Chisos Mountains at sunrise, Big Bend National Park Photo: Fredlyfish4 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
All Parks
Texas · Est. 1944
Park Map PDF

Big Bend

The Rio Grande carves a giant bend through the Chihuahuan Desert — the Chisos, the only mountain range entirely inside one national park, and some of the darkest skies in the Lower 48.

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🌡️
Extreme
Heat risk
🛂
Fri–Mon
Boquillas crossing
🏕
4 areas
Campgrounds
💵
$30
7-day fee
🌙
Darkest in US
Dark sky park
📷
1 live
Camera
⚠️Extreme Heat & Remoteness SafetyDehydration risk▾
🌡️ NPS's own safety page is blunt: "Dehydration is a serious and deadly reality in the park." Carry at least 1 gallon of water per person per day, especially in the low desert near the Rio Grande. Flash floods can fill narrow canyons and washes fast during storms. Cell service is extremely limited to nonexistent across most of the park — plan accordingly. Wildlife encounters (black bears, mountain lions, venomous snakes) do occur — never run from a large predator. Vehicle collisions with wildlife are also common at night on park roads. NPS safety info ↗
Quick Stats
Elevation Range~1,800–7,825 ft
Highest Point (Emory Peak)7,825 ft
Established1944
Border RiverRio Grande
🪧Park Entrances & Fees2 entrances · $30▾
North Entrance Usually Open
Persimmon Gap, via Marathon (US-385)
The most common approach, roughly 70 miles south of Marathon through wide open Chihuahuan Desert grassland before reaching Panther Junction.
💡 Long, remote drive with no services — top off gas and water in Marathon before entering.
NPS directions ↗
West Entrance Usually Open
Study Butte / Terlingua, via FM-170
Approach from the funky desert town of Terlingua — the closest entrance to Santa Elena Canyon and the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive.
💡 No timed-entry system here, unlike many busier western parks — walk up or drive in any time.
NPS directions ↗
Entry Fees · 7-day pass
Vehicle$30
Motorcycle$25
Individual / Foot / Bike$15
Big Bend Annual Pass$55/yr
America the Beautiful$80/yr ($250 non-resident, 2026)
Backcountry permit $10/night · Frontcountry campsite $16/night
🛂Boquillas CrossingFri–Mon 9am–4pm▾
🚣 A small, legal U.S. Port of Entry sits inside the park, connecting to the Mexican village of Boquillas del Carmen via a hand-rowed boat across the Rio Grande. Currently open Friday–Monday, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM — a passport book or passport card is required (an Enhanced Driver's License is NOT accepted). The rowboat ferry costs $5 round trip, plus a $7 Mexican park entry fee on the far side. Border crossing hours can change without much notice — verify current hours before planning a visit. NPS Boquillas Crossing info ↗
🏕Campground Availability4 areas▾
✅ A planned 2-year construction project that would have closed the Chisos Basin Lodge, campground, and trails was officially cancelled as of April 1, 2026 — Chisos Basin remains fully open.
Chisos Basin Reservation Only ▾
Sites60 + 7 group
Elevation5,400 ft
NotesThe only campground with meaningfully cooler temps in summer
Book on Recreation.gov ↗
Rio Grande Village Reservation Only ▾
Sites93 + 4 group
ElevationLow, near the river — hot
NotesIncludes 1 ADA site; near Boquillas Canyon
Campground details ↗
Rio Grande Village RV Park Concessionaire ▾
Sites25 full hookup
Max Length38 ft
NotesOperated by Aramark, not on Recreation.gov — call 855-765-1324
Cottonwood Closed for Summer ▾
Sites~30 + 1 group
SeasonClosed ~May–Oct, reopens ~Nov 1
NotesQuiet riverside site near Santa Elena Canyon & Castolon
Campground details ↗
🎒 Backcountry & primitive roadside camping requires a permit (Recreation.gov for most sites; remote high-clearance roads like Old Ore Road require an in-person request at a visitor center). Stay limits: 14 consecutive nights, 28 nights/year.
📍Landmarks & Trailheads8 stops▾
Chisos Basin Area3 stops▾
The Window TrailModerate 5.6 mi round trip to a pour-off framing the desert below~3 hrs
Lost Mine TrailModerate 4.8 mi round trip, one of the park's best views~3 hrs
Chisos Mountains / Emory PeakThe only US mountain range entirely inside one national park7,825 ft
River Canyons3 stops▾
Santa Elena CanyonEasy trail into the mouth of 1,500-ft limestone canyon walls~1.5 hrs
Boquillas CanyonEasy trail along the Rio Grande to a towering canyon entrance~1 hr
Rio Grande Village Nature TrailEasy boardwalk loop with river & wetland views~30 min
Desert Formations2 stops▾
The ChimneysModerate desert hike to volcanic rock formations & petroglyphs~2 hrs
Balanced Rock (Grapevine Hills)Easy 2.2 mi round trip to a boulder balanced between two rock towers~1.5 hrs
Rio Grande Conditions2 live gauges▾
🛶 Useful for gauging canoeing/rafting flow on the Rio Grande through Santa Elena & Boquillas Canyons — no gauge sits directly inside either canyon, but these are the closest live USGS stations.
Rio Grande at Rio Grande Village
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USGS site 08375300 ↗
Rio Grande near Castolon
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USGS site 08374550 ↗
🌙Stargazing & Night SkyCertified 2012▾
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Big Bend was certified an International Dark Sky Park in 2012, and NPS describes it as having "the darkest night skies of any national park in the Lower 48." Since 2022, the park anchors the 3.8-million-acre Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve — the largest certified dark sky place in the world. Best viewing away from Chisos Basin lights, at Rio Grande Village or along the river roads. NPS night sky info ↗
📷Live Camera Feed
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Park Contact Information
📞 Phone: (432) 477-2251  ·  Mailing Address: PO Box 129, Big Bend National Park, TX 79834  ·  Official NPS contact page ↗