Big Bend National Park
Days Two, Three, & Four - Big Bend & the Great North American Eclipse - 2024
An incredible few days in perhaps the most underrated U.S. National Park.
1. Desert Mountain Overlook #1
Big Bend National Park has an overall relief of 5,982 feet / 1,823 meters between the Rio Grande River and Emory Peak.
Getting an early start to my day in Alpine, I made my way south towards the Maverick Entrance in the northwest corner of Big Bend National Park. En route, you get a full understanding just how isolated the park is from the rest of the world … and how fortunate I was to get a reservation at the park’s only hotel!
Arriving in the park around noon, I couldn't help but beeline to Santa Elena Canyon, a spot in the far west of the park where the Rio Grande River cuts through a narrow canyon along the United States border with Mexico. Knowing full well I’d give astrophotography a go during my stay, I kept my eyes open for possible vantage points. Along the way, I passed Desert Mountain Overlook, which looked east over the Chisos Mountains in the central part of the park.
2. Desert Mountain Overlook #2
Visiting in spring, the cacti were in bloom and the extremely arid landscape was covered in beautiful flowers.
3. Desert Mountain Overlook #3
Carefully crossing Santa Elena Canyon Road from the Desert Mountain Overlook parking spot, you can get an impressive view of the Rio Grande River and the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon.
4. Santa Elena Canyon #1
Santa Elena Canyon’s walls reach 1,500 feet / 450 meters tall in places.
In the far western reaches of Big Bend National Park lies Santa Elena Canyon, perhaps its most famous natural feature. You can walk down a portion of Santa Elena Canyon, some .8 miles / 1.3 kilometers from a parking lot, before the canyon's walls become too tall to pass any longer.
The walk is relatively flat save one small ridge which is easily traversed. Don't let the distance fool you, however - be sure to bring water along for the trip! Having not reached the hotel yet, I only had a single bottle of water with me but I cruised through it very quickly in the midday sun.
5. Santa Elena Canyon #2
Politically, the U.S.-Mexico border lies along the Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte in Mexico) between the Gulf of Mexico and modern-day El Paso, Texas; however, there is disagreement as to how long this distance is, with sources ranging from 889 miles / 1,430 kilometers to 1,248 miles / 2,008 kilometers.
Walking up to the high point of the Santa Elena Canyon Trail gives you a great view along the U.S.-Mexico border, formed here by the Rio Grande River. When I visited, the region was undergoing a significant drought, and plenty of folks were crossing the very shallow river from Big Bend National Park into Mexico with relative ease (obviously, I don’t advise this.) Kayakers on the river also had difficult passage through here as the narrow canyon opened up into the broad flat plain.
6. Santa Elena Canyon #3
At its narrowest point, Santa Elena Canyon is only 30 feet / 10 meters wide.
You can only make it so far down Santa Elena Canyon on dry land, but the view is certainly worthwhile!
7. Santa Elena Canyon #4
If you want an alternative view of Big Bend National Park, you can try kayaking or canoeing on the Rio Grande - I think I will try this next time I’m in the park!
8. Santa Elena Canyon #5
The midday sun was getting to me by this point, so I shuffled back to the rental car and the comfort of air conditioning, as well as some water and snacks. I’m getting fragile in my advancing years, what can I say?
9. Santa Elena Canyon Overlook
In total, Santa Elena Canyon is 8 miles / 13 kilometers long.
On my way back towards the center of the park, I made a quick stop at the Santa Elena Canyon Overlook to really appreciate the scale of the canyon a bit better.
10. Mule Ears Overlook
The Mule Ears are a pair of rhyolite intrusions rising from the desert floor.
I made another quick stop at Mule Ears Overlook to check out this panoramic viewpoint. It’s easily accessed off the main road and is worth the short diversion.
11. Sotol Vista Overlook
(Click here to view a full-size version of this panorama.)
My last stop before reaching the central core of the park was Sotol Vista Overlook. In hindsight, this would have made an excellent viewpoint to watch the sunset, and I’ll be sure to head there next time!
