Big Bend (yet some more) - Wild Texas Forums: Parks, Travel & Recreation

kai · 02-12-2004, 07:09 AM

Ok, so I've convinced some guys to go to Big Bend w/ me (Ok, Ok, one of them is my husband, he didn't have much of a choice- but i did talk another friend into coming). It looks like we'll have about 3, maybe 4 days for the trip, so about 2 full days in the park. Exactly when is still up in the air, but sometime in the spring- perhaps April-ish? early may-ish?

Is there a certain time in the spring that we do not want to miss? I'm assuming there are no wildflowers out there, but I did see some pics with a few bluebonnets in there.

also, given that this is probably our one shot at the park for ever and ever (we're all moving away next year)- what should we do? we were thinking of a short backpacking trip, but now i'm wondering whether we'll see enough of the park that way. we'll be taking a jeep, so i'm thinking maybe the best thing to do would be to do the 'unimproved roads'. and some shorter hikes.

i'm beginning to worry that the more I plan, we'll have to end up lengthening our trip. which may not be too wise (for other reasons). but maybe a longer trip would be the way to go. UGH.

Has anyone camped along the unimproved roads before?

copuswalker · 02-13-2004, 06:57 AM

http://www.nps.gov/bibe/home.htm All the info you need.
Drove all around last visit and saw many camping at unimproved back road sites. Not my style. To open and accesible by the crazy masses. Many short hikes with rewarding views. Also tremendous spring desert wildflowers. Grab an extra day or two!

kai · 02-13-2004, 07:29 AM

"Drove all around last visit and saw many camping at unimproved back road sites. Not my style. To open and accesible by the crazy masses."

thats what i needed to know- thank you

OutdoorPhoto.com · 02-13-2004, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kai

also, given that this is probably our one shot at the park for ever and ever (we're all moving away next year)- what should we do? we were thinking of a short backpacking trip, but now i'm wondering whether we'll see enough of the park that way. we'll be taking a jeep, so i'm thinking maybe the best thing to do would be to do the 'unimproved roads'. and some shorter hikes.

i'm beginning to worry that the more I plan, we'll have to end up lengthening our trip.

Kai,

Shannon and I stayed in Big Bend for a week and were not able to experience all that this park has to offer. It's huge...and you realize that when you drive from one end of the park to the other (e.g. Santa Elena to Boquillas Canyon).

If you haven't read it already, check out Shannon's trip report...
A week in Big Bend National Park

It will give you an idea of some of the highlights of our trip. Off the top of my head, the Window Trail is a must. You'll be amazed at the difference between driving down in "the desert" versus the mountainous landscape in the Chisos Basin. It's like having two parks in one!

copuswalker · 02-13-2004, 07:40 AM

Yeh, It was kinda weird. We drove down some of the roads and there were people camping. No more than one vehicle in each area at that time. I was driving a van and as we came up to turn around you saw the people get up and go close to their vehicles.
I felt bad for disrupting their quiet time and they were probably quite worried about who was in the big white van without the side windows.
Of course I gave the big wave as I passed and I'm sure they gave the big breath?

kai · 02-13-2004, 07:57 AM

yea, thats pretty weird and creepy- I think i'll avoid that. I did read on the NPS website that they stress locking your car and stowing your valuables... sounds like a bad horror movie in the making (their reaction to your driving by).

Shannon · 02-13-2004, 09:41 AM

We were in a 4x4, but didn't have time to drive down any of the unimproved roads in the park so I have no comments about campers along them. We camped at a site in the Rio Grande Village Campground, since we had a pop-up tent camper (rental) on that trip. Lovely campground, and we were one of maybe 8 total sites occupied; it didn't get busy until our last day there, when some festival was to begin.

I've consolidated all the photos I used to have in a slideshow format so they're now in our "Your Photos" area. You can get a good idea of the diversity of the park from our photos, since we drove all over -- Rio Grande Village, the Chisos Basin and all the way out to Santa Elena Canyon.
Photos from our October 2001 trip.

