Big Bend: One of the Most Underrated US National Parks

When people talk about traveling to a national park, they often talk about Yellowstone. Maybe Yosemite, Smoky Mountains, or Grand Tetons. However, beyond the most popular, you do not hear much about the others. I am not here to say that Yellowstone is not magnificent, nor will I say that the Smoky Mountains are a disappointment. In fact, I do not think I am qualified to say either as I have actually never been to these parks. What I can say, however, is that other national parks are also amazing. You do not need to wait in line for hours to see an amazing natural area as people did over the summer at Yellowstone.

This same summer my family and I traveled to Big Bend National Park. Located in Texas on the US-Mexico border, around 300 miles southeast of El Paso, Big Bend is a vast desert landscape with miles of hiking trails and scenic drives. Despite the park having an area of 1,252 square miles (larger than that of the state of Rhode Island), just 463,832 people visited Big Bend in 2019. This is in comparison to the 4,422,861 people that visited Yosemite, a park just a bit smaller than Big Bend, that same year. While Big Bend may not be visited as much as other national parks, it is one of the best parks to travel to.

In the end, Big Bend’s lack of popularity is beneficial to those that do go. In the three days we were there, we only ran into a “crowd” once: a full small parking lot at the trailhead of the park’s most popular trail. On most of the other trails we hiked we passed one, maybe two, other groups if that. This not only led to a less stressful vacation, but it also enabled me to truly get

away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world and enjoy nature.

For me, one of the most important parts of a national park is its unique beauty. If I can see the same landscape near my home, then it is not as awe-inspiring. As you might be able to guess, Big Bend is very different from the deciduous forests I see in Ohio. The vast desert landscape in Big Bend was breathtaking, and the diverse cacti brought life to the rocky desert landscape.

One of the first hikes we went on was the Upper Burro Mesa Pouroff. We were first led through a rather hilly area surrounded by reddish-brown rocks dotted with myriad shades of green cacti. In addition to the color contrast, the variation in the cactus shapes gave the landscape character. As we continued, the landscape began to change. The last portion of the hike was through a dry river bed. The river had carved a series of slot canyons through the rocks that we climbed down through until we reached the end: a pouroff overlooking the dry river bed below.

Big Bend also has a large variety of landscapes beyond the desert. For many national parks, once you have done a couple hikes, you have pretty much seen what the park has to offer. You could do more hikes, but you would not see anything new. Big Bend is not like this. Even hikes that were just a few miles apart from each other had their own characteristics. Additionally, outside of “traditional” desert landscapes, the Rio Grande river has carved magnificent deep canyons into the landscape and the mountains in Chisos Basin at the park’s center have their own features too.

Much different than the desert landscape in other parts of the park, the hike through the Santa Elena Canyon along the Rio Grande river is awe-inspiring in its own way. After crossing a large creek, we entered the canyon. At points, the canyon walls reach nearly 1,500 feet high and the narrowness of the canyon makes the walls feel even taller.

The Chisos Mountains provide yet another diverse ecosystem for visitors to explore. While I did not enjoy this area as much as some of the other areas, I still appreciated the change in landscape since the mountains were not as dry as the rest of the park and had more trees.

I will admit that, despite its large variety of landscapes, Big Bend is not for everyone. In the summers, temperatures get above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the high temperatures are what make the desert landscape unique. While the heat can be uncomfortable, it is not unbearable if you plan. We went on longer hikes early in the morning and brought plenty of water. This way in the heat of the day we did shorter hikes and scenic drives.

The variety of hiking trails in Big Bend allows for this. There are quite a few mid-distance hikes to choose from for the mornings. Then, for the afternoons, Big Bend has many one-mile-long trails to offer. Many of these trails are located on the main scenic drive, giving visitors the ability to break up the hiking with some exploring from their car.

In addition to hiking, there are many other ways to explore the park. Jeep tours are available that can take you to more remote areas of the park, and rafting trips are also available to explore the Rio Grande River more.

Actually getting to Big Bend to experience these adventures can be a bit tricky. The El Paso airport is over 300 mi, or a 4.5 hour drive, away from the main entrance of Big Bend. Then, once you reach the entrance, it takes an hour to drive to the other side of the park if you choose to go there. On top of that, some portions of the park require a car with four wheel drive to access.

If properly planned, however, these things can just add to the adventure. We took a stop in Marfa and explored the art throughout the town. We also planned out our days ahead of time to fit in the hikes we wanted to do while minimizing the amount of driving. Additionally, as far as the driving within the park goes, it is not like you are driving on a regular highway with concrete walls on either side; you get a good view of more areas of the park as you go. Furthermore, four-wheel drive is not a must. While the hike we went on that required four wheel drive to access was one of my favorites, the trip to Big Bend still would have been well worth it if we were unable to go on it.

Overall, I give Big Bend National Park 4.5 out of 5 stars because despite its remoteness, it is filled with beautiful, diverse landscapes and provides a sense of separation from the outside world.