Big Bend NP, TX
2022 Parks Road Trip Diary: Days 78-81
Big Bend National Park is situated right next to the Rio Grande in the southwestern dip of Texas, and is home to the Chisos Mountain Range as well as a couple impressive canyons carved out by the river. It is not easy to get to by any means, but it really has some unbeatable attractions. If youâre on a road trip in this area already and donât mind the extra driving, even coming out here just for the hike up to Emory Peak is worth it.
Day 78: Arrival at Big Bend
Driving day two.
When I emerged from the tent at Oliver Lee campground, I was immediately reminded of last time we were here how much of a temperature difference it made when the sun was still behind the mountains. With yesterday as exhausting as it was, the sun was already high in the sky when we awoke. Time to get going!
Standing in the same place we stood near the beginning of the trip evoked some brief reflection. The June version of me looking out at the view was excited, hopeful, and eager. The September version was grittier and tired, but proud of the experience I gained.
The long drive to Big Bend took us through El Paso and other parts of Texas with heavy Mexican influence. The mexican food we ate in El Paso was fantastic. We finally arrived in the park an hour or two before sunset.
We settled into our reserved spot at Rio Grande Village Campground, a campground thatâs far away from the main park attractions but sits right next to the Rio Grande River, which is cool. (The ideal campground, Chisos Basin, was temporarily closed.) The campground was only about one-third full, and felt pretty remote. There were wild horses roaming the grounds, minding their own business.
An unexpectedly deep red sunset hit that evening. I canât remember ever seeing one so dramatic. Saying âthe sky is on fireâ didnât feel hyperbolic.
Getting a good night of sleep was difficult. I was hoping that being in the Chisos Mountain range would offer some relief from the hot weather that had been plaguing us for the past couple of weeks, and it might have, but we werenât really in the mountains since we were camping next to the Rio Grande. The temperature here was nominally a little lower, but with higher humidity I think it ended up feeling overall worse.
Day 79: The Window
In planning our trip here, we learned that a few areas were closed due to recent flood damage. It was a bummer since it forced us to cut out two hikes that we would have liked to do: Lost Mine Trail and Santa Elena Canyon Trail.
Of what remained, it seemed like we could create two fun days with roughly the structure:
- The Window Trail (5.2 mi, 1000 ft elev. gain) plus some other small hike
- A big day where we choose one of several hikes that makes it up to Emory Peak, the highest point in the park
So, today would be #1, starting with The Window Trail.
As we set off, it struck me that this part of Texas was greener and more full of life than I was expecting.
The main attraction of this trail is its endpoint where you reach a shallow canyon that ends abruptly, providing a view out into the distance thatâs framed⌠like a window!
The window itself was a little underwhelming, but I did really like being surrounded by the steep granite walls at the end.
That was it! After returning, we looked again at our options to fill the rest of the day. We decided to check out Boquillas Canyon Trail (1.2 mi, 200 ft elev. gain). There are two awesome-looking canyons in this park carved out by the Rio Grande. One of them is the Santa Elena Canyon, which was closed, and the other is the Boquillas Canyon. Bonus that the Boquillas is right near our campsite.
After getting two-thirds of the way into this trail, the only path forward was walking on what looked like dried up river bed:
Initially it didnât seem like an issue, but despite the cracks, walking through this was very muddy. Our steps were sinking several inches and mud began to accumulate on our shoes. I didnât see footsteps from anyone else trying to forge a way past, and I didnât really want to be the first, so we decided to turn around. No canyon for us. đ
Anyway, hanging out back at camp that evening wasnât so bad. I tried interacting with the horses (though they mostly just walked away from me) and we took a short walk up to a nearby vantage point when the sun began to set.
This was no sunset like yesterdayâs, but it was still beautiful, especially with its reflection in the Rio Grande.
Day 80: Last Hurrah Through the Chisos
Today would be our last day of hiking and camping of the entire parks road trip. I was excited to have a big hike to cap it off.
Before we get to that though, first some appreciation for all the wildlife that lives in this park. We caught sight of so many different kinds of animals besides the horses, including the beloved javelina (âhah-vuh-leenaâ). Many of them right in the campground!
Once we were done with breakfast and the morning chores, we drove to the trailhead for the Emory Peak via South Rim Loop (15.4 mi, 3200 ft elev. gain).
This trail had two main attractions: Emory Peak, the high point of the park, and the South Rim, a plateau that offers an expansive view of the southern part of the park.
Five miles and 2400 ft later, we made it to Emory Peak.
The peak has two separate spires, both about equally high, that you have to scramble up to reach the top of. Being on top was quite the adrenaline rush because of how steep it was. We each climbed a different spire so we could snap pics of the other person from afar.
Sedonaâs Devilâs Bridge (and its twenty person line) was nothing compared to the photo op here. I might frame and hang these one day.
With the first third of the hike done, we marched forward. The views looking south as we approached the South Rim were consistently great.
We reached the South Rim after a little less than five more miles of hiking. The view there reminded me a lot of Guadalupe Peak, also in Texas, because of how far you can see when youâre standing at a place thatâs so much higher than any of its surroundings.
The final five mile trip back to the trailhead was a bit long, and we definitely started to feel the pain around mile 13. But at least there were lots of nice wildflowers along this trail to appreciate. There were enough different kinds to make a collage!
It was a great hike to finish the trip with. Multiple great views, a challenging distance to cover, and a little scrambling. Not to mention the much needed cooler weather at elevation, and the interesting wildlife. I could sleep tonight satisfied.
Day 81: The Chapter Comes to a Close
As much as I loved this big road trip, relief and excitement was the overwhelming emotion as we packed up our tent and fit all our things back into the car for the final time; it represented the end of so many things we were so ready to be done with. While weâd gotten used to life requiring all the extra work of packing, unpacking, cleaning, and planning, we hadnât forgotten what a life of convenience felt like. How nice it would be to return.
This feeling gave us the extra energy we needed to make it through the ten hour drive through Texas back home. The sun was setting behind us as we arrived to the outskirts of Houston â an apt metaphor for the moment.
post originally written 1/19, backdated to match reality