I never feared for our safety while we were there, but bear in mind it was one month after September 11 so 1) travel was down, overall, in that period and 2) there was a very visible U.S. Border Patrol presence in and above the park, including all checkpoints being active. It was a little unnerving seeing Border Patrol helicopters anytime we hiked the Rio Grande Nature Trail near our campsite (and, thus, near the Rio Grande River -- our border with Mexico), but it wasn't that different from being at the coast and hearing an occasional Coast Guard aircraft on regular patrol.

We definitely plan to return to Big Bend again sometime. It's a trip not to be missed, with much to see and do. The desert is teeming with life! The National Park Service has done a superb job, providing well-marked roadside markers and nature trails that really help you get a feel for the park's flora and fauna, as well as the hazards early settlers faced living in the Big Bend region.

PostScript: Any time I think about Big Bend, one of the first thoughts that comes to mind is "AMAZING views at night -- I had no idea there were so many stars!" I could scarcely make out even the most common constellations due to the number of stars that were visible, and the Milky Way literally took my breath away. I had seen it before, years ago, but don't think I'd ever had such a perfect view of it as from our campsite at Big Bend NP (though I wished the restrooms in the campground would suffer a power outage, because the light from them obscured some of my view.

)

02-18-2004, 11:28 AM

I am 21 and just decided i want to start hiking( along w/my roomate who has about same experiance level). i have no real experiance hiking and have done the family camp thing once or twice. I want to start in at least two weeks could someone please offer some advice about where to visit first and what we absolutly have to have ( and as most :rolleyes: college students we are on limited funds so...)
thanks for the advice!

Shannon · 02-18-2004, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clambakecat

I am 21 and just decided i want to start hiking( along w/my roomate who has about same experiance level). i have no real experiance hiking and have done the family camp thing once or twice. I want to start in at least two weeks could someone please offer some advice about where to visit first and what we absolutly have to have ( and as most :rolleyes: college students we are on limited funds so...)
thanks for the advice!

Are you interesting in hiking, backpacking or camping? It sounds like you're leaning towards camping or backpacking. Gear for hiking is pretty minimal -- if you're just day hiking, you can get away with just a pair of good, sturdy shoes or boots that fit comfortably, and a water bottle to keep yourself hydrated. For longer hikes, backpacking or camping trips, you'd want to have the ten essentials (ideally), and desirable items like a tent, sleeping bag, portable stove, rain gear, etc.

It might be best to hook up with a campus or local outdoor recreation club. (You can find clubs by surfing around our Texas Outdoors Web Guide). By going with a small group, you're with more experienced folks and can possibly borrow, rent or share gear with them. There's no sense buying a brand new tent or backpack before you know if you like the new hobby or what types of trips you'd like to go on (which can determine the best type of tent and other gear for you)...

If you haven't camped in a long time, it may be best to do a little "car camping" -- often done in state parks, it simply means camping at a site where your vehicle is parked closeby; this can be easier and less intimidating since if your tent springs a leak in a rainstorm or you realize you didn't pack any food (or a similarly important item), you're not stuck miles away from "civilization".

FYI: If you're planning on visiting Big Bend for Spring Break, bear it mind that's its peak season (as it is for many parks). Just keep that in mind because campsite reservations may be difficult to obtain and some trails may be quite busy.

ploddinTod · 02-18-2004, 10:20 PM

I agree with Shannon. Since you only have limited experience camping and none hiking, then a State Park might be the best place to start. Using this site, pick out a SP close to your area of the state and get started. And if you have any questions on trails and camping areas, feel free to post them here. A lot of friendly folks will try to guide you through your formative stages.
Hike On!

copuswalker · 02-19-2004, 06:53 AM

Kudos on the State Park hiking idea. Maybe find one like Fairfield where they have a primitive site 3 miles in. You will find out what you need to bring over time.
When I was re-introduced to backpacking all the gear had changed so much. I bought cheaper things and ended up replacing them in the quest for a lighter pack. Backpacker.com has some helpful info and links. Read read and read..... But once you start it gets addictive.