Our travel plans depend on the weather forecast. A strong cold front heading across the southwest had us chasing warmer weather to Big Bend National Park. Big Bend and surrounding area is extremely remote. Being a holiday week, we couldn’t get a spot in any of the park campgrounds but we were able to find (after much difficulty) a boondocking spot not too far away from the park in Terlingua. Supplies are limited and cell coverage is unreliable. That is to say I had nothing and Cathy’s came and went. But we made do. Actually, it was kind of nice to unplug for a while and meet up with some friends who are traveling in the same area.
Croesus Canyon
We found this spot on Hipcamp, the campers version of AirBnB. Croesus Canyon is a beautiful piece of land with mountain views no matter which way you look. The quiet and solitude were refreshing. The sunsets an sunrises were spectacular. And enjoying the occasional campfire in the evening watching the sun go down capped off a great day at Big Bend National Park. Thanks to Brandon and Lynn for letting us share their little slice of paradise.
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park is a diverse region located in the southern tip of Texas along the ‘big bend’ in the Rio Grande. It is a wildly beautiful natural region, with a complex and fascinating history. Activities in the 1,252 square mile park (which is bigger than the state of Rhode Island) include hiking, camping, river running, horse riding, mountain bicycling, birding, jeep touring, and abundant sightseeing opportunities on paved and dirt roads. There are 150 miles of hiking trails through mountainous desert terrain and along rivers. Many of the park’s expansive vistas belong to both to Mexico and the US.
Big Bend National Park has numerous geographical contrasts. There is the vegetation belts along the Rio Grande, the sparseness of the Chihuahuan Desert, the peaks of the Chisos Mountains, and the limestone outcrops of Persimmon Gap and Boquillas Canyon. In addition, Big Bend has the darkest night skies of any national park in the lower 48 states so the star-gazing is amazing.
Everywhere in the park that is near the Mexican border, you can see some little ‘stores’ based on the honor system selling trinkets, walking sticks, ceramics brought over from Mexico by enterprising folks. But beware. These are illegal and anything you buy could be taken as contraband by the Park Patrol. However, it doesn’t seem like they put much effort into stopping the practice.
Hiking
Santa Elena Canyon
Santa Elena Canyon is 8 miles long and 1,500 feet deep. In some places it is only 30 feet wide. The Rio Grande eroded through the surface layers and cut steep-sided canyons in the more resistant Lower Cretaceous limestones. Today you can see those ancient limestone formations exposed in the canyon walls. The Santa Elena Canyon is the most popular overnight or three day river trip in the park.
This short 2 mile round trip hike only takes you though a small portion of that but the canyon walls and scenery are breathtaking. The trail first crosses the Terlingua Creek. The creek is usually dry, according the park publication, but not today. There are some stepping stones just under the water’s surface but unless you have water proof boots, you have to accept the fact your feet are going to get wet. Once on the other side, the trail ascends a series of switchbacks to an overlook and then slowly descends again, ending at the side of the Rio Grande. There are a few spots off trail for great photo opportunities. The opposite side is a Mexican National Park and it wouldn’t take much effort to ford the river and touch the opposite canyon wall. Today’s weather couldn’t be any better for hiking and picture taking.
The Window Trail
The Chisos Mountains contain some of the most rewarding day hikes in Big Bend. The Window Trail is one of the most popular hikes in Big Bend National Park. Beginning at the Chisos Basin, the trail descends 980 feet through Oak Creek Canyon. We spotted a Carmen Mountain white-tail buck chasing his female companion through the canyon. There were also a lot of Mexican Jays flitting around hoping someone would drop some trail mix. The trail ends at the Window pour-off which frames beautiful panoramic desert vistas. The pour-off has been worn smooth by the water and can be slippery. So if you are intent on going to the edge, be careful. That last step is a doozy – 220 feet straight down.
The walk down was easy. The return trip, not so much as it’s all uphill. and the return hike is uphill. We wouldn’t have missed much and could have knocked off a little over a mile and 480 feet of elevation by starting at the campgrounds instead of Chisos Basin. Hiking back up that last half mile, I thought maybe we should’ve. This was a pretty aggressive start to our hiking season Nevertheless, the hike, the scenery and the views are well worth the effort.
