hiking

Hiking, Paddling, & Exploring Big Bend

/ gravescolleen / 1 Comment

Big Bend season is just around the corner, so I wanted to share some of my favorite things to do in the most beautiful area of Texas! For the last few years, the Chisos Mountain Lodge has threatened to close down for renovations, but they’ve delayed the restoration until May of 2026. So you have time to get out there and hike some beautiful trails in the Chisos Mountains before they close down the basin!

3 Days- Hire a Guide

If you’ve never been out to Big Bend, it’s quite a lovely experience to hire the Big Bend Boating and Hiking Company to take you on a backcountry float. This awesome outfitter will provide you with all the gear and food you need! Alll you need to supply is a pillow, your sleeping bag, and a happy face! My group did a 3 day, 2 night trip in Santa Elena Canyon and it was magical! I made new friends, paddled the Rio Grande, and ate cake by the river thanks to my amazing tour guides Catie and Adam.

We met early in the morning in Terlingua at the Big Bend Boating and Hiking Company headquarters, where Catie and Adam drove us (and canoes) into the park to start our paddle into the backcountry. They provided canoes, wet bags, and even tents! We had lunch by the river, swam over to Mexico, then paddled further into the backcountry.

Since this outfitter takes lots of groups out, they have everything mapped out, a private privy for the backcountry, and a pretty epic outdoor kitchen set up. We enjoyed delicious home-cooked meals- breakfast, lunch, and dinner– all surrounded by the company of new friends.

This is a great way to be introduced to Big Bend, if you have more time, you can explore more parts of the park, but this 3 day paddle will leave you breathless! I’m still itching to go back and take the Boquillas Canyon Tour with this outfitter.

3 Days – Go Solo

Day 0: Arrive at Chisos Lodge or stay in Terlingua

No matter where you come from it’s going to take you at least half a day to get to Big Bend. So plan on making the trek and settling in for the evening wherever you decide to lodge. While it’s open, the Chisos Mountain Lodge is the best place to stay as it provides easy access to all areas of the park. Second best option is to stay in Terlingua, but be warned from Terlingua over to the hot springs is at least a two hour drive. You can also stay in Alpine, “the Gateway to Big Bend”, but this is also a two hour drive into the park, which can make for very long exploration days!

If you stay at the Chisos, you can enjoy the Window Scenic trail at sunset, and enjoy dinner at the lodge! Then rest up, you have a day of hiking ahead of you.

Day 1: Window Trail, Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, and Santa Elena Canyon

If you are staying at the Chisos Lodge (you have until May before they shut down for renovations! Hurry! Go!), get up in the morning and hike the Window Trail. Pack a snack and lots of water. This is an out and back trail, and while it’s a great scenic hike down, be prepared to hike up to get back to the start of the trail. After lunch, cruise the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, stopping to see all the things you want to see and exploring Santa Elena Canyon. You can usually cross the river and hike up a ways along the canyon.

Window Trail Information

  • Mileage: 6.5-6.8 Miles
  • Elevation Gain: 974 Ft
  • Estimated Time to complete: 3+ hours

Santa Elena Canyon Information

  • Mileage: 1.6 miles
  • Elevation Gain: 241 Ft
  • Estimated Time to complete: 30 min-1 hour

Day 2: Boquillas, Mexico and Hot Springs

Take a quick day trip to Boquillas Del Carmen, Mexico! Make sure you have your passport in hand at the Boquillas Crossing Port of Entry, then pay 5 bucks round trip to ride across the Rio Grande on a little metal boat, and from here you can walk to town or rent a donkey and a guide for the day. We chose donkey and I loved my little La Preciosa! This little boutique (almost ghost) town has a church, a bar, and two restaurants! There are lots of sellers who set up a tables of souvenirs to buy, so bring cash, as most will accept USD, and I’m still upset I didn’t have enough cash for those homemade tamales. Just fyi, if you pay for the donkey and the guide, your guide will act as your host and walk you around town and even suggest where to buy trinkets. Plus, he’s happy to hang out in the bar while you play pool.

