13 Best Sights in Big Bend National Park, Texas

Panoramic vistas, a restaurant with an up-close view of jagged mountain peaks, and glimpses of the Colima warbler (which summers in Big Bend) await in the forested Chisos Basin. The spiritual heart of Big Bend, at an elevation of 5,400 feet, it's ringed by taller peaks and has a lodge, a campground, a grocery store, an amphitheater, a visitor center, and access to some of the park's best hiking trails. Winter sometimes brings snow, but in summer this is where you can find relief from the desert heat below.

Follow this 1-mile loop trail to soak in 105°F waters alongside the Rio Grande (bring a swimsuit), where petroglyphs coat the canyon walls nearby. The remains of a post office, motel, and bathhouse point to the old commercial establishment operating here in the early 1900s. Along the hike, you can hear the Rio Grande at every turn, and low trees occasionally shelter the walkway. The 1.6-mile dirt road leading to the Hot Springs trailhead from Rio Grande Village Road cannot accommodate RVs and is best avoided after rainstorms. Also, don't leave valuables in your car, especially during the slow season. Temperatures can soar to 120°F, so hike in the morning or during cooler months. You can also hike to the springs via the more challenging 6-mile Hot Springs Canyon Trail, the trailhead of which is at Daniel's Ranch, on the west side of Rio Grande Village

This expansive history-lover's haven has exhibits representing the life and cultures of the region and sponsors an annual show on ranching handiwork (such as saddles, reins, and spurs) held in conjunction with the Cowboy Poetry Gathering each February. The map collection is renowned.

The park's main visitor center, near the base of the Chisos Mountains, contains a bookstore and impressive exhibits on the park's mountain, river, and desert environments. An elegantly produced 22-minute film detailing the wonders of the park shows every half-hour in the theater, and there's a sprawling replica of the park's topographical folds. Nearby, a gas station offers limited groceries.

The finale of a short but vigorous hike (1.7 miles round-trip) over a steep slope is a spectacular view of the Rio Grande and sheer limestone cliffs that rise 1,500 feet to create a natural box. Summer can feel like a sauna, but you might have this secluded place to yourself.

For two days in mid-November, the peculiar mix of ranching and artist culture that inhabits Alpine overflows the galleries and seeps into the town's main drag, Holland Avenue. Musicians play at the train depot, barbecue vendors crowd the streets, and local artists display their works in many downtown businesses.

Adobe buildings and wooden shacks serve as reminders of the farming and military community of Castolon, near the banks of the Rio Grande. Although a 2019 wildfire caused significant damage to the district, including the destruction of the building that housed the Castolon Visitor Center and La Harmonia general store, firefighters saved many artifacts and buildings, including the Magdalena House, which contains historical exhibits. The old Officer's Quarters building now temporarily houses the visitor center, and a temporary building contains the general store. Eventual plans call for relocating these operations permanently inside the historic Garlick House.

Temporarily housed in the old Officer's Quarters building following its destruction during a 2019 wildfire, this visitor center in the Castolon Historic District contains hands-on exhibits of fossils, plants, and implements used by the farmers and miners who settled here in the 1800s and early 1900s. There's also an old adobe gallery displaying poster boards explaining the U.S.–Mexico "transparent border."

The small but informative center, by the park's only lodge, is one of the better equipped, with an interactive computer exhibit and a bookstore. An adjacent general store has camping supplies and basic groceries. There are nods to the wild, with natural resource and geology exhibits, a map of bear and mountain lion sightings, and a larger-than-life representation of a mountain lion. The center sponsors educational activities here and at the nearby Chisos Basin Amphitheater.

This Labor Day weekend gathering celebrates the mysterious multicolor lights that appear at night in the Chinati Mountains east of U.S. 67 and south of U.S. 90, generally less than 30 times a year. Do they result from pockets of atmospheric gas? The spirits of dead Apaches? Overactive imaginations? Whatever they are, they draw curious visitors to Marfa for a parade, live music, and food.

Hard-working men and women once coaxed cinnabar, or mercury ore, from the Mariscal Mine, located at the north end of Mariscal Mountain, in the southern reaches of the park. The mines and surrounding stone buildings were abandoned in the 1940s. If you visit, take care not to touch the timeworn stones, as they may contain poisonous mercury residue. You need a high-clearance vehicle to navigate the 20-mile road, which begins 5 miles west of Rio Grande Village; check with park rangers for current road conditions, and allow a half-day for this fascinating but remote adventure.

Complete with exhibits and a bookstore, this seasonal visitor center is the northern gateway into miles of flatlands that surround the more scenic heart of Big Bend.

At this seasonal center you take in the videos of Big Bend's geological and natural features at the minitheater and view exhibits on the Rio Grande.