Mule Ears Springs
It doesn’t take much imagination to see why the twin peaks are called Mule Ears. The trail is a 3.8 mile round trip to a disappointing desert spring. But along the way are great mountain and desert views. The park publication listed this hike a 20 feet of elevation. The sign at the trail head said 880 feet. The reality is some where in between. Other than a few short sections with stairs, the elevation gain was gradual. If you’re not up for the hike, there is a short, easy walk to an overlook of the Mule Ears.
Hot Springs
Upstream of Rio Grande Village, there are a series of thermal springs adjacent to the Rio Grande, known as the Boquillas Hot Springs. Boquillas is Spanish for “little mouths” and refers to the many small streams or arroyos that drain this part of the Sierra del Carmen range and flow into the Rio Grande. The Boquillas Hot Springs sit at 105 degrees year round. In the 1900’s J.O. Langford built a bathhouse over one of the springs. Claiming he had been healed of some ailment, he marketed the therapeutic benefits of the waters to others. Eventually, he built up a rustic resort for those visiting the hot springs. Today, the spring is contained by the foundation of the bathhouse and seems like a great place to soak after a day of hiking.
Getting to the hot springs is a short, picturesque, easy walk past what remains of Langford’s resort. And, if you look closely, you can find a small trail to the edge of a cliff where there are some petroglyphs. We spent some time alternately soaking in the springs and swimming in the Rio Grande. It’s a short swim to touch the river banks on the Mexican side.
J.O. Langford’s Residence 
The Rustic Lodge 
A Post Office/Store 
Petroglyphs 
Scenic Drives and Overlooks
For those not interested in hiking, there is plenty to see from the road.
Boquillas Canyon Overlook
The vistas from up here are amazing. Thomas had his horse giving short rides. Very friendly. From the lookout, we could see into Mexico at folks from the Mexican village of Boquillas playing beach volleyball. About a mile down the road is the trailhead to a short hike to the canyon entrance, similar to the Santa Elena Canyon hike.
Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive
The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive is 30 miles and ends at the Santa Elena Canyon trailhead. Along the way is the Sotol Vista with unparalleled views of the entire western side of Big Bend National Park. From here, Santa Elena Canyon appears as a small gap in the distant mesa. Sotol Vista is a must-see stop at any time of the day, but I’m told is particularly nice at sunrise or sunset. Far from any artificial lights, the vista is also a great place for stargazing.
From here, the Santa Elaena Canyon doesn’t look like much.
But it looks much more impressive from the canyon overlook further on down the road.
There are plenty of other great views along the way, as well:
Rather than go back the way we came, we decided to take the Old Maverick Road back. That is a gravel road that the park literature says any car can do. Let’s put it this way – I wouldn’t take my car down it. It is pretty rough and rutted.
Along the way is the Luna’s Jacal. At the edge of Alamo Creek, Gilberto Luna raised a large family (the Ranger said 20 kids) in a small house called a jacal (hah-KAHL). The house was well adapted to the desert climate. I noticed a dramatic temperature difference when I ducked inside. Gilberto farmed cotton, corn, and other crops irrigated by water diverted from the nearby creek. Quite an impressive feat, although I can imagine his patience was severely tested by the climate and all those kids in such a small house.
Terlingua Ghost Town
As with all National Parks, there’s a lot to do outside it’s boundaries. There are several outdoor adventure companies around offering river adventures, bicycling, and horseback riding. Also nearby is the Terlingua Ghost Town. The town is located near the Rio Grande and the Texas villages of Lajitas and Study Butte. The discovery of cinnabar – from which the metal mercury is extracted – in the mid-1880s, drew miners to the area, creating a city of 2,000 people. By 1900, there were four mining companies operating at Terlingua. By the 1940’s the mines had dried up, people just walked away from their homes and businesses, leaving a real ghost town.
But things are looking up for the old town. Terlingua held it’s first championship chili cook off in 1967. Today, over 10,000 “chili heads” come from all over the world on the first Saturday every November to compete. Some enterprising folks have recently come in to make some money on the town. There are a couple hotels and the center of town has been redeveloped in to a restaurant, gift shop and other touristy things. Some creative people have incorporated the crumbling ruins into new private residences. Even with all this progress, nothing much has changed here. It’s worth an afternoon.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
We made a last minute decision to stop at Carlsbad Caverns before continuing our trek west. We found a spot on BLM land called Parks Ranch Campgrounds, less than 10 miles from the park. The scenery is beautiful overlooking the Chihuahuan Desert and the Guadalupe Mountains. And, best of all, we’re just about the only ones here!
