Weekend Guide to Big Bend National Park

Updated 3/14/2023

Compared to the crowds found in more popular national parks such as Zion and Yosemite, Big Bend National Park is much more sparsely populated. To be honest, I hadn’t considered it, or had even heard of it, until my dad moved to nearby Midland, Texas.  When I took a trip to visit him over the Thanksgiving holiday, we spent the weekend exploring Big Bend National Park.  Big Bend is the ultimate hidden gem of the Nation Parks Service.

Best time of year to visit

This depends on your tolerability of heat and cold, but fall and spring are the ideal times to visit. There won’t be too much rain or extreme temperatures.  We came in late November and while the temperature dropped at night, the daytime was perfect hiking weather. We had sunny days with temperatures in the 70s.  I’d love to come back in the spring to see the desert wildflowers in bloom. 

If you come in summer, make sure to get a very early start on any hiking.  The desert can get dangerously hot mid-day to afternoon. 

Winters can be very cold and tend to bring rain. 

Getting there

Planning a trip to Big Bend National Park over a weekend can be a bit of a challenge.  It’s one of the most remote national parks. The closest airport to the national park is 3.5 hours away in Midland, Texas. So while this is a weekend guide to Big Bend, you will need a couple of travel days to get there.

Given the remote location of Big Bend National Park, you’ll definitely need to rent a vehicle to get there.  The national park is huge!  It can take up to an hour to drive from one entrance of the park to the other.  The roads within the park are mostly paved and, when dry, the gravel ones are well maintained. I was able to navigate through the park with a standard size car. Four wheel drive was not necessary.

Where to stay

There are lodges and campgrounds inside the park, however these spaces book quickly, especially during holiday weekends.  We chose to stay in the nearby town of Terlingua, an old ghost town, which has many unique glamping options.

Our accommodation:

We stayed at Basecamp Terlingua in one of their lotus tents.  This isn’t any backcountry camping—you get a queen sized bed, refrigerator, evaporative-cooler/space heater, coffee maker, and hot showers.  This was the most luxurious camping experience I’ve ever had. Honestly, our lotus tent may have been my favorite part of the entire weekend! 

Weekend Guide to Big Bend National Park

Day One in Big Bend National Park

Set out early in the morning from Midland.  Instead of driving straight to Terlingua, we chose to drive to the east entrance to Big Bend and take a trip across the border to Mexico for lunch before checking in to our accommodations. 

Crossing the border into Mexico:

Big Bend National Park is the only national park in the United States with an international border crossing.  Bring your passport if you plan to visit the Mexican town of Boquillas del Carmen during your visit to Big Bend National Park.

At the border crossing, there is limited parking, so try to come early.  We visited on a Friday afternoon and did not have a wait, but when we were leaving we did see a few cars waiting in line.  Be sure to check the hours of operation before crossing the border.  The US customs office is open 9:00 am-6:00 pm May 1-November 1 and 8:00 am-5:00 pm November 2-April 30.

We spent about two hours in Boquillas which gave us plenty of time to have a couple beers, explore the town, and eat some lunch. 

Check out the official National Park’s website for more information regarding passport requirements and hours of operation.

To get to Boquillas, you will leave your vehicle in front of the customs building on the US side of the border and cross the border via rowboat.  Bring some cash for the boat.  The trip across costs $5 USD per person (they accept US currency for the boat and all the restaurants in the town of Boquillas). 

Once you cross the river, you can walk the mile into the town or pay to go by horse or truck for another $5 per person.  After sitting in the car all morning, I wanted to stretch my legs so we chose to walk.  If you decide to walk like us—keep an eye out for where you step on the path because it’s the same one the horses use.   

Things to do in Boquillas: 

The town looks like something out of the wild west—just a short row of buildings out in the middle of the desert.  There are no ATMs here and the restaurants and souvenirs stands didn’t take cards when we visited. So, be sure to carry cash—US dollars are fine and were accepted everywhere.  

There were  couple of small restaurants, Jose Falcones is the larger, more popular of the two. They have an outdoor patio with a beautiful view overlooking the canyon. 

