Big Bend-UPDATE

Roy&Lynne wrote:
I see there is a notice at the National Park site that water is limited to 5 gallons a day so if I were you I would take some extra and fill up before you go.

The water restrictions were implemented while we were campground hosts at Chisos Basin last summer. The main area with severe water problems is the Panther Junction HQ area.

The mountain area/ basin maintained good water supply last summer, but it was a relatively wet summer. Their water comes from a spring.

Panther Junction was trying to get an EIS done to drill a new water well, because their current well was running dry.

Rio Grande Village has adequate wells, as long as the Rio Grande is flowing decently.

Castelon uses a reverse osmosis system to purify a very limited supply of water from some very high mineral content wells.

They were having to truck water around last summer.

High demand times when campgrounds are full can strain any of the water sources in Big Bend if folks are extravagant with water usage.

As far as camping with water and electric hookups.

The best way is to volunteer for three months, either as a campground host, visitor center rep, or other position. I knew one person who volunteered as a general pipefitter/ plumber, another who volunteered as an auto mechanic.

For short trips - the contractor run parking lot at Rio Grande Village is the only place with hookups in the park. Not bad, but not a national park experience.

There is a FHU campground just five miles outside the north entrance on TX 2627 - Stillwell Ranch.

In Study Butte at the west entrance to the park is the Big Bend Resort Campground behind the restaurant and lodge.

There are a couple others in Study Butte, and as mentioned above - Maverick Ranch in Lajitas is the best campground around.

Maverick Ranch is also 22 miles from the park entrance, 64 driving miles from the fantastic Santa Elena Canyon, 46 driving miles from the incredible mountain hiking in the Chisos Basin, 64 driving miles from Rio Grande Village.

And the park does enforce the 45 mph speed limit.

Plan plenty of time and a bit of driving.

Must see - take the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to Castelon - stop at the over looks and side trip walks. Walk down into Tuff Canyon.

In the Chisos Mountains if you are physically up to a 15 mile hike, with a 2,500 ft climb - the South Rim is incredible.

If not up to that (we weren't) - the Lost Mine Trail at the top of the pass into the Basin is a great hike.

If you want to do the Window Trail, strongly recommend driving down to the alternate trailhead in the campground. Be aware that the trail down to the pouroff (dry waterfall where water drains out of the basin in heavy rains) can be a difficult climb back, since most of the elevation change occurs in the last half mile of the return trip when you are most tired.

Young kids do the trail down and back in under two hours. Old folks and young children get dehydrated because they didn't carry enough water and the climb back in full sunlight is tough.

Though temps will likely only be in the mid-80s, the 10-15% humidity and direct sunlight with no shade, along with 5,000 ft elevation can get to you quickly if not an experienced mountain hiker.

Also strongly recommend going to Fort Davis for a couple days. At 165 miles - it's not a day trip.

We hosted there in Nov and Dec last year at Davis Mountains State Park. Along with the MacDonald Observatory - don't miss Fort Davis National Historic Site. DMSP has some nice hiking trails which are much better suited for an older generation than the mountains of Big Bend.

Do be aware that Big Bend NP is not 'dog friendly'. Your dogs cannot go on the trails, they must be on leashes. There are bears active, especially in the mountains, and javalina (peccaries) near the river and in the desert. You don't want a dog to be anywhere near those.

You will also see javalina at DMSP in Fort Davis.

Javalina will get into a tent, cooler, any container with food. We, and the other camp hosts, worked very hard to keep the Big Bend Mexican Black Bears ignorant of people food.