Author’s note: the following is a story of brazen stupidity.
While the subjects of this story made it through unscathed, many lessons were learned and I strongly recommend against doing anything like this. This story is for educational and entertainment purposes only and I strongly recommend against making the same choices.
Table of Contents
Two Mistakes We Made
Don’t try this at home, kids.
Our First Mistake
Our first mistake occurred early in the trip. Thanks to some piss poor navigating, we ended up on an unmaintained section of river road without even realizing it.
The thing is, the road conditions hadn’t really changed from the “maintained” section of road. This mistakenly led us to believe that the unmaintained sections of road in the park weren’t really that bad.
Mistake number one: check.
Our Second Mistake
Mistake number two was allowing myself to become greedy for more – more adventure, more fun, more newness, more views.
We’d rented a jeep, you see, specifically to be able to get out and hike the Mariscal Canyon trail because I’d been wanting to see said canyon for quite some time.
So we drove that jeep out there, hiked that fucking trail and it was a letdown!
At the end of the day, I ended up curled up in the back of the jeep (because I’d forgotten the trekking poles and we therefore could not erect our tent). I lay there feeling sorry for myself because it hadn’t been as thrilling as I’d anticipated. I chafed for a better, more adventurous and thrilling day tomorrow. I wanted to feel my heart sing!
I wanted to avoid backtracking along River Road and having to see the same scenery twice (can you imagine?!). Jon suggested we take Black Gap Road through to Glenn Spring Road, which would take us to Pine Canyon Trailhead, a hike I very much wanted to do.
This move had never been on our radar, so I hadn’t researched anything about Black Gap. But, having easily – if accidentally – breezed over other unmaintained roads today like a professional fucking stuntster (see Our First Mistake), I very foolishly assumed Black Gap would be similar. We didn’t even think to look up the road description in the “roads of big bend” book that was in the Jeep.
Rookie move. For fuck’s sake, always do your research!
Clouded by self pity and lust for thrilling experiences, I agreed that we should take Black Gap Road to Glenn Spring Road.
Mistake number two: check. Our fates were sealed.
Driving Black Gap Road
In the morning, with me confidently driving and feeling rather optimistic, we hit up Black Gap Road. To be safe, I practiced quickly shifting the Jeep into 4WD in case I needed it unexpectedly. Sure, the road was maybe a little more narrow than River Road but the terrain was no different than anything we’d faced. Easy peasy.
What was all the fuss over these unmaintained roads about?
What All the Fuss Is About
We’d been on the road for quite some time. There had been a few sandy washes that I’d shifted into 4WD for but nothing that made even me, the chicken of all chickens, hesitate.
Easy Driving From River Road
We began to laugh at how Big Bend National Park oversold their back country roads. Looking at the NPS’s information on their website and all the signage warning of the dangers and difficulties of these roads you’d think you were going into a war zone.
We joked about how Big Bend National Park’s “unmaintained” roads were better than its sister State Park’s “maintained” roads.
For the record, Big Bend Ranch State Park has some truly gnarly “roads” that I wouldn’t even try with a Jeep.
Rocky Washes and More
By this time we’d just passed Elephant Tusk without trouble. Jon was just commenting on “what a lie” the difficulties of the back roads in the National Park are when we approached a steep, bumpy descent into a rocky wash.
The laughter died from our lips, and after the steep, gravelly climb out of the dry river bed, we realized there might be a little more to Black Gap than we’d thought.
We encountered more twists, dips and climbs. It was becoming cleared that Black Gap was a different beast than the other unmaintained roads.
And that’s when everything changed.
The Step: An Experience in a Pinch Canyon
Then we descended into the canyon that we would later learn is referred to (on the internet, you know) as “the pinch canyon” or “the step”.
As we drove down the rocky path into the canyon, I began to panic. The canyon was becoming increasingly narrow. It felt like the walls were closing in (they were), and there was no way to turn the Jeep around.
“It’s too narrow!” I wailed at Jon as I helplessly drove forward, “We won’t fit!”
Jon later admitted that he missed an opportunity to quip, “That’s what she said”.
Heading into the pinch canyon
The high rocky walls of the canyon rose up on both sides of us, seeming to close in over top of us as we inched forward. Creeping through the winding canyon, I could feel my heart rate increase, and I clenched the steering wheel ever tighter.
This had been a massive mistake.
Then we saw it. The road abruptly dropped off as if the rock had been sliced by a knife.
“Nope, nope, nope” I said, panic rising. The Jeep jerked to a halt as I slammed on the brakes. I stared in horror at the drop off.
We were in a canyon. Hemmed in. The only way out was through. Why the fuck had we decided to take this damn road? Neither of us had any back country driving experience. We had no idea what we were doing. We were in a rental car!
