Big Bend at Christmas

Christmas can get busy at Big Bend so my recommendation would be to make reservations at RGV (the NPS campground not the rv facility). Site 23 is a good one. On that end of the Park, you can hike the RGV nature trail and the Hot Springs from the campground then drive to the parking area for Boquillas Canyon (say 'Hi' to Victor the singing Mexican for us).

Parking lots off the paved road provide trail heads for several hikes mostly on the west side of the Park - Burro Mesa, Tuff Canyon, Sam Nail ranch, Santa Elena Canyon (don't miss this one).

We tow a 19' 5th wheel into the Basin with no problem and I've seen tour buses at the lodge so vehicles larger than yours do make it in. If you get there, the Lost Mine trail and the Window are both strenuous but worth it. If you're really up for awesome, try the South Rim (14 mi RT). Even if you don't make the whole route, its a great experience. Site 47 slopes a bit but is our favorite there. We've been able to transfer from one campground to another without any penalty in the past if we found a site we liked better.

We'll be there in early October for ten days.

Excellent information. Thanks!

The RV length on the Chisos drive is a "recommended" 24'. Since you're so close to that length why not ask a ranger if you can drive it?

Also, there are plenty of wonderful hikes to be done without going up to the Chisos:

Hikes in Big Bend

I really think you'd like Rio Grande Village campground the best...the dry camping area. Part of the campground you can use your generator and you definitely won't need your air conditioning in December!

Cottonwood campground is nice but it doesn't allow generators and there's no dump station.

Explore the above Big Bend website for lots of good information.

DougE wrote:
Going up to the Chisos Basin there is one tight switchback. Once you go over the pass there are about 3 switchbacks going down. The road is posted as being limited to 20' long trailers. In actuality the park probably runs larger vehicles than your rig in and out. It's too long to hike and probably too much of a long grade to bike. If I had your unit I would do it.

I agree with that. People from the Rockies would probably laugh at the concerns given about that road. The road is not busy, meaning you can use as much room as you need in the switchbacks. Assuming good visibility, which I think there is. I don't think it would be a problem. I'd do it if I had a 26 foot C.

Going up to the Chisos Basin there is one tight switchback. Once you go over the pass there are about 3 switchbacks going down. The road is posted as being limited to 20' long trailers. In actuality the park probably runs larger vehicles than your rig in and out. It's too long to hike and probably too much of a long grade to bike. If I had your unit I would do it.

Are there places to park the mh on the way to Chisos Basin and walk the remainder? My mh is 26', and sounds like it is too large for the drive to Chisos Basin.

Thanks for all the information. We might just save the space by leaving the bikes, and hike.

I noticed you said BB area and not just BB NP.

RE the NP: I agree with others that you'd be best to camp in the regular no-hook-up CG at Rio Grande Village. You can run a generator as needed during the day, to make coffee, microwave, whatever. Be advised there is a no generator section. If you need AC then you'd be much better off at the parking lot type full hook up CG by the store. You'll be driving the C to the trailheads and I wouldn't be surprised if it amounted to an hour or more per day of driving, which would help keep your coach batteries charged. That's a good thing since most RVs don't charge quickly enough via their genset running their built in converter/charger. But that's another story.

You can cross into Mexico at the primitive crossing just established near RG Village. You might be able to find someone to take you trail riding (horses) over there, but that's just a guess. They certainly use horses a lot on the other side.

At RG Village, you are at the far end of the park. I think with a 7 year old, you'll not be biking too many places. The trails are not suited for it. You can bike over to the store for ice cream and internet, though. :)

As mentioned, the road to the Chisos Basin is considered to be too tight for anything much over 25'. It's really the last mile or two dropping down into the basin where the problem lies, IIRC. So even if you can't go the whole way down there, you can visit trail heads and such along the way.

There is a BB State Park to the west of Terlingua. There are no CGs in it, but it's good scenery and hiking. It'd be too long of a long day to visit there out of a CG at RG Village in the NP. No way. Instead, you might enjoy spending a few days in Terlingua. At first it looks like not much. But it's quite the place. I'd recommend BJ's RV Park. Same commment applies. :) They are very nice and super helpful there. They will tell you where to go, which nights are better at which eatery, etc. Also, from Terlingua, you can go back into that side of the NP to do the trails etc. There are some back roads you could bike on from BJ's. They just go off into the semi-civilized scrub outside of town, but it'd seem exotic to your kid.

Davis Mountains SP is pretty nice, but I read here that its CG is closed for repairs this winter. You could check to make sure, because last winter it was their lodge which was closed for repairs, not the CG. There is a private CG in Ft. Davis as well. It's a nice little western town. Nearby is the observatory, with a very nice star gazing show. Bring jackets.

Marfa is supposed to be a neat town, but we didn't get there.

The peak season is Easter. I would go any other time without making reservations. Two campgrounds are good for biking. Rio Grande Village with flush toilets and Cottonwood campground with pit toilets. Both have water points. I would do two nights at Cottonwood (biking to Santa Elena Canyon) and most of my time at Rio Grande Village (biking to Boquillas Canyon). (They're at opposite ends of the park, kinda.) You might take the Class C down the road a ways to the Hot Springs and bike most of the way (the road's too tight for a C). Be sure and hike back to the spring. The Chisos Basin is good for hiking and warmer at night since its at a higher elevation than the other two campgrounds. The only in-park restaurant is there. That campground has flush toilets. Check the mileage from the campgrounds to the canyons, your daughter may not be up for that long of a bicycle ride, but some of the way would be interesting anyway. Look for the finger-sized barrel cactus in the rocks on the uphill side of the tunnel (they have little pink flowers in the spring but you'll miss that). Just get out and walk some, you'll be surprised at what you can find. Ranger walks and talks are great! Attend all you can.

TexasShadow wrote:

water and dump campground at Rio Grande campground.

...just for clarification, Rio Grande has both full hookups and dry camping. Here's the park's site on campgrounds:

Big Bend Campgrounds