Texas Trails. Hiking Gear Reviews. Brutal Honesty.
Way out on the edge of West Texas is a place with some of the darkest damn night skies in the world and ancient limestone canyons carving deep furrows across the land. The green oasis of the Chisos Mountains looks out over a vast rocky desert in all directions. This fucking park contains about 200 miles of hiking trails, over 100 miles of paved roads, and roughly (get it?) 150 miles of dirt roads. They call this place Big Bend.
This one mile round trip trail is one of the best desert hikes for adventurers looking for an easy jaunt with a big payoff. If you’re fit enough to slog through a bit of sand, a very cool box canyon experience is closer than you think. The name may be a mouthful, and the typical … Read more
Hot Springs Trail is a 5.5 mile round trip hike through some of Big Bend’s most stunning desert landscape. Ending at the historic Hot Springs, hikers can relax in thermal springs that are thought to have healing properties. This hike was definitely the most dramatic experience I had at Big Bend National Park. In fact, … Read more
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. Two Mistakes We Made … Read more
To do Juniper Canyon Trail, you have to really fucking want it. Either you haul ass up Pinnacles to Boot Canyon to get to it or you drive a 4×4 high clearance car up Juniper Canyon road to get to it. Either way, it’s a hell of a lot of work. Is it worth it? … Read more
The canyon is lush, fertile and even occasionally boasts water depending on rainfall that year – it’s the perfect place for apex predators to lie in wait for unsuspecting prey (me). Maybe I was wigging out but all my instincts screamed “danger, danger, danger!” the first time I hiked this trail and for once, I … Read more
You didn’t think we’d actually get through a page on Big Bend without talking about illegal border crossings, did you? Picture this. You’re strolling along a trail by the Rio Grande – maybe Hot Springs Trail, maybe Boquillas Canyon or, if you’re a brave heart, Marufo Vega – and you run up on a scrawny … Read more
There is a never ending list of things to do in Big Bend – so many, in fact that your head will be spinning at the thought of trying to cram them all in. You’ll need to take several trips to this park to experience all it has to offer. Hiking There are more than … Read more
Have I mentioned yet that Big Bend is a special place? Just as its flora is impressive, so is its fauna. Big Bend is home to an incredible diversity of wildlife. Animal species in the park include 11 species of amphibians, 56 species of reptiles, 40 species of fish, 75 species of mammals, over 400 … Read more
You’re spoiled for choice when camping in Big Bend National Park. There are four very diverse main campgrounds in Big Bend – the Chisos Mountains campground, Rio Grande Village campground, Rio Grande Village RV park, and Cottonwood Campground. There is also a lodge in the Chisos Mountains or you can choose from a number of … Read more
Big Bend doesn’t fuck around when it comes to the weather. This park can kill you at either extreme of hot or cold. While heat related deaths are the most common fatalities in Big Bend, cold has also claimed a life or two. The takeaway: The weather here is to be taken seriously – no … Read more