What to Do
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Big Bend offers many exciting activities, from simply sightseeing in the family car and enjoying the amenities of a comfortable lodge, to hard-core wilderness adventures, and everything in between. People visit Big Bend to hike, camp, ride horses, paddle the river, pedal bicycles, ride motorcycles, look for wildlife, look for nightlife, and to get a life. Some work hard at it, others let professionals do the heavy lifting. A small community of experienced outfitters and activity providers arrange excursions of all descriptions, as well as provide good local information for visitors in general.
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6 Great Family Activities in Big Bend
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 12 December 2009 12:12
Big Bend offers many activities for your family, from sightseeing and hiking to river running and birding. You can choose from comfortable lodging and eateries to outback wilderness adventures. Many activities can be done at a leisurely pace, and others can be done with the aid of fully trained guides and professionals.
Wellness, massage, spas
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- Published on Tuesday, 12 June 2012 12:07
- Written by Mike Davidson
Some people come to a place like Big Bend to relax and rejuvenate. Get a massage or a spa treatment, or try out a yoga retreat in an absolutely maginificent setting.
Hiking Trails
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- Published on Saturday, 04 July 2009 13:00
- Written by Mike Davidson
Hiking one of the many improved trails in the Big Bend is a great way to see some beautiful country and get some healthy exercise. There are trails for every skill level from easy and short to long and tough.
River Outfitters
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 04 July 2009 13:00
- Written by Mike Davidson
The following outfitters provide fully outfitted guided canoe and rafting trips on the Rio Grande. Trips last from a few hours to a week or more depending on which of 5 separate canyons of the Rio Grande one chooses to float.
Horseback Riding
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 04 July 2009 13:00
- Written by Mike Davidson
Local Outfitters offer rides from two hours to several days in length. There is no better way to see Big Bend than from the back of a horse.
Air Tours
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- Published on Sunday, 06 March 2011 08:55
- Written by Mike Davidson
Now you can see Big Bend from the air. Retired National Park Ranger and pilot Marcos Paredes has founded Rio Aviation to show folks a bird's eye view of Big Bend. Click here for more information
Vehicle Tours
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- Published on Saturday, 04 July 2009 13:00
- Written by Mike Davidson
Backroad Vehicle Trips are offered both on public land and on private land, where access is strictly limited. Vehicles utilized range from 15 passenger vans to passenger jeeps with canopies.
Biking Trails
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- Published on Saturday, 04 July 2009 13:00
- Written by Mike Davidson
Mountain Bicycling has grown in popularity over the years, and it seems like every other vehicle has sprouted a pair of these high tech mechanisms. Big Bend can be a good place to ride if you know where to go.
Birding
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 04 July 2009 13:00
- Written by Mike Davidson
Big Bend, because of its geographical location, and the variety of the landscape, offers excellent habitat for birds. 425 species are found within the boundaries of Big Bend National Park, more than any other national park and more than all but a few states.
Shopping
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 04 July 2009 13:00
- Written by Mike Davidson
Professional surveys suggest that the most popular vacation activity is shopping and in Big Bend unique local merchants have made many interesting shopping opportunities available.
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Worth a Thousand Words
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.
Birding in Big Bend
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.
Your Big Year is Here
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.
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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.
Trails and Wildlife
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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