I live in West Texas. A common thought that passes through people’s minds as they drive through this vast section of Texas is, “Why would anyone live here!?” West Texas in general is a vast desert of mesquite bushes, dirt, and oil rigs. It is decorated with trash blown off of oil trucks, smells like gas, and in general lacks beauty. So why should you ever come to West Texas?
At the southern most tip of West Texas, past all of the little oil towns the scenery changes from desolation to magnificent mountains. West Texas may not offer a lot, but it does hold the greatest gem of all Texas and that is Big Bend National Park!
Giant rocky mountains are dotted with bright colored purple cactuses while desert wildlife of all varieties, from coyotes to roadrunners; scatter across the desert. Despite being a desert, an almost teal covered river flows through giant canyons, with brilliant trees somehow growing in the rocky earth.
Rich with Mexican culture you can walk through canyons listened to singers belt out La Cucharacha as it echoes through the canyon. The smell of tamales and warm empanadas blows with the wind and all around are sparkly scorpion and roadrunner souvenirs handmade by Mexican locals to sell to park visitors.
Big Bend National Park IS the reason to visit West Texas! This incredible park is filled with culture, scenery, excitement, and nature. It is soothing and peaceful, yet thrillingly filled with adventure! As a local resident to the West Texas area, this is the gem that makes living in West Texas exciting. This is the ultimate family adventure that any family could hope to find in the entire state of Texas.
I am a mother of 4 kids, soon to be 5, and this is a place that my kids are always to sad to leave. While most people visiting, come solo or with a partner, this is a family friendly destination that will leave your kids with lasting memories! Big Bend with kids should be one of your top Texas bucket list items as a family!
Planning Your Trip
When To Visit
This is the ultimate question that will make or break your experience at Big Bend National Park. Picking the optimum time to visit this National Park is crucial to whether you will enjoy your experience. Let me explain:
Spring
This is the most beautiful time of the year to visit Big Bend National Park. Bluebonnets are scattered across the desert surrounded by blooming cactuses and leaves growing on the trees by the river. Weather is not too hot, not too cold! It may not be too cold to go for a dip in the river!
Sounds like the perfect time to visit and technically it is; minus one key factor…..this is the busiest time of year. Lines that make take you an hour to drive up to Chisos lodge. A fight for parking at every hike and waiting your turn for pictures at iconic spots. It is VERY busy!
Summer
The main question here is how well do you handle heat? Not just warm weather, I am talking sweltering hot weather. Summers in West Texas make you relate to the Wicked Witch, cause you can literally feel yourself melting. It is in the 100 degree temperatures as an average, if not more. Everywhere looks beautiful, but this means pack extra sunscreen, hats, and SO much water. Good news the rivers are full and feel amazing to swim in!
Fall
Fall in West Texas is pretty much a second summer. It is still going to be mostly hot, with maybe random days of cooler weather. Most of the flowers are gone, except for the giant blossoming white yucca bushes. The trees are still filled with leaves and they may just barely be starting to change colors towards the end of the season. The park is pretty busy, but with school back in it is less busy then spring.
Winter
Oddly enough this is when the leaves really being to change colors and they are brilliant! Giant yellow trees line the river and the grass surrounding the river is a beautiful yellow too. Flowers are gone, but birds and animals are running freely in the cooler weather.
While most days are chilly, nights can get to freezing real fast, especially with the winds blowing freely. This will be a less busy season due to the colder temperature, lack of flowers, and cold water for swimming. Not the time of year to plunge in the river, but the BEST time of year for those long hikes!
How To Prepare
- Campsites are available for booking 2 weeks advance. Book as soon as you can because sites go super-fast.
- To book campsites you will need to use Rec.gov. The app makes it easier to keep track of your reservations, saying that I suggest downloading the app.
- Purchase a National Park Pass! These passes are $80, but listen to enter the park it is $30 a day, so you can spend $90 for 3 days or spend $80 to get in this park as many days as you want plus any other National Park in the USA all for one price. The passes make everything cheaper and faster when entering the park.
- Grab a map as you enter the park. Phone service is pretty nonexistent throughout most of the park so old school map navigation is the way to go.
- Download your trail maps and locations before you go! I am talking before you even leave to travel to this park have all of your trails planned, researched, saved, and downloaded. You will not have any service practically the entire time you are in the National Park.
Packing Essentials:
- Clothes: particularly a sun hat, sun glasses, HIKING BOOTS (very rocky and lots of cactus)
- Sunscreen
- Water: pack what you think you will need, then double it
- Food: Plus a way to cook the food! Closest towns are Terlingua and Marathon, both are super small and neither have drive-thru restaurants
- Swimwear: whether in the river or hot springs you will want swimsuits, water hiking shoes, towels
- Hiking Pack: You will always want more water then you could ever hope to drink so having a carrier comes in useful.
