Two days in Big Bend - Day 1
Only have a long weekend to visit Big Bend for the first time? That’s okay, you can still get some major site seeing in. Day one takes you into Big Bend National Park and Day two includes a scenic drive through Big Bend Ranch State Park. Both are good for adventures of all ages and hiking levels.
This post will cover an abbreviated trip with stops at a few of the most notable Big Bend National Park sites. This route is based on entering the Park from Hwy 118 near Terlingua and following Ross Maxwell Drive down to Santa Elena Canyon. Stops include:
Sam Nail Ranch
Sotol Vista Scenic Overlook
Lower Burro Mesa Pour Off
Mule Ears View point
Castolon Visitors Center
Santa Elena Canyon
Dorgan House Trail
Chisos Basin
The Window Trail
Your first stop will be the entry gate to get your National Park day pass, if you don’t already have an America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. We have found that the annual pass has served us well and saved us a substantial amount of money. Occasionally, the front gate is not manned and you will have to travel 26 miles to the Panther Junction Ranger Station. Don’t worry, it’s a beautifully scenic and awe inspiring drive through the park. Also, I strongly suggest that if you have time, you stop at the road side exhibits. They are full of pretty cool information.
After getting your pass, head towards Ross Maxwell Drive, 13 miles from both the 118 entry or Panther Junction. Once you are going South on Ross Maxwell Drive, your first stop will be the Sam Nail Ranch at mile marker 3. Sam Nail Ranch is a short half mile loop that shouldn’t take more than 1/2 and hour and is an easy hike for all ages. The loop takes you down to the shady banks of Cottonwood Creek where you can see the ruins of the two room adobe house the Nail family built in 1916. The still operational windmill is surrounded by an oasis of pecan, willow and walnut trees not expected in the West Texas desert. Wildlife and birds are abundant in this still growing orchard.
Next stop is Sotol Vista Scenic Overlook, 5 miles south of Sam Nail Ranch. Pull up the hill and get ready for a spectacular view of the Southwestern part of the National Park. From here you can see miles and miles of Texas all the way to Santa Elena Canyon on the US/Mexico border. This is stop has one of the few well maintained vault toilets along the route.
Three miles south of Sotol Vista is the turn off for Lower Burro Mesa Pour Off. Stop here for a relaxing hike along a dry river bed culminating at the 100 foot vertical pour off from the mesa above. The hike is fairly easy for all ages, trekking through the loose gravel river bed will work your calves though. The trail is lined with native trees that provide pockets of shade. Notice the orange and yellow tuffs among the volcanic hills on either side of the one mile trail.
Approximately 4 miles south you will find the Mule Ear Viewpoint. The Mules Ears Peaks are the remnants of eroded rhyolite dikes left over from the age volcanic activity in the area. Mule Ears can be clearly seen as far away as the Terlingua Ghost Town.
Continue heading south on Ross Maxwell Drive for about 6.5 miles, and you will arrive at the Castolon Visitors Center. During Summer they are not open, but if they are open, you can use the restroom, stock up at the convenience store and check out some of the relics from the farming days in the Big Bend region. Otherwise, keep going south another 8.5 miles to the highlight of this part of the drive, Santa Elena Canyon.
The Santa Elena Overlook is nice, but I would suggest continuing on Ross Maxwell to the actual trail head at this point where you can get out and stand on the banks of the Rio Grande and see the canyon from the base of the 1500’ walls and decide if you want to do the 1.6 mile in and out hike. I would suggest gathering your hat and water bottle and trekking down the path across Terlingua Creek (or wade across if it has been raining). The stairs can be steep but the calf workout is well worth by the time you reach back down to the shady banks of the Rio Grande at the far end of the trail. Plus you’ll have a nice rest on the car ride back up Ross Maxwell drive to the Chisos Basin.
Once you’ve finished at Santa Elena it’s a good time to head back to the Santa Elena Canyon Viewpoint and have a picnic lunch at the covered tables there, then head north on Ross Maxwell Drive.
If you have time you may want to stop at Dorgan House Trail which features the remains of four ranch houses built during the early 1900s. Personally, we only do the first half of the trail which takes you by 2 of the ruins and then turn back because the trail gets steep and has no shade after the 2nd structure.
Continue all the way back up Ross Maxwell Drive to Hwy 118, the main park road, then turn right and head East bound towards Chisos Basin. 10 miles down the road you will find the turn off for Chisos Basin, turn right heading south into the mountains. You will notice the terrain change significantly as the elevation increases, you will barely believe you are in the middle of the West Texas Desert. Please note that this is a winding road with a steep grade and narrow turn-backs, and is not recommended for trailers greater than 20’ or RV’s longer than 24’.
Park at the Visitor’s Center, and get your souvenirs. The Window View trail head is just south of the Visitor’s Center. After a long day of traveling and mini hikes, we usually only do the View. However, if you have it in you to do the full 5.6 mile Window hike, then have at it - it is well worth it!
At this point we usually call it a day and have dinner at the Chisos Mountain Lodge Restaurant which has spectacular views, or head back to Study Butte and hit up one of the dining options there or the Ghost Town.
Day 2 is more of a driving tour with not so much hiking.