalupe Mountains National Park years ago, but never in this area of Texas. So, lets get into the 5 best hikes in Big Bend National Park (in my opinion).

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Best Way to Get to Big Bend National Park

I found that the best way to get to Big Bend National Park was to fly into El Paso and drive the +5 hours to Big Bend National Park. Yes this National Park is quite isolated, which is why it has taken me sometime to get to it (and I assume for others as well). This National Park is at the U.S./Mexico Border so after flying into El Paso airport, we rented a car, and started our drive. We did stop to grab food since the closest town is a couple of hours away, they do have some small stores, but they have the bare minimum. I actually got a cold while at the Park and ended up spending $33 for Dayquil and NyQuil (so if you want to save money and time – grab food and drinks beforehand). Cell service is spotty, we had okay service at the visitor service to check in with loved ones, but at the campground, nothing (so also keep that in mind!). There is also a gas station in the Park.

Best Time to Visit

This is a desert, so I would recommend avoiding the summer months, the average temperature (Fahrenheit) is low to high 90s from June to August (the hottest months); however, this varies greatly due to the changes in elevation throughout the park. Some areas will be well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The rainy season is from May to September, but the best season, in terms of weather, is Spring (March and April being the best). If you do visit in Spring, be aware that this is the busiest season to visit. I opted to visit in the winter time – which was pleasant, but the nights were high 20s/low 30s while we were camping. Around the holiday is busy (Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks).

What to wear

If you are visiting during the winter months, like me, I brought layers since we were also camping and hiking early in the morning. I brought sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat, along with a puffy jacket, beanie, swim suit (for the hot springs), leggings, etc. Here is a list of items I brought:

Where to stay?

There are four campgrounds in Big Bend National Park: Chisos Basin Campground, Rio Grande Village Campground, Cottonwood Campground, and Rio Grande Village RV Park. All the front country campgrounds have drinking water and toilets. Wood fires are NOT allowed anywhere within the Park, charcoal fires in grills (above ground only) and liquid fuel are allowed. We stayed at Cottonwood Campground, which was an ideal spot, but keep in mind we had to drive 2 hours round trip for some hiking trails (this National Park covers 801,163 acres of land). If you’d rather not camp, there is the Chisos Mountain Lodge which is located right by the Chisos Basin Visitor Center.

How Long Should I Visit For

Including travel, I had planned out 3 full days of adventuring around Big Bend National Park, but this was hiking multiple times a day, if you want a more relaxed trip then I would definitely recommend staying 7 days or so. It’s very dependent on how much hiking/sightseeing you want to see, personally I felt like 2 travel days and 3 days of adventure was enough, but 4 days would have been even better.

5 Best Hikes in Big Bend National Park

1. Santa Elena Canyon

  • 1.6 miles, roundtrip
  • 219 feet of elevation gain
  • 41 minutes average time to complete
  • Bathroom at TH
  • No Dogs Allowed
  • Kid Friendly
  • Small Parking Lot

We wanted to hike this trail right before sunset to get the beautiful light in the canyon. When we arrived in the parking lot, it was full and people were parking along the road in, but we managed to snag one as someone was leaving. This trail starts on a boardwalk and opens up to the Rio Grande river where right across the way is Mexico! We veered left and crossed the stream, which was a couple inches in depth when we visited, we had our waterproof hiking boots on and just walked right through. You can opt to walk on the rocks people have placed. We went up the switchbacks and down into the canyon. It was fairly busy, but we waited about 20 minutes and we had the place to ourselves. This was quite the experience and definitely a must do hike in Big Bend National Park.

2. Boquillas Canyon

  • 1.2 miles
  • 229 feet of elevation gain
  • 34 minutes average time to complete
  • Kid Friendly
  • No Dogs
  • Bathroom at TH
  • Decent sized Parking Lot

We started early in the morning on this trail, we were the first people in the parking lot. It starts with an incline and gradually descends down into the canyon. This is another short, but beautiful hike. There were 5 groups of people that passed us while we were there taking photos (we do take hours usually at a place). However, around lunch time, it was very busy. Also, keep in mind that buying anything from the vendors is illegal. We had passed a lot of beautiful items (no venders were present) on our way in and on our way out there were two men trying to sell food – so just that you are aware this is illegal.

3. Lost Mines

  • 4.8 miles, roundtrip
  • 1,131 feet of elevation gain
  • 2.5 hours average time to complete
  • No Dogs
  • Did not see at Bathroom at the TH
  • Very Popular Trail

This was our first hike in Big Bend National Park and since we drove into the Park at nighttime, this was our first glimpse (it was very exciting). We woke up early and started just before sunrise, and it was an absolutely gorgeous sunrise. 10/10 would recommend hiking this for sunrise. We were exhausted from driving from El Paso and getting to camp so late, but we knew we had to hike this for sunrise. If you have minimal time in the National Park, definitely put this one on your list.

4. Window Trail

  • 5.5 miles
  • 961 feet of elevation gain
  • 2.5 hours average time to complete
  • No Dogs
  • Bathroom at TH
  • Visitor Center at TH

Another hike we did during the evening time, it was extra chilly this day so we layered up and started just on the other easy trail that is family friendly with views of the Window from afar. Then we circled back and descended down on the Window Trail. The sunset was really making all the colors pop this evening, we barely passed anyone on our way there and back. This was our last sunset hike and we were glad we saved this one.

5. Emory Peak

  • 9.8 miles, round trip
  • 2,493 feet of elevation gain
  • No Dogs
  • Camping

If you are looking for something more challenging, Emory Peak is the perfect trail. This is the highest peak in Big Bend National Park, keep in mind that it is a scramble up a sheer rock wall the last 25 feet. If you also want to avoid the crowds, this is the hike for you with panoramic views to greet you at the top.

BONUS: Big Bend Hot Springs

  • 1.2 miles, roundtrip
  • 144 feet of elevation gain
  • 30 minutes average to complete
  • Bathroom at TH
  • Bathing Suits REQUIRED
  • Glass bottles not allowed
  • No Dogs
  • Kid Friendly
  • BUSY

Big Bend National Park has a hot springs – cool huh? We started before sunrise, and there was already someone there, after taking a few shots for my friend a group of people already arrived. I am not a big hot springs person, but this one was very cool. It was large and on the Rio Grande river. If you have some extra time, definitely add this to your list if you love hot springs.

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