Big Bend National Park

12/10/2018-12/15/018

Monday – Moving day. Today we start our two day journey to Big Bend National Park. It is 310 miles to the park entrance then another 54 miles in the park to the campground we want to stay at. Too many miles for one day. Its been pretty cold most nights so in the mornings we have had to wear coats and gloves while hooking up. Well at least I do. We had plans to stay at Amistad Recreational Area Governors campground near Del Rio. Once there we drove through and did not find any sites we liked. They were small and not very level. So drove another hour and a half to an RV park in Sanderson. We arrived mid afternoon so we took advantage of the sunshine and sat outside for a bit. It was a very nice little RV park, however a little noisy as it was situated between the highway and the railroad tracks.

Where we are parked: Canyon RV Park – Site 6 – Full hook ups $30/day for a full hook up site including free WI-Fi.

Canyon RV Park

Tuesday – On to Big Bend today. There are long stretches of road out here with very few towns so we have been careful to keep the fuel tank as full as possible. There are a few fuel stations in the park but I am sure they are pricey. From Sanderson to the park border is 94 miles with one town in between. We stopped there for fuel then headed south on 385 to the park. It was early afternoon when we arrived at Rio Grande Village Campground. We stopped to talk to the host as we saw several sites with blank reserved tags. She directed us to the non-reservable area and the sites she thought would be suitable for us. We found a site and set up.

After a quick bite for lunch we visited a few spots in this area. We hiked the 2 mile Boquillas Canyon trail, checked out the Boquillas Canyon Overlook and visited the Hot Springs. We did not have our swim suits so may revisit the Hot Springs so we can take a soak. It is very beautiful here with many unique rock formations.

Boquillas Canyon

On the trail

Rio Grande River

Donkeys grazing across the river

Wednesday – First thing this morning was a “short” drive (35 miles) to Fossil Discovery Exhibit to attend a ranger led presentation on the dinosaur fossils found in the park. We learned that this park is unique in its fossil variety. From there we drove back to the Panther Junction Visitor Center and watched a short film about the park. By that time it was nearing noon so we headed over the the Boquilllas border crossing. There is a port of entry there. For $5 we were ferried across the Rio Grande then walked to a small Mexican village and had lunch. The restaurant owner spoke very good English and we chatted with her about her solar installation. We were not concerned for our safety for a couple of reasons. First it is 150 miles from the next nearest Mexican town so why would there be any illegal activity here? Second, this village is supported by the visitors coming from the park so they do not want any problems because that could jeopardize there lively hood. We checked out dugout wells and while on the nature trail met someone that knew someone that worked at Cray in Chippewa Falls. I told them Pam's name and they thought they had heard it from there friend. Who knows!

Just a little snack!

The ferry service

Crossing the Rio Grande

Lunch in Boquilllas

Boquilllas Bar

Visiting with the natives

Vintage transportation

Thursday – It was a cool blustery day today. We headed way to the other side of the park to see the Santa Elena Canyon. All park roads have no more than a 45 mph speed limit and the canyon is 60 miles from our campground so it took over an hour to get there. I have to say the drive was spectacular and diverse with lots of winding turns and elevation changes. Once at the canyon we took a trail into the canyon which required us to cross the Terlingua River. We got our feet a little wet crossing the river then ascended a path to access the canyon. There were some steps and rails but still a little scary in spots but worth the effort. On the way back we drove into the Chisos Basin which is also very spectacular. We stopped at the Chisos Basin Lodge for a late lunch and got a table by the window with an awesome view. There were several short hikes we could have taken but it was pretty cold and windy in the Basin with temps around 38 degrees. Back at the campground which was 3800 feet lower in elevation is was much warmer.

Approaching Santa Elena Canyon

In the Canyon

The Rio Grande River

Great Scenery

Friday and Saturday – We extended our stay so we could hike to some of the off road features in the park. Friday we did the Burro Mesa Pour-off, the Burro Springs and the Tuffs Canyon Trails. We also stopped at the Sam Nail Ranch. We noticed lots of birds in this area. I would estimate we hiked at least 5 miles on desert trails. We were going to leave on Friday but decided to stay one more day to go see Balanced Rock. This trail required a 6 mile drive on gravel road to the trail head then a 2.2 round trip hike. The first part of the trail was very level and easy but at the end we had to climb up about 80 feet on rocky boulders. Very fun!

Burro Mesa Pour-off

Hiking to Burro Spring

Tuffs Canyon

On our way to Balance Rock

Some of the terrain we negotiated

Careful!

We made it!

We have both really enjoyed this park and the weather has been great. Cool at night with frost some mornings but day time temps in the mid 50's to mid 60's. Great for hiking. We saw some wildlife including coyote and deer along with lots of birds. The highlight was seeing a Vermilion Flycatcher, a very colorful and beautiful bird.

Vermilion Flycatcher

Desert Flowers

Where we are parked: Big Bend National Park Rio Grande Village Campground – Site 64 – $14/day, $7/day with senior pass. Park entrance fee is $30 was waved with the senior pass. No hook ups, gravel parking pad with a grill and a bear box. No ATT cell service at this campground but some out in other areas of the park. Free Wi-Fi at some of the visitor centers.

Rio Grande Village Campground