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Most of the questions visitors ask in Big Bend fall into one of 6 categories:
camping/lodging and park facilities,
things to do in the park, details
about the park, weather, park
resources and wildlife, and safety. Here are
some of the questions most often asked of park employees:
CAMPING, LODGING, AND PARK FACILITIES
1. Where can I park my trailer (or RV)?
Many people are used to parking anywhere in an RV. Visitors to Big Bend must stay in a designated camping area. If you want hook-ups, you can stay in the RV park at Rio Grande Village. IMPORTANT: You must use all 3 hook-ups (electricity, three inch sewer connection, and water). If you cannot use all three hook-ups, you can stay in a park campground without hookups, or stay in one of the RV hookup areas outside of the park.
2. Where can I camp?
There are three developed campgrounds in the park, located at Rio Grande Village, the Chisos Basin, and Castolon. The Rio Grande Village and Chisos Basin campgrounds provide sewer dump stations and a place to fill your water tank, but none of the three campgrounds offers RV hookups. There are also primitive sites on dirt roads and virtually unlimited backpacking areas where you can camp with a backcountry use permit.
3. Can I make reservations for camping?
Beginning December 1, 2003, a limited number of campsites in Rio Grande Village and the Chisos Basin campgrounds will be reservable through Reserve USA. Sites are reservable for the time period from November 15 to April 15. Reservations may be made up to 240 days in advance by visiting www.reserveusa.com or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Big Bend National Park cannot make reservations.
Otherwise, all park campgrounds are operated on a first-come, first-served basis.
For primitive camping, backcountry use permits are issued at park visitor centers up to 24 hours in advance (in person).
4. Are there showers in the park?
The only area in the park with showers is Rio Grande Village. The showers are located at the store and are open 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (hours may vary seasonally, check at any visitor center for current times). Showers are also available in Study Butte and at the Stillwell Ranch.
5. Where can I stay in the park if I’m not camping?
The Chisos Mountains Lodge is the only motel in the park. The phone number is 432-477-2291. If the Lodge is full, there are several motels outside of the park.
6. Where is the nearest ATM (automated teller machine)?
The nearest ATM machine is located at the Quicksilver Branch Bank in Study Butte. Banking services are also located in Alpine and Fort Stockton (100 miles and 127 miles, respectively, from park headquarters).
7. Where can I get groceries in the park?
Groceries are available at Rio Grande Village, the Chisos Basin, and Castolon. The gas station at Panther Junction also has a limited selection of groceries. There are also several stores outside the park in Study Butte.
8. Where can I buy gas?
In the park, gas is only available at Rio Grande Village and Panther Junction. Gas is also available in Study Butte, Lajitas, and at the Stillwell Ranch.
9. Where can I buy diesel?
At the Panther Junction Service Station or outside the park at Study Butte.
10. Where can I buy LP gas (liquid propane)?
At Rio Grande Village store, but be sure you check ahead of time - they do not always have someone available who is licensed to dispense propane. Propane is also available in Study Butte.
11. Can I use my cell phone in the park?
Cell phone service is now available in the park, but do not depend on it. Signal availability and strength varies depending on your location in the park and the service you are using.
1. Can we ride horses in Big Bend?
No horses are available in the park. You can bring your own horses to the park, but you must obtain a backcountry use permit and certain restrictions apply. Stables in Study Butte, Lajitas, and south of Marathon offer guided horse trips outside of the park.
2. How can we take a river trip?
Several companies offer guided river trips ranging from one-half day to one week. You can also bring (or rent) equipment and obtain a backcountry use permit to do your own river trip. Because river levels and conditions vary, check current conditions before planning your own trip.
3. Is there any place to swim in the park?
Swimming and/or bathing is prohibited in backcountry water sources, such as springs, although you can soak in the ruins of the old Hot Springs bath house (near Rio Grande Village) which has a constant temperature of 105°F. Overnight camping is not allowed at Hot Springs. Alcoholic beverages, nude bathing, and pets are also prohibited. When the Rio Grande rises above three feet, the hot spring is inaccessible.
Swimming in the Rio Grande is not recommended. The river can be hazardous, even in calm-looking water. Strong undercurrents, deep holes, and shallow areas with sharp rocks and large tree limbs are common. Water-borne micro-organisms and other waste materials occur in the river and can cause serious illness. However, if you choose to enter the river, wear a life jacket. The end of the Boquillas Canyon Trail and the Santa Elena Canyon trailhead area may be suitable for wading at certain times of the year (always check river conditions first).
If you really want to swim, Balmorhea State Park (about a three-hour drive north of Big Bend) boasts the “world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool.” The huge pool has a surface area of 62,000 square feet and 22-26 million gallons of crystal-clear spring water flow into it each day. Contact Balmorhea State Park at (432)375-2370 for more information.
4. Can we fish in the park?
You can fish in the Rio Grande (see Fishing Regulations). Catfish are common. Jug fishing is not permitted, and you are not allowed to bring live bait into the park. Bait can usually be purchased at the Rio Grande Village Store.
5. Where can I see wildlife?
Much of the wildlife in the park is active at night, but dusk is a good time to look for deer, fox, and javelina. The Window View Trail in the Basin is especially good. Rio Grande Village is a good place to see coyotes and javelinas, and is good for birding throughout much of the year. Do not feed any wildlife in the park.
