Chisos Mountains, Texas, United States

5SnowyShasta 5:00 PM Nov 26, 2020

Scenic area in the center of Big Bend
We enjoyed visiting the Chisos Mountains as part of our time in Big Bend. The mountains are a lot cooler than the rest of the park, which was much appreciated. When we visited in October 2020, the campground was open and some of the stores, but services were limited. There are a number of hikes in this area; we recommend the Lost Mine one for great views, and the Window View trail is short and paved. There are also more strenuous hikes throughout the mountains that we didn't have time for on this trip.

5Rob I 5:00 PM Oct 30, 2021

If you have the opportunity to see this place, please take it
The Chisos Mountains are the best part of this huge park. They are dramatic and close at hand from the Chisos Basin, full of rugged climbing trails as well as wheel chair accessible paved walkways. The night skies are spectacular. The Rio Grande River was not much more than a creek and underwhelming. Avoid the Rio Grande village area unless you want to see birds. Mexicans cross the river to brazenly and aggressively sell food and trinkets- an unpleasant experience, and the scenery there isn’t all that great. We took a ranger guided desert plant walking tour that was really informative. I recommend stopping to read the roadside plaques too- they help you understand the incredible geology of the area. Although the park is remote the experience of being in such an unusual and beautiful place makes the effort of getting there deeply worthwhile.