When to Go

There is never a bad time to make a Big Bend foray—except during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break. During these holidays, competition for rooms at the Chisos Mountains Lodge and campsites is fierce—with reservations for campsites and rooms needed up to a year in advance.

Depending on the season, Big Bend sizzles or drizzles, steams up collars or chills fingertips. Many shun the park in the summer, because temperatures skyrocket (up to 120°F), and the Rio Grande lowers.

In winter, temperatures rarely dip below 30°F. During those few times the mercury takes a dive, visitors might be rewarded with a rare snowfall.

The mountains routinely are 5 to 20 degrees cooler than the rest of the park, while the sweltering stretches of the Rio Grande are 5 to 10 degrees warmer.

Festivals and Events

February

Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Every February, generally toward the end of the month, ranchers and cowboys congregate for three days at Sul Ross State University to regale audiences with original poetry and washtub-bass tributes to singers like Bob Wills. The idea is to preserve the traditions of the West in words and song. Sul Ross State University, U.S. 90, Alpine, Texas, 79831. 432/837–2326; www.cowboy-poetry.org.

July

Viva Big Bend. This West Texas showcase of Lone Star music features rock, blues, country, Latin, and beyond, on stages in Alpine, Fort Davis, Marathon, Lajitas, and Marfa, both in large paid-admission venues and free concerts on hotel patios. Alpine, Texas, 79831. www.vivabigbend.com.

September

Marfa Lights Festival. This Labor Day weekend gathering celebrates the mysterious multicolored lights that appear at night in the Chinati Mountains east of U.S. 67 and south of U.S. 90, generally 10 to 20 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. Presidio County Courthouse lawn, N. Highland Ave., Marfa, Texas, 79843. 432/295–1804; www.marfachamber.org.

November

Alpine Gallery Night Artwalk. For two days each 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. Holland Ave., Alpine, Texas, 79830. 432/837–3067; www.artwalkalpine.com.

Terlingua International Chili Championship. On the first Saturday of November, top chefs spice up cooling weather with chili cooking, bragging, and partying at this spicy chili cook-off held behind the Terlingua Store in Terlingua ghost town. Some of the prize-winning cooks dole out samples. And this is Texas, pardner: no beans allowed. 229--70 FM 170, Terlingua, Texas, 79852. www.abowlofred.com.