Dates we visited: Apr 3rd – Apr 5th 2021
Where we stayed: Stillwell Store & RV Park

As we made our way east after Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains, our next stop was Big Bend National Park. Kristy found us a campground just six miles down the road from the north entrance to the park near the Persimmon Gap visitor center. The Stillwell RV Park was no frills, but they had full hookups, a friendly staff and a clean campground. If you are considering a trip to Big Bend, you should know the park is remote, and this campground in particular is pretty far from civilization. The closest town is Marathon, TX, which is 45 miles away and has a population of 386. They do have a gas station there though!

The Rio Grande to The Chisos Mountains

Big Bend National Park is large at over 1,200 square miles. We made two day-trips in, to two different areas of the park. The first day we headed south from Persimmon Gap down towards the Rio Grande Village and Boquillas Canyon area. But first, we stopped at the Fossil Discovery Exhibit. This most excellent exhibit features fossils of the various dinosaurs that have been found in the area of the park. Ranging from Tyrannosaurus to Pteranodons, Owen loved exploring this informational outdoor exhibit.

The southern edge of the park is the Rio Grande River, which is also the border with Mexico. From the Boquillas Canyon overlook, we were able to catch a glimpse across the river of the small town of Boquillas del Carmen in Mexico. The river was quite low when we were here, so we decided to cut this leg of the excursion a little short and make our way back out.

Next, we headed back north and west through Panther Junction and up into the Chisos Mountains. This drive couldn’t have been more different than the drive in the morning. Transitioning from flat desert into rugged mountains, the Chisos Mountains surprised us all. Turns out they are the only mountain range that is completely contained within a National Park, and they are striking. At the top, we completed the short Window View Trail, which showcases an expansive view back down into the flatlands.

Balanced Rock

Day two started out with an early, morning trip into the park with the goal of hiking to Balanced Rock. We got on the road at about 7:45 for what we thought would be about an hour and fifteen minute drive to the trailhead. As we entered the park we were greeted with a dense fog that limited visibility to a few hundred feet. As we approached Panther Junction, the fog cleared up and we turned onto Grapevine Spring Road. We knew this was a dirt road, but it was a bit more rough and washboard’y than we expected. We finally reached the trailhead just a little before 10am.

The drive was worth it though, as the 1.9 mile round trip Balanced Rock Trail was one of the most fun hikes we have done in months. Owen absolutely loved scrambling up the rocks in the final section of the trail. It was hotter than we expected on the trail, but we found a few shady spots, that after clearing for snakes, served nicely as water break stops.

The reward at the end of the trail is a rock formation consisting of three boulders, with one precariously balanced atop the other two. We’re glad we braved the washboard road to complete this hike as it was the highlight of our visit to Big Bend.

One thing we missed on this trip, that we would love to see next time, is the Santa Elena Canyon in the southwestern corner of the park. Nonetheless, with its several dramatically different landscapes, and it’s wide assortment of both wildlife and vegetation, we cherished our time here.

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Big Bend Gallery

Big Bend is described as one of the most remote and least visited parks in the lower 48…we can attest to that. Our isolated campground had full hookups, and wifi good enough to write this blog post, but no cell service. The closest city was 45 miles away. It was awesome.

Dates we visited: March 30th – April 3rd
Where we stayed: Carlsbad KOA

Right next door to Carlsbad Caverns, and across the New Mexico / Texas border is Guadalupe Mountains National Park. This lesser known park shares much of the same terrain as Carlsbad, but offers more of a focus on the above-ground landscape. Millions of years ago, a gigantic reef formed when this area was all underwater. As plate tectonics did their thing, the mountains rose, the water disappeared, and now it’s possible to find fossils of sea shells in this desert that sits between 5,000 and 8,000 feet of elevation.

Our Visit

While the land area of this park is relatively large at 135 square miles, there are not a lot of options for driving through it. There is not a “scenic drive” to speak of, but the area does have a multitude of hiking trails. The trails weave their way throughout the mountains.

Our first stop was at the Pine Springs Visitor Center, where we checked in to get Owen his Junior Ranger materials, and then completed a short hike out to The Pinery Butterfield Stage Station Ruins. This spot was briefly a stop on a stagecoach route that delivered mail back in the 1850’s, and we were able to see what’s left of buildings here.

Variety

One of the things that makes Guadalupe Mountains interesting is that it straddles a few different ecological boundaries. Parts of the park showcase the desert ecology of the area, while other sections offer a more mountainous ecosystem. We took a drive up to the McKittrick Canyon Visitor Center which is the launching point for several trails that wind up through the canyon. The trails here were a bit more strenuous than we wanted to tackle on our visit, but this area looks beautiful, and i’d imagine even more so in the fall time.

As one of the lesser visited National Parks, Guadalupe Mountains offers a more intimate experience. There were fewer visitors than the more well known parks, and plenty of great trails. This would be a great location for us to come back to and camp inside the park in the future. Additionally, it’s proximity to Carlsbad Caverns makes it a nice destination to be able to experience the area from a few different perspectives.

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Guadalupe Mountains Gallery

This park is Carlsbad Caverns lesser known nextdoor neighbor. Just a few miles down the road, and across the border into Texas, Guadalupe Mountains offers an above-ground and high-elevation perspective of the area. Roads are in short supply, but hiking trails are abundant!