| Interactive Map Points | |
| San Antonio to Big Bend |
Getting here can be half the fun, but not if you don't plan well. Big Bend is a long way from major population centers, and public transportation connections are limited at best. Many people drive all the way, round trip. However, there are other alternatives that may save time, money and stress.
| Drive from major Texas cities | |
| Fly | |
| Train | |
| Bus | |
| Vehicle Rentals | |
| Motorcycles |
Big Bend is one of the most remote areas of the lower 48 states. Because of this, it can be hard to visit, unless you have a good idea of how to get here and how to get around once you are here. Traveling to the Big Bend can be part of your adventure, but that excitement soon fades if you haven't planned your route well.
Most who visit Big Bend drive a personal vehicle. Public transportation is available, but not always most convenienent. From most cities of origin, there is a fastest way to get to the National Park Area, as well as alternate routes that sometimes offer more scenery and less stress than the relentless pace of US 90 and Interstates 10 and 20.
Flying commercially will only get you part of the way to Big Bend. However, flying in and renting a car is a convenient and enjoyable way to see Big Bend and the West Texas Mountains.
West Texas grew up around the train, and the train still delivers visitors to Big Bend. The schedules are not the most convenient, but the vacation begins as soon as you take a seat in the city of origin.
The Big Bend is one of the best places in Texas, maybe the world, to ride a motorcycle. There are hundreds of miles of scenic paved highways with mountains and curves galore
Bus service to Big Bend via Alpine is available
There are some views you just can't take in all at once. Like a dazzling sunset or breathtaking field of wildflowers—you just can't appreciate such beauty in the moment, a moment that is often over before you realize it, the forms and colors of that marvelous vista already fading in your memory. Perhaps it was with the goal of preserving such scenes that the first camera was invented, a goal that you may still share when you visit a place as beautiful as Big Bend and the surrounding area. Why not take a look through our new and improved photo galleries to see what amazing sights have been preserved by astounded visitors and appreciative locals? When you see the mountains, plains, flora, and fauna displayed in those images, you'll be glad the gallery contributors took their camera along.
Among the many activities available in Big Bend National Park that highlight the region's diversity of wildlife, birding can be enjoyable and promising. Big Bend engulfs a vast area, bounded by the the rushing Rio Grande valley to the south, containing high peaks in the Chisos Mountains, and boasting both desert and forest climates between the two. It embodies the very diversity that makes America great, providing countless opportunities to spot more than 450 birds in one area.
What are your new year's resolutions for 2012? Did you keep your resolutions for 2011? While the top resolutions each year include losing weight, learning something new, traveling, or getting out of debt, here's a new challenge you can take on this year: spot all the bird species in Big Bend National Park.
Big Bend has some of the most spectacular scenery in Texas, if not the entire US. Our big sky country rivals any other state and our night skies are as dark as anywhere for excellent star gazing. The beautiful light and great scenery make for a photographer’s paradise.
There are many things you may love to do in Big Bend National Park in the heat of summer, but running or jogging is probably not one of them. With 90+ degree temperatures, there simply is no such thing as a nice July run in West Texas. With the dry weather we've had this year, you have truly hostile workout conditions. That all changes this time of year, though, as temperatures drop and the sun gives us a break for a few months. What a great time to get out on some trails in Big Bend!
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