When you are done, jump back on your donkey and travel back across the border crossing. You’ll be very close to the relaxing Hot Springs in Big Bend National Park, so go ahead and wind down for the day by relaxing in the healing waters! This area can get really busy, but people tend to come and go pretty fast. So hang out and enjoy the Rio Grande! Depending on the flow and time of year, you can even jump in the cold Rio Grand and then warm back up in the hot springs. But BE CAREFUL as the Rio Grande can sweep you away!

Bar in Boquillas

Day 3: Lost Mine Trail, Terlingua Ghost Town, and Dinner at Starlight Theater

Whatever day you decide to hike the Lost Mine Trail, make sure you get there early! There isn’t much parking and if you are driving in, they will even close the road when parking is full in the basin. At the base of this trail, there is a bear storage for your food, but we saw many people eating snacks and even enjoying lunch at 7,650 feet in elevation! This is a really nice switchback trail where the views just keep on giving. Climbing to the top of this trail was so worth the payoff. This is one of the most beautiful views in Texas. According to legend, there were Spanish explorers that forced local indigenous people to mine silver here (Adding to the mystery is that there is no geological evidence of silver in this area and geologists don’t there ever was.) One day, the enslaved workers rebelled, killed the enslavers, and then sealed the mine! Hence the mine lost to time and legend!

Lost Mine Trail Information

  • Mileage: 5.4
  • Elevation Gain: 1,233 Ft
  • Estimated Time to complete: 2.5-3 hours

After this hike, you might want a nap, but you should definitely treat yourself to dinner at the Starlight Theater. Make sure to reserve some time to walk around Terlingua Ghost Town and enjoy a beer on the porch with the locals at Terlingua Trading Company.

5 Days

Day 4: Float Santa Elena Canyon

Hire the Big Bend Boating and Hiking Company to take you and yours on a half-day or full-day float. Alternatively, you might want to visit some of the Big Bend sites by horse! The Lajitas Stables have half- day, full-day, and even sunset horseback trips! The half-day and shorter trips from both of these outfitters are affordable at a little under $100 per person.

Day 5: Take a Day Trip

A day trip from Big Bend means driving at least 3 hours out. So you may want to work in one of these activities on your drive home.

Day Trips- Big Bend Adjacent

Davis Mountains State Park

The Davis Mountains are one of my favorite places to chill and hang in nature. Camping here is so wonderfully remote, and if you don’t want to camp, the Indian Lodge is just a great place to lay your head! I love waking early and having coffee on the porch on a chilly morning. And because this is the mountains in a desert, even summer mornings are chilly! (Well, for Texas anyway.)

The Skyline Trail is a must. There are some great CCC pavilions, old cooking stoves, and more to check out. If you can stay, for nightfall, this park hosts some of best star-gazing in the state! During the day, if you want, you can hike the Skyline Trail and actually walk down to the Fort Davis National Historic Site. My kids particularly enjoyed the medical museum and taking photos of clouds that looked like chimney smoke.

While the Skyline is the most popular trail, you can get great elevation hiking the Indian Lodge Trail and it has gorgeous views to boot!

Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center and Research Institute

I absolutely love visiting Desert Botanical Gardens because I’m a sucker for cacti! This research institute not only has a highly specialized cactus museum, it has truly gorgeous hiking trails with geology that cannot be experienced anywhere else in Texas! Finding cold springs in the arid countryside is one of my obsessions. I recommend walking the Modesta Canyon Trail to experience a descent into a canyon where you can witness extrusive igneous rock on one side of the canyon and intrusive igneous rock on the other side! You’ll pass by Modesta Springs and then loop around Lions Head Hill and back towards the nature center.

Balmorhea Swimming Hole and State Park

I am obsessed with cold-spring fed swimming and Balmorhea boasts being one of the biggest swimming natural swimming holes in the US (but also Barton Springs says they are the largest swimming hole in Texas….. so I’m not sure who wins out because I didn’t bring a tape measure to either one.)

This swimming hole has a newly renovated courtside lodging I have yet to experience, but the swimming here is divine! This is a true desert oasis. Imagine it’s 110 outside, but you are chilling in cold water, sun warming your face as you gaze at mountains in the distance.

Mcdonald Observatory- Star Party

If you drive all the way out here, you must book a star party at Mcdonald Observatory, where you can view star phenomena from giant high-quality telescopes. The great thing about the observatory is they honor “rainy day” tickets if you come and for some reason the clouds are obscuring the stars. If you have younger children, I recommend booking your party for fall or winter, as the summer star parties don’t begin until after 11 pm!