12. Grapevine Hills Trail #1
Grapevine Hills is a laccolith, a magma intrusion which hardens and weathers more slowly than the surrounding rock.
Still having some daylight left, I next made my way to the Grapevine Hills Trailhead to make the short trek to the Balanced Rock. The gravel road which travels to the trailhead is deceptive, only first reaching a crossing requiring high clearance a significant distance down the track. Thankfully, my rental vehicle was up to the task. The parking lot is also small (it can fit ten, maybe twelve vehicles) so there is a chance you’ll arrive and have nowhere to park. But the effort is worth it as the 2.2 mile / 3.5 kilometer hike is a lot of fun.
Five photographs from my trek up to Balanced Rock follow.
13. Grapevine Hills Trail #2
14. Grapevine Hills Trail #3
15. Grapevine Hills Trail #4
16. Grapevine Hills Trail #5
(Click here to view a full-size version of this panorama.)
17. Grapevine Hills Trail #6
18. Balanced Rock #1
I’m not sure what random fact to include here: it’s a balanced rock.
The hike up to Balanced Rock is generally flat except for the final stretch which scrambles uphill rather abruptly. Again, bring water! Also, definitely be looking down for snakes as the shaded spots between rocks (and where you like to put your feet) make ideal dens.
Another Balanced Rock photo follows.
19. Balanced Rock #2
20. Grapevine Hills Trail #7
By this point, I was incredibly famished (I hadn’t had breakfast or lunch), so I made my way to the Chisos Lodge to check in, take a shower, and grab a bite at the lovely lodge restaurant.
21. Stars Over the Chisos Mountains
Covering 15,000 square miles / 39,000 square kilometers, the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve is the largest dark sky preserve on earth.
My biggest regret about my trip to Big Bend National Park is there wasn’t much time for astrophotography. Probably to my own detriment in the long-run I attempted it anyway, waking up around 3AM and making my way back to the Desert Mountain Overlook. This is about an hour journey, but if I was going to have one crack at a night photo composition, I certainly wanted to face east and have the Milky Way rising above the Chisos Mountains. Thankfully, once I was able to get the sequence going I was able to sneak an hour-long nap in the backseat of the rental car.
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Now back to the travelogue!
22. South Rim Trail #1
The South Rim Trail Loop is a 12.6 mile / 20.2 kilometer with a 2,400 foot / 737 meter elevation gain which reaches a southward vista over Big Bend National Park and into Mexico.
After a lovely breakfast at the Chisos Lodge, I set off for the day’s main activity, a hike to the South Rim. The very beginning and very end of the trail are strenuous, while the remainder is fairly moderate. Definitely bring loads of water - I brought along five liters and was running critically low by the time I returned to the lodge, and I did not see any water sources along the route.
This is one of the most rewarding hiking experiences I’ve done in a National Park, and certainly consider carving out a day to knock it out while you’re here.
Two additional photographs from my ascent follow.
23. South Rim Trail #2
24. South Rim Trail #3
25. South Rim #1
(Click here to view a full-size version of this panorama.)
The view across the park from the South Rim is exceptional and well worth the effort.
26. South Rim #2
(Click here to view a full-size version of this panorama.)
A second viewpoint -facing more southwest than the first- is accessible before your long decent back to Chisos Lodge.
27. South Rim Trail #4
Owing to the fact that it is a loop, there are two ways you can travel -clockwise and counter-clockwise- to reach the summit. Heading clockwise, you make a steeper ascent with a more gentle downhill, while -obviously- the opposite is true of an anti-clockwise route. I prefer a gentler downhill on unfamiliar terrain and I did not have a hiking stick, so I chose to carry the extra bit of weight up the steeper portion while I had more energy. The choice is ultimately yours.
28. Sunset Over Big Bend
As of mid-2024 information, the Chisos Lodge is scheduled to undergo demolition and replacement during a two-year period starting in mid-2025; don’t worry though, the amazing views through The Window will remain!