Enjoying the view from our window
Despite our prime location, in retrospect, maybe we should’ve waited for our trip back north to visit. One of the highlights of the park is the evening bat flight from the cave. The park hosts 17 different bat species. The large colony of Brazilian free-tailed bats wow visitors every evening by flying out of the cavern and into the night sky in search of insects to eat. Unfortunately, at this time of the year, the bats are either hibernating or have migrated south for the winter. Obviously, I didn’t do my due diligence. This may necessitate a return trip.
The Caverns
But the caverns are still here so we went down. Cathy describes the experience as magical. I can’t come up with just one word to describe our experience. Carlsbad Cavern is world famous as one of the largest caves in the world. We hiked down the natural Entrance which descends 775 feet to the bottom. The surroundings become steadily more scenic as you descend, with small side-caves filled with intricate rock forms. The path ultimately arrives at the elevator to the surface visitor center, and links with the Big Room.
The Big Room is a a natural limestone chamber with 8.2 acres of floor space and a 255-foot-high ceiling. Immense stalactites and stalagmites grow from the ceiling and floor of the Big Room and many of the cavern’s other chambers. There are four other branches of the cave to explore but only with a ranger and an extra fee. The lights are white, so all colors in the caves are natural. Some areas have shallow underground pools, also illuminated, whose reflections add another dimension to the delicate formations above. The 1.25 mile path follows a roughly circular (anti-clockwise) route down one side of the chambers and back along the other. The cave is so large that the two parts of the trail are generally out of sight of each other.
Pareidolia is the tendency for perception to impose a meaningful interpretation on a nebulous stimulus, usually visual, so that one sees an object, pattern, or meaning where there is none. That’s why we see objects in cloud formations or faces in inanimate objects, like the Man in the Moon. A lot of the formations in the cave have been given names based on that principle. Here are some images with the names given by the the cave explorers. Here’s a few of those and some other random formations you can name yourself. Kind of like your own personal Rorschach Test.
Whale’s Mouth 
New York Skyline 
Doll Theater 
Chinese Theater 
But Wait! There’s More!
There’s more to Carlsbad Caverns National Park than just the famous caves. There is a 9 1/2 mile scenic drive through the Walnut Canyon. Except during floods, the canyon is dry, its floor dominated by white limestone cobbles and boulders. Small, scattered walnut trees that give the canyon its name. Cliffs of weathered limestone make up the canyon walls and desert plants carpet the slopes. The drive starts on the rim and meanders down into the canyon. There are several overlooks along the way, one of the best being at Rattlesnake Canyon. Keep a sharp eye out and you might be able to see some deer, goats, and sheep. We didn’t, probably because it was chilly and windy. The wildlife knows to stay home in such weather conditions where we, obviously, do not.
Rattlesnake Canyon 
Another View of Rattlesnake Canyon
There are also over 50 miles of primitive, back-country trails. We did not partake because of their strenuous nature and lack of equipment. And also, most importantly, we didn’t want to. There are other, less demanding hikes in the Slaughter Canyon section of the park. There is also another cave there to explore, but only with a park ranger as your guide.
Slaughter Canyon Cave is a ranger-guided hike in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It is a separate from the main cavern and is maintained in a more primitive state, without lighting or paved trails. Tours need to be arranged in advance through recreation.gov. It offers a quiet alternative to the sometimes crowded main cavern. It will require head lamps, knee pads and some spelunking skills as the cave is in its natural state. We hiked up the Slaughter Canyon Cave Trail to the cave mouth. It’s a little over a mile up and ascends about 550 ft. From here, you get quite a view of the canyon.