More to explore?

Big Bend is the largest national park in the United States. There are so many other trails to explore and adventures to be had, and I can’t wait to get back out there and explore! This is a great place to explore, hike, backpack, and paddle! Just make sure to bring lots and lots of water, stay hydrated, and bring food because restaurants and grocery stores are few and far between out here!

The Seasons at Colorado Bend State Park

/ gravescolleen / 1 Comment

When I first learned about Colorado Bend State Park, I was enraptured with the idea of a spot where I could see a 70 ft waterfall, paddle the Colorado River, swim in cold springs, and even go wild caving! It’s a lot to do in one trip- and a great reason to visit this state park- multiple times! On our first trip, we brought our Airstream and camped outside of the park at Barefoot RV park. (This is one of only two places to RV camp near here as Colorado Bend SP only allows tent camping which lends to it’s authenticity as a remote oasis.) Barefoot RV park is a nice established place with an absolutely gorgeous spot on the Colorado River with cliffs along the riverbank if you really need the comforts of your RV.

Beach at Barefoot RV Park

Up until our first visit to Colorado Bend, my family had only stayed and visited very well-attended state parks not too far off the beaten path. But to get to Bend, one has to drive down country roads and out to lands where cell service doesn’t reach. So when camping here, make sure not to forget anything!

It’s a beautiful park in any season, but it is remote and wild. It will really make you appreciate and respect the Texas wilderness. When we first entered the park, we all remembered gulping with nervous excitement about the flippant sign stating, “Only 4 people rescued today.” What were we in for?

Once you enter, it’s still a long drive to get to the river; there is a great windy road with quite a few parking lots at different trailheads. So stop and enjoy a gorgeous hike if you have the time. If your main destination is Gorman Falls, after the entrance there is a quick turn off to the left with plenty of parking. If you want to head to the river or cool off in Spicewood Springs, then continue on down the long and winding road until you reach the river.

Summer: Spicewood Springs

There is almost nothing better on a hot, Texas day than cooling off in a natural cold spring. (There will be a post for you soon of my favorite swimming holes!) The Spicewood Spring trail is 3 miles long, but it’s only a short .5 a mile or so to the actual spring creek. Don’t worry about the sign warning you of mountain lions… you’ll be fine… but maybe carry a few rocks in your pockets!

Mountain Lions live in the park!

In the middle of the summer, this path might be a little overgrown, but the payoff is worth it! As you hike along the trail, if the tall grass tickles your shoulders, keep hiking! You’ve almost made it. Pretty soon, you can switch to your water shoes and wade in ice-cold water! The sensation of the cool water on your skin is refreshingly invigorating, especially after the overbearing Texas heat. The first pool is deep and oh so fun to jump in (but don’t slip on the algae!) Plus, there is a natural water slide perfect for sliding down into the wading pool below. The sweet summer sounds of laughter and natural cold spring water, make this hidden gem a perfect summer escape.

One year, while we were enjoying this spot, a happy little snake swam right down the waterfall slide, gave us the side eye, and slithered off for lunch. My girls were like, “Oh, a snake,” in what I consider the most deadpan of voices. Meanwhile, I jumped out of the pool, scared for my life. But Mr. Snake gave us no mind, so I got back in and stayed away from the murky edges the rest of the trip.

I guess the girls made the slide look like so much fun that Mr. Snake had to try it too!

As you walk up the creek, there are more and more pools to enjoy, each one presenting its own unique charm, sparkling under the sun like a treasure waiting to be discovered. It’s wild to find this tropical paradise after hiking through burnt brown grass. You’ll likely meet some other swimmers along the way, so be friendly, say hi, and perhaps share stories about your favorite swim spots. Take your time to wade through the cool, refreshing water, feeling the gentle current against your legs as you relax and soak in the natural beauty surrounding you (and forgot about those snakes-they’ll probably leave you alone.) Meander through the rest of your day exploring the nooks and crannies of the creek, discovering hidden waterfalls and shaded glades, all while chilling with fellow nature lovers before heading back to camp, where you can reminisce about the day’s adventures over your campfire dinner.