After taking a frankly criminally long shower for a desert environment undergoing a drought, I made my way to the Chisos Lodge for the sunset and an early dinner. I considered going to be early and waking up for some more astrophotography, but I realized on second thought that this would probably be a terrible idea following a 6.5 hour drive back to San Antonio following morning activities on the east side of the park. Sometimes I can adult properly….
29. Ernst Tinaja #1
Ernst Tinaja is a limestone canyon featuring deep, smooth-sided watering holes; in fact, “tinaja” is Spanish for “earthen jar.”
Departing Chisos Lodge for the last time (seriously - it’s getting demolished in 2025), I made my way to Ernst Tinaja, a short hike to a limestone canyon. This requires a 5 mile / 8 kilometer traverse down Old Ore Road and -oh, boy- is this road merciless! My rental car was, in typical Texas style, a 4x4 pick-up truck and it bottommed out on the road a couple of times. Seriously, do not try reaching this trailhead in a car or even a crossover SUV - you will not make it!
Despite my best effort to find the parking area and trailhead, I was not able to do so. Being moderately confident I was in the right region, I parked in the wash beneath the canyon and walked up from the roadway; this cost me probably 30 minutes round-trip, and I’m not sure why there isn’t a sign for the trailhead parking. Oh, well.
As I’ve mentioned, Big Bend was under a significant drought during this period and it actually made it really difficult to be sure I was looking at the Ernst Tinaja. Thankfully, a lovely Alaska-based couple came by and -upon discussion- we decided we were in the right place.
Four more photographs of a very dry Ernst Tinaja follow.
30. Ernst Tinaja #2
31. Ernst Tinaja #3
32. Ernst Tinaja #4
33. Ernst Tinaja #5
34. Old Ore Road
Making my way back down a very tame stretch of Old Ore Road (seriously, put “Old Ore Road” in YouTube and see what comes up"), I caught this pleasant view of the Chisos Mountains.
35. Rio Grande Village Nature Trail #1
Making my way to the southern edge of Big Bend National Park, I did one more activity: a walk along the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail which passes through tall brush and wetlands down to the Rio Grande River and the U.S.-Mexico Border.
36. Rio Grande Village Nature Trail #2
The area is famous for birdwatching, but I didn’t really see any wildlife besides these burros on my walk.
37. Rio Grande Village Nature Trail #3
The views back across the surrounding mountains is quite pleasant.
38. Rio Grande Village Nature Trail #4
Reaching the Rio Grande, I heard some voices in the distance and waited around to see what they were.
39. Rio Grande Village Nature Trail #5
Turns out a group was doing a multi-day paddle through Boquillas Canyon. Given how shallow the water was here, I can only wonder how long it took them to get there.
40. Rio Grande Village Nature Trail #6
As the group passed, they had asked me if I had seen any wildlife; I pointed out a burro high up on a cliff edge on the Mexico side of the river.
41. Rio Grande Village Nature Trail #7
Good luck, brave adventurers!
42. Rio Grande Village Nature Trail #8
Walking back to the rental car, I passed by some marshes along the river which were framed with the Chisos Mountains in the background. They made for some pretty neat contrasts.
Two more photographs from Big Bend National Park follow.
43. Rio Grande Village Nature Trail #9
44. Rio Grande Village Nature Trail #10
Just like that, my time at Big Bend National Park was over and I made a maddeningly boring 6.5 hour drive back to San Antonio.
So what are my impressions of Big Bend National Park? I think this is a totally underrated gem of the National Parks Service. I expect I am biased because it has a lot of activities and features that I love: hiking, geology, kayaking / canoeing, off-roading, remoteness, and excellent astrophotography.
I honestly could spend weeks here at a time, but I am going to assume the next time I come here two things will be true: first, I will be retired and be able to spend two? three? weeks here, and, second, I’ll have a camper. Until then, Big Bend!
