25 Southwest Highways & Fields
Many people come to big bend to float the Rio Grande, a very rewarding and scenic experience. Floating through the majestic limestone canyons makes you forget your troubles and provides an escape from our busy modern lives. The middle of the deepest channel of the Rio Grande is the international border between the US and Mexico, so you will cross the border multiple times while floating the Rio Grande. No passport is needed, although landing on the Mexican river bank is illegal, unless for an emergency. There are several take in/out points in Big Bend National Park, and some people choose just to paddle the canyons, while others float on out of the park, on down to Las Lindas
Bridge, Black Gap WMA, Langtry, or
all the way down to Brownsville.
Groceries, Gasoline, Restaurants,
Camping, Visitor Centers, and Lodging
are all available in Big Bend, but Motel
rooms in the park usually need to be
booked several months or years in
advance. The Gage Hotel in Marathon
and The Maverick Inn in Alpine are
great places to spend the night if the
park lodges are full. If you like the
outdoors, you should definitely con-
sider a trip out to Big Bend. It is one
of the last places in Texas that is still
untamed and wild. With all of the
recreation opportunities, there is
something fun for everyone, and plenty
of room to do it, in Big Bend's 800,000
acres of spectacular scenery. Exploring
the park can take several days, and
seeing everything is not possible unless
you stay for several weeks. Driving
between locations in the park can take
a while, and if you are sleeping outside
the park, that commute is at least an
hour each way. If you only have a couple
of days in Big Bend, figure out what you want to do, and where you want to go. You can take several shorter hikes, or a fewer long ones. It's best to pick a few locations to visit, and actually have time to enjoy them, instead of spending all of
The Window
NPS Photo
Boquillas Canyon
NPS Photo