Brief announcement for a road trip to Big Bend National Park. Camping at Rio Grande Village, hiking the park. I'll have one site and we'll coordinate with for more sites and with HATS for hikes and activities.
Please try to reserve a site due to car and occupancy limits and restrictions on how many sites per person reserving (1.)
As of 11/10, there are 2 sites left in our campground nearby. 34 or 39. Grab one !
Also please plan to carpool. There are car limit rules per site (2.)
This brief description is more to gauge genuine interest and to let everyone who needs to plan ahead be able to do so.
Camping participation not required, but I would make other reservations asap. You don't need to sign up here if staying elsewhere. This keeps the count for campers only, so then we can manage waitlists for campground use.
I'll be breaking up the long, long drive out and the long, long drive back. See the itinerary for my plans; join me at either Park if you wish. There are 101 ways to get there and many interesting stops along the way. Carpooling an option as well.
As we post the hikes, sign up for those.
Potential hikes: (not planned yet!)
Chisos Basin
- Lost Mine Trail: 4.9 miles, moderate
- Window Trail: 5.6 miles, moderate
- Emory Peak Trail: 10.1 miles, strenuous
- South Rim Trail (all-day): 12 miles, hard
Balanced Rock/Grapevine Hills: 2 miles, moderate
Pinnacles Trail: 9 mikes, hard
Santa Elena Canyon Trail: 1.7 miles
Laguna Meadow Trail: 9 miles, moderate
Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail: 1 miles, easy
Upper Burro Mesa Trail: 4 miles, moderate
Mule Ear Spring: 4 miles, moderate
Ernst Ridge: 6 miles, moderate
Chimneys Trail: 5 miles, moderate
Apache Canyon Trail: 8 miles, moderate
Rio Grande/East Side
- Big Bend Hot Springs Trail: 1 mile, easy
- Rio Grande Village Nature Trail: 1 miles, easy
Possible Itinerary:
Day 1: 3/19 - Friday
Drive halfway, camp at South Llano State park
Day 2: 3/20 - Saturday
Camp at South Llano
Day 3: 3/21 - Sunday
Drive to Big Bend
Day 4: 3/22 - Monday
Big Bend Hike -
Day 5: 3/23 - Tuesday
Big Bend Hike -
Day 6: 3/24 - Wednesday
Big Bend
Day 7: 3/25 - Thursday
Big Bend:
Day 8: 3/26 - Friday
Drive halfway, pitstop in Fort Stockton, end at San Angelo SP
Day 9: 3/27 - Saturday
Camp @ San Angelo State park
Day 10: 3/28 - Sunday
Drive back to WDL
Boilerplate:
Caveats:
I am by no means a professional guide, so please be responsible for your own safety, be prepared to navigate on your own, and be physically able to enjoy the hiking. All levels of experience welcome, but be sure to inform us beforehand of any accommodations or particular interests and we'll go from there. Keep me informed if you are faster or slower than the main body of the group. For safety, sticking to the plan and communication is a must!
The goal is to have some fun outdoors!
Weather:
Average weather is pretty moderate in late March, but be prepared! Temps usually range from low 50s at night to high-70s daytime. Big Bend not a shady place, so it can feel hotter in the afternoons. Different areas vary a great deal, too, with Rio Grande being normally warmer. Overcast or mostly cloudy about 40% of the time. Thunderstorms and lightening possible, so watch the weather forecasts!
Semper preperavit!
Recommendations:
I always recommend plenty of water, snacks, sunscreen & insect repellent as a start. For Big Bend, more water than normal and any supplies you can imagine needing. This is a very remote area!
Check out hiking guidelines online for other suggestions if you are new to hiking or need a refresher. I would download the map and/or have a paper back up if you are cautious, too!
Courtesies:
Edit your RSVP! I would rather have more people show up than have delays waiting for those who don't. Please don't sign up if you are tentative; just show up! If you do need to cancel, please edit your RSVP asap!
Communicate! Things happen! If you experience delays, comment or dm and keep us informed. This holds for during events, too. We will adjust or accommodate whenever possible.
