Despite the awesome scenery, most of the state’s population resides hundreds of miles to the east, and many Texans have never visited the Big Bend region. Similarly, many travelers coming to the state never venture west of San Antonio or Fort Worth. These factors leave Big Bend National Park as one of the most sparsely utilized in the national park system. Yet those who do make the long trip out to Big Bend often are so enthralled by it that they return again and again.
No one stumbles upon Big Bend National Park by accident. The park’s entrances are more than 100 miles from the nearest interstate highway. Commercial airline service is even farther away. Buses and trains don’t go there. There are no major cities nearby. El Paso is more than 300 miles west of Big Bend, and San Antonio lies a comparable distance to the east. Even for permanent residents of West Texas, a trip to Big Bend involves more than a Sunday afternoon excursion.
If you’re coming from the central or eastern regions of Texas, the most direct route is to take U.S. Highway 90 going west from San Antonio. When you get to Marathon, you’ll be within about an hour’s drive south on Highway 385 to the northern entrance to the park. If approaching from the west, take Interstate 10 going east from El Paso, and when you get to Van Horn, exit to Highway 90. But you probably won’t want to go all the way to Marathon on 90 before heading south. You can reach the park’s western entrance via Highway 67 from Marfa to Presidio and Ranch Road 170 from Presidio to Study Butte or via Highway 118 from Alpine to Study Butte. The park is open 24 hours a day throughout the year. The main visitor center, at Panther Junction, is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Christmas.
Fall and spring are the best times to make the trip to Big Bend. According to the National Park Service, March and April are the months that bring the most visitors to the park, partly because it’s a popular spring break destination. Visitation is at its lowest in August and September. And if you ever go in August, you’ll quickly realize why. It gets really hot in the summertime in West Texas. In fact, the nearby town of Presidio often has the distinction of recording the state’s highest temperature on summer days – sometimes the highest in the nation.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Bob Thaxton's Texan Cities topic, please visit the Discussions page.