Big Bend National Park Parks and Outdoors Travel Guide
- Big Bend National Park Overview
- Big Bend National Park Hotels
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Big Bend National Park Attractions
(Submit Attraction) - Big Bend National Park Travel Advice
- Big Bend National Park Adventure Trips
- Big Bend National Park Airports
- Big Bend National Park Flights
- Pictures of Big Bend National Park
Parks and Outdoors Destinations Near Big Bend National Park
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Guadalupe Mountains National Park,TX
(207 mi.)

A desert landscape in Big Bend National Park, Texas. (ThinkStock)
Big Bend National Park Parks and Outdoors Travel Tips
- Big Bend may well be the most anonymous of the national parks in the Lower 48. If it's solitude you seek, you'll find it here. Besides serving up quiet in big, Texas-size portions, Big Bend boasts geologic wonders, unique wildlife, and plenty of room for hikers and campers to spread out.
- Varied topography, numerous springs and seeps, interesting canyons, and endless sky make the trail along Smoky Creek a popular route for more experienced hikers. As long as you avoid spring break time, the trail offers plenty of solitude for much of the year.
- Some of the Lone Star State's most scenic drives traverse the Big Bend National Park, offering views of west Texas' wide, sweeping vistas and its dramatic and rugged terrain. Although many of these roads (including the ones described below) are paved, others are more primitive, and some of these are suitable only for 4-wheel drive vehicles.
- Established in 1944 to preserve 12,000 square miles of the Chihuahuan Desert, Big Bend is home to more than 450 kinds of birds. Big Bend is best known for the birds in the Chisos Mountains.
- The extreme temperatures and geographic isolation of the park have given rise to animals specifically adapted to the area's many environmental niches. The Colima warbler, the greater long-nosed bat, and the Sierra del Carmen Mountains white-tailed deer are found nowhere else north of Mexico. The endangered Big Bend mosquito fish lives only here. And although this isn't the only place in the world to spot mountain lions or black bear, sightings of these gorgeous creatures are always a delight for park visitors.
Big Bend National Park Overview
Big Bend may well be the most anonymous of the national parks in the Lower 48. If it's solitude you seek, you'll find it here. Besides serving up quiet in big, Texas-size portions, Big Bend boasts geologic wonders, unique wildlife, and plenty of room for hikers and campers to spread out.Read More
Get Advice About Big Bend National Park
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Hotels
La Posada Milagro - Hotel
100 La Posada Ln.
Terlingua79852
Distance: 20.7 mi.
(from destination center)
Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
Terlingua79852
Distance: 20.7 mi.
(from destination center)
Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
Expert Rated & Recommended
Terlingua Oasis RV Park - Hotel
Hwy. 170
Terlingua79830
Distance: 21.5 mi.
(from destination center)
Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
Terlingua79830
Distance: 21.5 mi.
(from destination center)
Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
Expert Rated & Recommended
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Attractions
Blue Creek Trail
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Distance: 5.9 mi. (from destination center)
Description: Tread carefully on Blue Creek Trail, especially through the sandy washes at the onset. The path... Read More
Distance: 5.9 mi. (from destination center)
Description: Tread carefully on Blue Creek Trail, especially through the sandy washes at the onset. The path... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
Dodson Ranch Trail
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Distance: 2.8 mi. (from destination center)
Description: It's not a terribly long hike, but Dodson Ranch Trail can be arduous, particularly because of its... Read More
Distance: 2.8 mi. (from destination center)
Description: It's not a terribly long hike, but Dodson Ranch Trail can be arduous, particularly because of its... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
Laguna Meadows - Pinnacles Trail
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Distance: 3.3 mi. (from destination center)
Description: Follow Laguna Meadow Trail from the Chisos Basin to the meadow climbing 1,600 feet in 3.3 miles, or... Read More
Distance: 3.3 mi. (from destination center)
Description: Follow Laguna Meadow Trail from the Chisos Basin to the meadow climbing 1,600 feet in 3.3 miles, or... Read More
Expert Rated & Recommended
Airports
Major Airports near Big Bend National Park
| Distance (mi.) | ||
|---|---|---|
| El Paso International Airport | 256.8map | |
| San Antonio International Airport | 288.9map |
Other Smaller Airports near Big Bend National Park
| Distance (mi.) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Del Rio International Airport | 140.9map | |
| Chihuahua Gen Fierro Villalobos Airport | 171.0map | |
| Midland Odessa Regional Airport | 195.8map |
Big Bend National Park Parks and Outdoors Advice
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Top Ten Backpacking Loops
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Big Bend National Park Parks and Outdoors Travel Guides
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