Drive to Big Bend

Routes, Drive Times & Road Tips to Big BendBig Bend sits deep in far West Texas. Whether you’re coming from El Paso, Midland/Odessa, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, or Dallas/Fort Worth, choose the route that matches your arrival town and the part of the park you want...

Drive from Houston

Houston to Big Bend: Best Routes, Drive Times & Road TipsThe trip from Houston to Big Bend is a true cross-Texas adventure—piney woods to Hill Country to wide-open desert. Expect roughly 8–9 hours of drive time and about 540–600 miles, depending on your route and...

Fly to Big Bend

Commercial & Private Air Travel Options for Big BendPicture yourself sweeping over endless West Texas plains, the sun glinting off distant mesas as you descend into the rugged embrace of Big Bend’s wild frontier. By flying into El Paso, Midland, or even chartering...

Travel to Big Bend by Train

Experience the Historic Sunset Limited Rail RouteBoard Amtrak’s Sunset Limited—the oldest continuously operating named train in the U.S.—for a scenic journey between New Orleans and Los Angeles. This route stops in Alpine, TX three times weekly, offering a relaxed way...

Vehicle Rentals to Big Bend

Convenient Vehicle Rental Options to Big Bend from El Paso, Midland, Alpine & MoreFlying in? Renting a vehicle at a major airport is the fastest, most reliable way to reach Big Bend National Park—and gives you the freedom to explore every scenic mile on your own...

Drive from San Antonio

San Antonio to Big Bend: Scenic Road Trip Highlights & Hidden Stops Along the WayAt roughly 430 miles, the journey from San Antonio to Big Bend National Park takes you from the Hill Country’s rolling hills into West Texas’s rugged desert. Plan for about 7–8 hours of...

Alpine

Hub of the Big Bend Region Alpine Welcome to Alpine, the heart of the Big Bend region and the area’s primary hub for travel, services, and everyday convenience. With more lodging, dining, shopping, and infrastructure than any surrounding community, Alpine serves as a...

Big Bend National Park

Iconic Landscape in Far West Texas Big Bend National Park Welcome to Big Bend National Park, one of the most extraordinary and remote landscapes in the United States. Located in far West Texas along a sweeping curve of the Rio Grande, the park is known for its desert...

Lajitas

Resort Community in Big Bend Lajitas Welcome to Lajitas, one of the most unique destinations in the Big Bend region. Set along the Rio Grande and surrounded by rugged desert landscapes, Lajitas offers a rare combination of natural beauty and resort-style comfort in...

Terlingua

Historic Big Bend Community Terlingua Welcome to Terlingua, one of the most iconic communities in the Big Bend region. Known for its ghost town history, dramatic desert setting, and unmistakable personality, Terlingua offers visitors far more than a place to stay. It...

Study Butte

Big Bend Gateway Community Study Butte Welcome to Study Butte, the practical basecamp for exploring the Big Bend region. Located at the junction of TX 118 and FM 170, just outside the western entrance area of Big Bend National Park, Study Butte gives travelers the...

Marathon

Historic Big Bend Gateway Town Marathon Welcome to Marathon, a quiet and distinctive West Texas town that offers a very different kind of Big Bend experience. Known for its historic charm, wide-open scenery, and slower pace, Marathon is a place where visitors come to...

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK WEATHER
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK WEATHER

Big Bend

Birds
Big Bend , because of it’s geographical location, and the variety of the landscape, offers excellent habitat for birds. 450 species are found within the boundaries of Big Bend National Park, more than any other national park and more than all but a few states.

Big Bend marks the western limits of the ranges of some eastern species and the eastern limits for certain western species. Same is true, North and South. In addition, the Rio Grande is an important feature on migratory fly-ways. The list of infrequent occasionals is also impressive.

Birding Hot Spots

A few of the birds that typically don’t occur in other parts of the U.S., or are easier to find in the Big Bend area include the Colima Warbler (below), Lucifer Hummingbird, Band-tailed Pigeon, Varied Bunting, Flammulated Owl, Elf Owl, Mexican Jay, Black-chinned Sparrow, Green Kingfisher, Pyrrhuloxia, and Crissal Thrasher, to name a few.

visitbigbend

Amazing Big Bend sunrise captured by @marcusc_photo ☀️🙌#bigbend #nationalpark #westtexas #traveltexas #bigbendnationalpark #nps
"Deep inside a remote cave in Big Bend, archeologists have uncovered a pristine hunting kit — potentially the oldest intact weapon system in North America. This discovery offers a rare glimpse into the lives of ancient hunters, revealing tools, weapons, and even a folded pronghorn hide left untouched for thousands of years. Each artifact tells a story of survival, craftsmanship, and the deep connect between humans and the land." - @TexasParksWildlifeRead the full story in the March TPW Magazine linked in bio.#texasparks #nationalparks #visitbigbend #bigbendnps #bigbend #nps
Spring in West Texas means bluebonnets are back, covering the fields in a blue spectacle.It's a great time to see these iconic Texas flowers up close.Beautiful photo by @gooolsby#BluebonnetBloom #texasbluebonnets #bluebonnet #westtexas #traveltexas
Monsoon season has been good to the Big Bend region this year. When the rain falls, an incredible aroma of creosote plants comes to life as the water awakens the desert and fills the air with the earthy scent of nature's renewal.photo by @marcusc_photo#bigbend #visitbigbend #bigbendnationalpark #bbnp #nps #westtexas #marathontx #terlingua #marfa #traveltexas
Recent Posts
3 Dreamy Days in Big Bend, Texas

3 Dreamy Days in Big Bend, Texas

Candelilla House Big Bend Holiday Hotel Craggy canyons tower over the mighty Rio Grande in west Texas, separating the United States from Mexico. The Big Bend area of Texas offers a blissful coexistence of mountain terrain and desert plains. Entire mesas covered with...

Geology

Geology

Driving south out of Alpine, Marathon, Marfa, you can't help but notice geology.  Even the name Big Bend is a geologic description; the great southern curve that the Rio Grande has carved over countless millennia. Visitors (and we're all just visiting) wonder "how'd...

Mammals

Mammals

Description and checklist for mammals of Big Bend, with 75 species in 23 different families Mammal Checklist The mammals of the Big Bend region are extremely diverse. Seventy-five species of mammals, representing 23 families, have been recorded in Big Bend National...

Plants

Plants

Overview of vegetation in Big Bend and Chihuahuan Desert Vegetation of the Big Bend Region By Hillary Loring, Ecologist The plants in the Big Bend are extraordinary. They endure temperatures that range from below freezing to over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit and an...

Reptiles

Reptiles

List and description of reptiles and amphibians found in Big Bend National Park Amphibian & Reptile Checklist Big Bend National Park, in southwestern Texas, was established in 1944 and consists of over 801,163 acres (1,252 square miles) in the Chihuahuan Desert....