- Cash: Mexican natives cross the border and set up stations all around the park selling sparkly beaded roadrunners, colorful embroidered aprons, ceramic pots, homemade stuffed animals, and delicious smelling tamales! All require cash, almost everything is $10+.
- Blackstone Griddle: Fires are not allowed so if you want to cook food you will need a camping stove, griddle, or at least charcoal for the charcoal grills available.
Kid Friendly Trails In Big Bend National Park:
Fossil Discovery Center
I don’t know if you would really consider this one a hike, but it is an essential stop if you are visiting Big Bend with kids! The northern side of Big Bend National Park is pretty barren, but it has a really amazing prehistoric history. A lot of this land used to be under water back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
Because of this cool fact, there is an area dedicated to the first residents of Big Bend National Park; the dinosaurs. The picnic area has large bones for kids to climb and play on, with fun facts surrounding it. As you walk into the Discovery center, you can walk through a mini museum of pictures, facts, and fossils of several of the dino dug up in the area. My kids loved sticking their heads in the mouths of the giant rex head and crocodile’s head.
After walking through the open building, there is a short uphill path to an overlook of barren land. It can’t be more than 0.2 miles to the top of the cliffside, on a gravel stair case. So short you won’t even need a hiking carrier! The view is really nice though and worth the ascent.
Trail Information: 0.2 miles round trip
Boquillas Canyon
One of the coolest hikes in Big Bend National Park is the Boquillas Canyon. The trail round trip is 1.4 miles of moderate terrain. You will spend most of the trail climbing up and over a rocky mountainside, then cross a small tree covered area, until you reach the entrance to the canyon.
The trail is strenuous enough that I wouldn’t mark it as an easy trail, but it definitely is not a hard trail. It is rocky and like I said half of it is climbing up or down a hillside, the other half is flat terrain. The trail was easy enough for my 6- and 5-year-old, but one that I held my 3-year-olds hand to help him with.
We all LOVED this trail though, even my 2-year-old! The trail is beautiful and once you reach the peak of the rocky mountainside you have a gorgeous view of the colorful river! Throughout the trail are Mexican locals selling fresh tamales and empanadas on their horses. Colorful desert critters made from wire and beads line the rocks for you to purchase!
Once you get to the gorgeous opening of the canyon you will be hiking on straight up river rocks, which of course my kids LOVED because they had all the rocks they could dream of throwing into the river. The rest of the hike is alongside the river that runs between the 2 canyon walls. It is a breathtaking view and such a fun place to hang out and enjoy the beauty around you.
Trail Information: 1.4 miles there and back
Hot Springs
This trail is a must if you visit Big Bend with kids! This was my kid’s favorite thing to do in Big Bend National Park! Near Boquilla Canyon there is a gravel trail that leads you close to the river. Do not skip this trail just because you have to drive on gravel! We have a mini van and we were able to make it to the trailhead with no issues at all, even when the road turned into a tight one way.
Parking is always a battle, just because this is such a popular trail. The trail is so fun though, especially with kids. The trail is flat the entire way and is a 1.2 mile loop back to the parking area. Most of the trail you are sandwiched between a beautiful rocky cliff and the bubbling clear river.
About ½ a mile down the trail, you will come to a small pool built into the side of the river. This steaming pool is the hot springs! While the water isn’t burning hot, it is still hot enough to feel like you are relaxing in a hot tub! It isn’t a very big pool and the water gets to about just over the knee for adults or to the waste for kids. My 2 year old could stand in it and it wouldn’t even reach his neck.
From this hot springs you can relax and enjoy the view of the river rushing by, tall grass hiding the rest of Mexico, and a slight view of some mountain tops in the distance. It is so pretty and so much fun!
Trail Information: .5 miles to and from hot springs, entire trail loop is 1.2 miles
Window View Trail
If you had to pick one section of Big Bend National Park to visit, Chisos Basin is the where you have to visit. While Boquillas and the cottonwood area have really iconic canyons and the river, Chisos almost makes you feel like you are in another state entirely. Most of the National Park is desert-like and dotted with cactus, Chisos has the desert plants as well as a forest of lush greenery and rich with wildlife.
The drive to Chisos is the best scenic drive in all of Texas! At the top of this mountainous area is a lodge with a restaurant, shop, and lodging. It is a very nice area, but one thing you have to do is hike to the Window View.
This trail is very short and paved the whole way. The trail leads through almost a garden of cactus to a view point of all the surrounding rocky mountains coming together to almost meet at one point, thus creating a window effect to look past them to the desert outside of the mountains. It is such a beautiful view and an easy hike, that your kids will love it.