I just knew that we were utterly and completely fucked.
In a panic, I attempted to put the Jeep in park and took my foot off the brake. The Jeep rolled forward and I stomped back on the brake. In my flustered state, I’d accidentally just taken it out of 4WD instead of putting it into park. Shoving the stick into park, I hopped out and stared down at the abyss.
Jon joined me, cooly eyeing the drop off and the rocks piled beneath it. He said he could make it down.
Try not to laugh, dear reader, when I say that I turned tail and actually ran down the road, away from the Jeep. In my panicked state, I absolutely couldn’t stand to be near the situation.
Jon crept the Jeep forward haltingly. Slowly but surely he bumped his way down the drop, over the rocks and safely onto the road below. The Jeep jerked and bounced as he made his way down the rubble beneath The Step.
We would later learn that, according to the book Backcountry Road Guide and most other educational internet sources, this part of the road requires a highly skilled and experienced technical driver.
I did not get back into the driver’s seat.
Beyond The Step
We were no longer laughing and the tension of The Step stayed with us. We now knew that anything could lurk around the next bend and we were correct to expect more challenges ahead. I was still convinced there would be even worse terrain and that we’d destroy the car or become hopelessly stuck.
The next stretch of road was far tougher than it had been prior to Elephant Tusk. The emotional tension makes it difficult to remember every twist and turn.
At this point, an experienced back road Jeep driver may be rolling their eyes at these histrionics, but for a rookie backroader, this was an intense and regrettable experience.
We descended even further into a rocky river bed before beginning our climb out the other side. We stayed in 4WD until we were sure we were through the worst of it.
As we prepared to climb out of the river bed, Jon hesitated for a moment. What we assumed was the road resembled nothing more than broken, jumbled bedrock jutting out from the side of a hill but it was the only path forward so Jon gunned the engine like the badass motherfucker he is.
This was a fucking steep climb
Jon attacked this climb with a cautious aggression, knowing that he couldn’t slow down but also uncertain what awaited further ahead.
What lay on the other side was a steep embankment. If anything, it was an even steeper drop than “the step”. It looked like we were going to drive straight into the ground. We rolled slowly down it and somehow the tires found purchase and rolled us up and out without any damage.
Fortunately, we were now through the worst of it, but we had no way of knowing that because we hadn’t done any research.
From the Cliff’s Edge to Glenn Springs
The road wound along a cliff’s edge, displaying views of Vernon Mountain. To our left the hill rose steeply, to our right it fell sharply away. The sweeping view was no doubt something to enjoy but I was too terrified to enjoy a damn thing.
At last we climbed up to a hilltop. The road looked like smooth driving for a ways and we stopped to stretch our legs and empty our clenched bladders.
From there the road was smooth sailing – at least by comparison. We came across a small turn off with three crosses – no doubt the graves of other foolhardy backcountry drivers.
Eventually we found our way to Glenn Springs. The area is unmistakable because it’s wet and green. The wet, muddy crossing felt easy compared to what we’d come through, though the vegetation did hug the Jeep rather closely and other drivers have complained of pinstriping through this area.
Immediately after the puddles, we came around a sharp turn and then faced a steep hill. It felt easy compared to the terrain we’d been facing but if we’d encountered it the day before we’d have classed it “intimidating”.
A hundred feet further up the road and we t-boned into blessed Glenn Spring Road. I almost cried with relief.
Too Long: Didn’t Read;
The bottom line is this: if you’re going to drive Black Gap Road, be prepared to navigate sudden drop offs, steep climbs, narrow ledges and exposed craggy bedrock. Do your homework, take the appropriate supplies and maybe get a little back road experience under your belt first.
Unless you have a capable high clearance 4WD vehicle and backcountry driving experience, I would not recommend.
FAQ
On Black Gap Road, which direction is easier to drive?
South to north is the “easier” run because you go down the step rather than up it. Jon was confident he could get down the step. Looking back afterward, he was rather less confident he could get back up it.
How long does it take to drive Black Gap Road Big Bend?
The answer to this question depends on where you are going. From River Road to Glenn Springs, plan on at least 2 hours.
Do you need 4WD for Black Gap Road?
Yes, while much of the road is doable in a simple high clearance vehicle, there are some sections of the road that most definitely require four wheel drive. It is often very difficult to turn around in and near those areas. DO NOT attempt this in a two wheel drive vehicle.
How long is Black Gap Road?
It is about 10 miles long but can take up to 2 hours to cover.
Further Reading
https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery.htm?pg=6161978&id=AC43991B-82A6-4E4F-A7C6-1E36E877759F
https://bbnha.org/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=119&products_id=791
https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/4114-black-gap-road.html#google_vignette