Big Bend – first visit advice

[Ralph Burgess]

The weather looks great next week, so I’m driving from new home in Santa Fe to Big Bend.   I only have a couple of days for planning, so I’m hoping for some guidance from you folks.

It looks like the “Outer Mountain Loop” is the classic hike to start with, including the South Rim, and I’m finding a lot of information on this quite easily, pretty happy about this part.

But it’s a long drive, so I’d like to make a week of it.   I’d like some suggestions about what to do for an additional 3-4 days.  Could do another 1 or 2-nighter, could car camp and do long or short dayhikes, could just drive around for a day – really anything to hit the best spots for a first-time visitor.

Given water constraints, at least a couple of nights of car camping, or camping within a couple of miles of the car, will probably be involved.   Any special recommendations for sites, around the Chisos before doing O-M-L, or elsewhere for afterwards?

Many thanks
Ralph

 

[Alex H]

Hi Ralph, I will be there next week too and the weather does look great.  First go over to Big Bend Chat and you will get more info than ever thought possible, great group of people.

The second most walked loop, mostly as an overnighter is the Marufo Vega trail on the far southeast side, short but the canyon scenery is great.  The other thing to do is spend a day working your way up and down the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and checking out all the stops.  On that side is the Mule Ears, you can go in that way out to Smoky Creek and do some off trail walking and make several days of it.

[Ralph Burgess]

Thanks Alex,  that’s helpful.

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