Trail Information: 0.4 mile loop
Similar Articles You Will Love:
Traveling with Kids: Challenges, Rewards, and Why It’s Totally Worth It
Top Kid Friendly Hikes In West Texas Outside of Big Bend
Must-Have Essentials You Need For Your Next Family Camping Trip
From Texas to California: How To See 9 National Parks On One Epic Road Trip
Where To Stay
Between Big Bend National Park and Terlingua there is no shortage of places to stay. There are rooms built into mountain sides, bubble tents, tepees, vintage vans to sleep in, tent sites, RV sites, and practically any other kind of building to stay in all in the area.
While there is no shortage of places to stay for small groups and couples; for a family of 6 not many of these options are available for that large of a group. Especially if you are trying have a budget friendly trip. Our favorite places to stay with kids are campgrounds! We have a pop-up camper trailer that we use, but we are also big fans of tent camping.
Honestly for the best experience in Big Bend with kids it is to stay in the National Park at one of their campgrounds. Our favorite is the Cottonwood Campground! The Rio Valley Campground is closer to the Boquillas area, and it has RV hookups, but all the other campgrounds are either primitive or amenities nearby.
Reasons Why We Love Cottonwood Campground:
- It is an established campground. There are distinct spaces, each with a bear box, picnic table, and charcoal grill. A lot of the other campgrounds are primitive.
- The campsites are spaced out so you don’t feel right on top of your neighbor.
- There are 2 pit toilet bathrooms that are very well taken care of.
- There are trees to help block the wind and they are beautiful trees.
- You are in the less busy area of the park, and close to Santa Elena Canyon.
- You are surrounded by grass and not dirt and cactus.
Tips For Camping With Kids
- Bring board games/card games for them to play in the evenings
- Let them explore! There are rocks, trees, grass, animals, and all kinds of wonders at the campground, if you keep them just bottled up your kids will not sleep at night! Let them explore and wear themselves out so they are calm for bedtime.
- Purchase binoculars or a camera for your kids. You would not believe how much a simple pair of binoculars can entertain a kid out in nature.
- Bring a little bit of home with you. Let your kids bring their favorite blanket or stuffed animals so they feel more comfortable not being at home.
- Check the weather before you go so you can pack accordingly. We went when it is 20 degrees at nights so Big Buddy heaters, lots of propane, fleece footed pajamas, hats, and lots of blankets. The better you plan, the more enjoyable it will be for your kids. If they aren’t grumpy, you won’t be grumpy!
- Walk the perimeter with your kids to as far as they are allowed to go.
- If you have kids that are scared of the dark, bring a glowstick that they can sleep by.
- Remember that not every time camping will go according to plan. This is just a fact of life, especially with kids! Just know that not every time you go camping it is going to all work out and everyone be happy. Sometimes wind blows down your tent, sometimes you can’t find a flashlight to take you kid the bathroom in the middle of the night, sometimes mosquitos will swarm your tent. Life will happen, but that doesn’t mean give up and never try again!
Staying Safe
No parent enjoys staying places that do not feel safe. Big Bend National Park is a very safe National Park as long as you are aware of the potential dangers.
- Wildlife- There are black bears, mountain lions, javelinas, and rattlesnakes in the area. Clean up your food and give the wildlife distance and you should be safe. Be aware of rocks and cracks in rocks where snakes like to sunbathe. Keep your distance and they will not bother you.
- Cactus- One thing you should know about west Texas is that the plant life wants to kill you more than the wildlife. There are cacti everywhere, wear boots that cover your ankles or high socks/pants and you will be safe. Again, just be aware.
- Dehydration- One of the biggest issues you will face at Big Bend National Park is staying hydrated. During the majority of the year, the heat is very intense. If you thing you packed enough water, double it cause you will need more water than normal. NEVER hike without water!
- River Safety- The river is a flowing river, while it may not have white rapids, it still has some pull to it. If you swim, I advise your younger kids to wear life jackets just because the current can get strong. Even as an adult it has some pull to it.
My Final Thoughts of Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park is the gem of west Texas, lets be for real it is the gem of the entire state of Texas. This National Park offers so many unique and beautiful experiences. Whether you are just looking for scenic drives, a place to camp, somewhere to swim and escape the heat, or a place to eat real Mexican food; Big Bend National Park is the place to be.
While this is a giant national park, I was surprised by the lack of kids at Big Bend National Park. I mean there are donkeys to ride, plenty of rocks to throw in the river, trees to climb, a hot springs, and of course dinosaurs! This National Park is a kid wonderland! There are over 80 trails throughout the park and over half of them are kid friendly.
If you are looking for the perfect family getaway in Texas where you are can truly be immersed in the Texas nature/culture, Big Bend National Park is it. This is Texas bucket list item you have been looking for and one that will bring memories you will never forget.
I am an Amazon Affiliate, which means I may earn a commission from any purchases made through the links in this post. For more information, please read my privacy page.
