Ramble Vacation | Big Bend National Park
While visiting far West Texas, we knew we had to go to Big Bend National Park. Thankfully my parents and some friends had been recently and were able to give lots of good tips. Things to note: this is a huge park, lots of trails and lots of driving. We knew since it was a day trip we would have to be very strategic and selective on what we did and saw. We woke up early in Marfa and hit the road for the vast and beautiful Big Bend. Here are my notes which includes things we did and some we weren’t able to go to:
Fill up with gas before heading into the park in Marathon, TX. This is also a really cute town that would be fun to stay in. I wasn’t able to capture the amazing wide open spaces but if you click on the link above you’ll see what’s it’s like in Marathon to Big Bend. One looooong road of beauty with little to no places to get gas.
As you are heading into the park, there are trails and a Fossil Discovery Exhibit that lead you to the visitor centers. We didn't stop here but I do wish we would have.
We wanted to visit the Panther Junction Visitors Center. We were told it was the best one and a must for getting maps, going to the restroom, and getting other materials about the park that might be needed.
We had originally planned to do three hikes. I was trying to keep them all relatively small because of kids. I did spend a lot of time reading about these ahead of time because I knew the day would go by fast if all we were doing was driving around.
Hike 1: The Window Trail : This hike is roughly 2 miles in one direction so total, 4 miles. We decided to start the day with this one because of the length. It’s also very close to Panther Junction and everyone was ready to get out of the car. This hike took us a little over 2 hours down to the window and then a 1 1/2 back. We packed snacks and water and we promised the kids their fuel when we got to the bottom. Maggie did hike a large portion of the trail down but was D O N E by the time we were wanting to head back up the mountain. Of course I forgot our Ergo Baby Carrier which meant I had to take my jacket off and strap her on my back and hold her with my arms. She fell asleep and we worked hard to keep our older two kids spirits up. For the most part, everyone did good! It’s a beautiful hike. In total it took us almost 4 hours which meant the day was going fast.
Chisos Mountain Lodge: We packed snacks but I failed to pack a big meal and after the hike the kids were starving. The Lodge was very close to this trail so we decided to grab a burger and eat at the lodge. Next time I will go more prepared so we don’t have to spend the time at the lodge. We did order to-go and eat in the car but we had to wait close to 20 minutes for our food.
With it being close to 3 o’clock and it gets dark at 5:30 in the winter we headed to Santa Elena Canyon which is in the desert portion of the park. Note: It takes 45 minutes to drive the Chisos Mountain Area to the Santa Elena Canyon area.
Hike 2: the hike here is very short and supposed to be one of the best ones. This area was absolutely so amazing. Photos don’t do it justice.
After this hike we knew we needed to head back to Marfa. We decided to leave the park so that we could drive through Terilingua, TX. An old ghost town we’ve heard a lot about and wanted to see.
We took the fastest way to Terilingua. This meant getting on the Maverick road which happens to be a 15 mile all dirt road. A little rough, no cell service, and definitely an adventure we would do again. Thankfully going through Terilingu meant we were going to head back to Marfa on a new highway which means we saw new things, even if it was mostly dark it felt more adventurous!
These photos are from the Window Trail and of the Santa Elena Canyon area.
Other Tips:
Pack plenty of food and water for your time in Big Bend. We did eat lunch at the lodge but I wish I would have prepared a little better and brought food that was a little heavier. After a long hike, the snacks weren’t cutting it for everyone. We all brought full water bottles and then a gallon of water to refill and we drank it all.
If bringing kids, pump them up about the experience. On the Window trail, the girls were getting tired toward the end and we used it as a great opportunity to talk about the life lesson of not giving up. Hah! And the fact we were doing as a family made it better. Maggie woke up from her nap (which was on my back) 10 minutes before we were done with the Window hike and you would have thought she hung the moon. She kept saying “ I big!” “I did it.” “great job guys” - it was the fun we needed to finish it.
Find the trails you want to do BEFORE you get there. I’m the queen when it comes to being spontaneous but I also think you can waste a lot of time looking at the trail map. It’s a huge park so that means there are a ton of options for hiking.
I think it would have been good to plan two days here for sure. We want to stay in Terilingua on the next trip so that we can access the park easier and it was very quirky, which we like! I noticed a lot more hut type restaurants which we thought would be better than the fancy style in Marfa.
That’s all I’ve got! I’m sure I left something out so if you have questions, leave a comment!