After enjoying a couple beers, we took a walk around the town.  There’s one main street lined with colorful houses and a few old buildings. If you’re looking for a little souvenir to take home from your trip, there are several small shops and stands selling t-shirts, embroidery, pottery, and other handmade goods.  

After our little stroll, we stopped into the smaller restaurant, Boquillas Café, for some lunch. We all ordered the goat tacos which were absolutely delicious!

Exploring Terlingua:

Terlingua was once an abandoned ghost town, but its grown its population once again due to its proximity to the national park.  Much like the small Mexican town we visited for lunch, it looks like something straight out of an old western film.  We had a blast exploring the old abandoned cars, old jailhouse, and an old church. I wished I had brought some cowboy boots for a western themed photo shoot! 

If you plan to visit during the spring, Terlingua has an annual Chihuahua race to benefit the Family Crisis Center of Big Bend every March.  I saw some pictures when we stopped in the grocery store and this looks so cute and fun!  Check out the events section of their facebook page for more info!

Where to eat in Terlingua: 

High Sierra Bar and Grill: Hole-in-the-wall style bar and grill with live music.  They don’t serve liquor, just beer and wine so their margaritas are a little different and made with agave wine instead of tequila.

Taqueria el Milagro—street style tacos.  If you’re looking for something cheap, quick and easy this is the best spot.  

Chili Pepper Café–Classic diner with Tex-Mex style dishes.  This is the perfect spot to grab a big breakfast before spending the day hiking.  Get the chilaquiles with eggs for a filling breakfast before a long day of hiking.

Starlight Theatre–the most popular restaurant in town. If you want a table here be sure to arrive early, or prepare to wait.  They do not take reservations.  We were too hungry after a long day of hiking to wait so we decided to go get some tacos down the street instead, but their menu looked amazing.

Day Two in Big Bend National Park

Hiking Big Bend

The biggest attraction to visiting Big Bend National Park is the amazing variety of hiking trails to choose from!  Check out the National Park’s website for a complete day hike guide to help you choose one that’s perfect for you.

Here are three of the most popular day hikes in Big Bend National Park:

Emory Peak:

This hike is perfect for those looking for a challenge. The total distance of the hike is 10.5 miles (total distance out and back). The last section of the summit is the most challenging, and features a rock scramble where you’ll need to do a bit of climbing. No special equipment is required for the short climb, but it was a fun challenge. At the end, you’ll be rewarded with some of the best views of Big Bend National Park.

The Window Trail:

The Window Trail is the perfect moderate option for those looking for a shorter hike with amazing views. The hike is a total of 4.5 miles out and back. At the viewpoint you’ll have a view of Big Bend National Park through the iconic window shaped rock.

Santa Elena Canyon:

With only 1.7 miles of total distance, this short hike is also one of the most picturesque and iconic in Big Bend National Park. The trail begins at the canyon entrance and follows the Rio Grande. The trail ends where the canyon walls meet the river, so it’s also an out-and-back trail.

Enjoying the sunset and stargazing in the desert: 

We spent the evening enjoying the sunset and stargazing by our luxurious lotus tent, and cozied up by our campfire with some tequila for a relaxing evening out in nature. Basecamp Terlingua has inspired me to look for more glamping opportunities on all my future outdoor adventures!  

The campsite is located in a dark-sky compliant area which means you have the perfect conditions for stargazing. I live in a small urban area, and it was amazing the difference in the night sky in Terlingua compared to at home.  It felt like I’d never really seen the night sky before—there were so many more stars than I’d ever imagined!  We saw so many things moving in the sky too.  I’m sure they weren’t really UFOs, and were most likely satellites or something like that, but I can see now why people claim to see something supernatural when stargazing out in the desert.  You really can see so much more in the sky out there! 

After ending our trip with a beautiful night in the desert, we packed up our rental car for the drive back to Midland and our flight home.  While we were only able to experience a small part of all that Big Bend National Park has to offer, it was the perfect long weekend getaway to experience nature and the desert.  

If you’re short on vacation days and looking for some more weekend getaway ideas, check out some of my other weekend trip ideas!