Afterward, we took a hike through the canyon for a different perspective.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Not too far away is Guadalupe Mountains National Park so we get to check another National Park off our list. Guadalupe is one of the least visited parks in the US. Probably because there are no roads through the park. To see it, you have to hike it. While there are no roads through the park, getting there is quite scenic. Guadalupe Mountains National Park includes 86,416 acres in west Texas, just south of the New Mexico state line. The Guadalupe Mountains rise more than 3,000 feet above the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert. The most striking feature in the park, and one that can be seen from a long ways off, is El Capitan, a 1,000-foot-high limestone cliff. Nearby Guadalupe Peak, 8,751 feet above sea level, is the highest point in Texas.
The road to Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Butterfield Overland Mail Route – Pinery Springs Station
At the Piney Springs visitors Center is a short trail leading to the remains of one of the stops along the Butterfield Overland Mail Route. The route took passengers and mail from Memphis and St. Louis to San Fransisco and points in between, from 1858 to 1861. The routes from each eastern city met at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and then continued through Indian Territory ( present day Oklahoma), Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Mexico, and California ending in San Francisco.
Smith Springs
The trail is a gradual assent of about 400 feet for 1.3 miles to a beautiful mountain spring. Along the way, you pass Frijole Ranch and Museum. This is the most complete remnant of the farming and ranching enterprises in the Guadalupe Mountains. The Smith family moved here in 1906 largely because of the availability of water in the area. The ranch has a spring on it that produces 6 gallons of water per minute. Impressive by desert standards. The nearby pond is a result of damming up a spring to create a recreation area for swimming and picnics.
Passing the ranch, the trail begins a steady climb towards the mountains. after a little more than a half mile, the vegetation thickens and trees appear to provide some shade. We’ve done several hikes to mountain springs that were extremely disappointing (see the Mule Ears). This one however, exceeded expectations. At the end of the trail, a stunning mountain spring falls into an inviting pool and makes its way down the along the trail. The scenery for this hike is astounding.
And then there’s this. It just doesn’t look natural. Did the Mayans or Incas make it this far north? Is it evidence of alien visitation? Who knows?
McKittrick Canyon
McKittrick Canyon is reputed to be the most beautiful place in Texas. While I haven’t seen enough of Texas to confirm that statement, it is definitely the prettiest place I’ve seen so far. The trail begins at the visitor center and initially follows a dry stream, crossing the stream bed several times as it works its way up the canyon. There are a few different destinations along the trail, depending on how ambitious you are. A strenuous, double digit mile hike will take you to the ridge of the canyon with over 2000 feet of elevation gain in the last 2 miles. That’s not for us.
The Grotto is a popular day hike destination only about 3.5 miles into the canyon. This is a cavity beneath a limestone cliff with stalagmite-like formations, and an old cabin, the Hunter Line Cabin, reached by a short spur trail. This is boarded up and unoccupied, except by groups of bats that hang upside down from the ceiling during the day. Maybe another day.
The shortest (and easiest) hike into the heart of the canyon is to Pratt Cabin, a relatively flat trek of 4.8 miles round trip. The first part of the hike is typical of a desert trek. After a while, you forget you’re in a desert as the desert vegetation changes to the shade of maple, walnut, oak, and other hardwood trees. Two stone pillars mark the driveway to the cabin. Most cabins or lodges at the end of mountain hikes we’ve done are dilapidated ruins of some hermit’s dwelling. We were not prepared for what we saw.
The impressive stone and wood structure was built by Wallace Everette Pratt (1885-1981), a petroleum geologist who once owned most of McKittrick Canyon. He used this place as his vacation home and, for a while, his permanent residence after he retired. Thre is a stone picnic table out front that Pratt had put in and is a great spot for lunch. But an even better spot is on the back porch overlooking the canyon. I can’t imagine having your morning coffee with that view. It appears that volunteers staff Pratt Cabin on occasion. Even if no one is there, take a peak inside at the layout and the furnishings. This is one of the top hikes we’ve ever done.
View from the back porch
Moving on. . .
The weather is expected to turn colder here so we need to chase the warmer weather and sunshine further west. We would’ve liked to explore Guadalupe Mountains National Park more but with the cold weather closing in, we move on. I guess that has to wait for a return trip. We can see the bat flight at Carlsbad Caverns then, too. Until then, we’ll see you where the temperatures are warmer and the sun is shining.
Wonderful!
Great stuff as always! Texas has the greatest sky! Love you guys.
Very interesting. Your descriptions are amazing.