Spicewood Springs

Fall: Wild Cave Tour

One of the most unique things about this park (other than the waterfall, mountain lions, and pure wilderness of it) is that you can book a Wild Cave tour and go spelunking! This is a great experience in the fall, and Nichols Outdoor Adventures offers this adventure tour for only $25 per person. They normally have two different tours, but as of 2025 a pack of vultures has decided to move into one of the cave entrances, and so there is only one option until nature decides otherwise!

If you’ve always been interested in exploring a cave, but aren’t ready to get too muddy or too cramped, this is the perfect introduction to caving. The tour group is small and all equipment is provided. You’ll be amazed at how fun it is to slide down into a tiny crevice of the earth and explore a wild cave. Crawling around on your hands and knees, you’ll pass by tiny cave scorpions, but don’t worry these little guys just want to feast on cave crickets, and I’m told the sting is comparable to a bee sting. We passed hundreds of them and they didn’t bother us at all!

Texas Cave Scorpion Photo by Shana Steinhardt

The inside of the cave is so dark and quiet. It made me wonder what it would be like to sleep in such a calm, quiet spot. Unfortunately (or maybe that’s fortunately?!), no overnight camping is allowed. Take your own in-depth look at our spelunking adventure below.

Winter- Backpacking & Shakedown Hikes

Any season other than summer is a dream for camping at this park, but I’ve done most of my trips here in the fall and winter when the air is crisp. The Windmill Backpacking area is perfect for beginner backpackers as the camp sites are only 1.5 miles from the parking lot, making it an inviting destination for those new to packing in their gear. It’s close enough to pack extra things in your car and hike back to get them, which is especially useful if you forget something or want to store extra water in your car. My adventure buddy Shana and I packed our gear out here last fall, and I loved it so much I took my teen back out in the winter to get a 10 mile hike in for her Scout Hiking merit badge. The great thing about practicing here is you can continue to wear your pack and hike the connecting trails to see just how many miles you can really handle carrying all that weight in your pack, thus building your stamina and confidence as a backpacker. My teen and I decided to hike to the waterfall from our campsite, which is a rocky hike in the sun and on our particular winter day it was 90 degrees outside! Oh, Texas- you stinker.

Shana and I also hiked the Cedar Chopper loop to the Tinaja trail, where we were saw nary another hiker, and over to Gorman falls and back out from the Gorman Falls trail, allowing us to immerse ourselves fully in the hikes available at Colorado Bend. We timed our hike a tad poorly and got a bit worried when the sun began its descent, but the gorgeous orange of the setting sun complemented the blue so serenely, it eased our minds. Plus we knew had our headlamps in our pack for making it back to camp. All was well as we settled in for the evening, boiling water for our salty dehydrated meals and sharing stories under the dark night sprinkled with bright Texas stars.

The tinaja trail is a really cool ecological feature that features a depression in the bedrock caused by springs in this arid environment. But be warned, this trail is moderate to hard and not for the weak! It is quite rocky and strenuous compared to the other trails in the park.

Spring or Winter- 70 ft Living Waterfall

You can hike to the falls any time of year, but if you are lucky in the spring or winter you might catch the falls flowing well. Gorman Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls in Texas, but it is in an arid environment and your experiences may vary. Since it is spring fed, there is almost always a little bit of flow, lush ferns, and moss. We learned from our cave tour that these falls host a unique tufa deposit formed by the spring and limestone with visible stalactites and stalagmites. Instead of hiking back out after seeing the falls, you can hike towards the Old Gorman Road trail to see some of the tufa up close. The hike from the lot to the falls is 1.5 miles, so be prepared for a 3 mile hike at least, but my favorite way to do it, is to hike one way on the Tie Slide Trail to see the overlook which really shows you the bend in the Colorado river from whence this park gets its name!

Be warned, this trail is ROCKY and mostly exposed in the heat. Please bring water. There are multiple signs posted at the trailhead about remembering to drink water, so be responsible and bring enough to stay hydrated.

All this talk about Colorado Bend has me itching to get back out there! I’m ready to book another backpacking trip and spend some nights outdoors, surrounded by the quietude this park has to offer. The trails winding through the varied landscapes and geological wonders provide an unparalleled experience for nature lovers. What part of the park do you want to explore? There are so many options, from the breathtaking waterfalls to the unique springs that make this place so special- any time of year.