1. Where do I pay my park fee? Do I have to pay a fee? How much is the fee?
Most people do have to pay a park entrance fee, unless they have a Golden Age Passport, Golden Access Passport, or National Parks Pass. The fee is $15.00 per family vehicle per week, and can be paid at the Maverick Entrance Station, the Persimmon Gap Entrance Station, or the Panther Junction Visitor Center. Commercial Tour Fees apply to commercial groups.
2. How far is it to ________?
From park headquarters at Panther Junction:
Chisos Basin is 10 miles
Rio Grande Village is 20 miles
Santa Elena Canyon is 42 miles
Study Butte is 26 miles
Lajitas is 42 miles
Marathon is 68 miles
Alpine is 100 miles3. How many visitors come to Big Bend each year?
In the past few years, Big Bend has had 297,000 to 308,000 visitors each year.
4. Is Big Bend the largest national park?
No, many are larger. Big Bend is the 8th largest national park in the lower 48 states, and only the 15th largest in the entire U.S. Click here for a list of the 20 largest national parks (as of 1997).
5. When did Big Bend become a park?
Big Bend National Park was authorized by the U.S. Congress on June 20, 1935, and established as the 27th national park in the U.S. (and the first national park in Texas) on June 12, 1944.
6. When is the busy season in Big Bend?
Spring is our busiest - during March and April and sometimes into May when the Texas colleges and universities are on spring break. Thanksgiving and Christmas can be extremely busy, also. Make lodging reservations early if you plan to visit Big Bend during any holiday period. While you can not make reservations for campgrounds in the park, there are camping options outside of the park that may take reservations.
7. How many people work in Big Bend National Park?
When all the positions are filled, there are about 90 permanent National Park Service (NPS) employees in Big Bend. Depending on the season and the budget, we can have from 10-20 seasonal and temporary employees. In addition, we have many volunteers and Student Conservation Association interns who add to our staff, particularly in winter.
Forever Resorts, Inc. employees about 60 employees (more during peak periods) who work in the lodge, restaurant, gas station and stores in the park. Big Bend Natural History Association (BBNHA) employees four people. A postmaster, U.S. Border Patrol agents, and several school teachers also live and work in Big Bend.
1. How hot does it get in Big Bend?
It can get as hot as 115-120° F along the river during late May and June. However, the temperatures will normally be in the range of 88-110° F during the hottest time of the year - the lower end of that range being in the Basin, the hotter temperatures along the river.
2. How cold does it get in Big Bend?
The winter months (December, January, and February) can bring cold weather, dropping temperatures down into the thirties, and occasionally bringing snow. However, interspersed with these cold spells are spells of very comfortable, warm weather (70’s or 80’s and even higher sometimes, down on the river). The nights, however, are commonly freezing or below - in the 20’s or teens down on the river.
3. How much does it rain in Big Bend?
Rainfall averages from about 7 inches down on the river to 15-20 inches yearly in the mountains.
4. Does it ever snow in Big Bend?
Occasionally, winter cold fronts will bring a few inches of snow (sometimes more) but it doesn’t last long. During snow or ice storms, the road to the Chisos Basin may be closed for a few hours until it's safe again for travel.
1. Didn’t you recently get a new addition to the park?
The Harte Ranch (North Rosillos) became part of the park in 1989. The Fay Ranch, a 10,000 acre inholding near Persimmon Gap, was purchased in 1994.
Big Bend Ranch State Park, to the west of Big Bend National Park, was purchased by the State of Texas and is now part of the system of state parks. It was opened to the public in January of 1991. The new state park is a little under 250,000 acres. Information is available at the Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center in Lajitas (tel. 432-424-3327) or at Fort Leaton State Historical Park, near Presidio (tel. 432-229-3613).
2. When do the wildflowers bloom?
Generally, desert plants bloom in the spring, while plants in the Chisos Mountains bloom in the late summer, during the rainy season. March and April are probably the best time to see the park in bloom, but flowers can be seen almost throughout the year. Every year is different, depending on rainfall levels. Big Bend does not always look like the pictures on postcards. It is very difficult to predict when the best weeks will be.
3. Are there many snakes in Big Bend?
Big Bend has 30 species of snakes, only five of which are poisonous. They include four types of rattlesnakes (Rock, Mojave, Western Diamondback, and Black-Tailed) as well as the Trans-Pecos Copperhead. There are also a few uncommon species of rear-fanged snakes that are potentially dangerous, but bites to humans are extremely rare. Snakes, like all other animals in the park, are protected. Please do not harass or harm them.
4. Do I have to worry about mountain lions?
Lions are most active at night, and few people see them during the daytime. Most sightings occur in the Green Gulch area (the road into the Basin), but sightings can occur anywhere in the park. A lion sighting is a rare event. Report any sightings to the nearest visitor center, and follow the safety rules concerning mountain lions if you should encounter one on a trail.
5. Where can I go to see the Colima Warbler?
This bird is often sought after by birdwatchers, as Big Bend is the only place it can be seen in the United States. It is usually in the park from mid-April through August. Since it is only found in high elevations of the Chisos Mountains, plan to hike several hours to look for it. The best places are Boot Canyon, the Colima Trail, Laguna Meadows, and the upper section of the Pinnacles Trail. Sometimes people report Colima Warblers along the Lost Mine Trail, too.
6. How deep is the river?
The depth of the Rio Grande is variable with the seasons; highest water is in the summer and early fall, lowest in the winter. It can range from only a couple of feet deep to 20 feet or more when flooding.
