Texans, ?'s about Big Bend

[TwoToneX]

Anyone know much about the place? A couple friends and I are talking about going down there in the next couple days to go camping, I was just wondering if there are any 4x4 trails out there or anything. I've never been so I don't really know what to expect. So, if you've been and have anything to tell me, it'll be welcome

 

[Randall]

From the Demon4x4.com website:

Big Bend National Park - http://www.bigbendguide.com/ There are many areas of the Park including twenty seven miles of the Rio Grande River. The river portion extends from just south of Presidio and journeys downstream to Lajitas. This area includes campgrounds, picnic areas, and trail heads. The interior consists of the original ranch headquarters and includes lodging and camping. This once privately owned land is now the property of the State of Texas. It has been developed into a State Park and is run and operated as such. It is possibly the most unique Park in the System. It is the largest, encompassing nearly 300,000 acres, and is considered a pristine wilderness. A guided desert tour is available for experiencing a multi-day trip into the backcountry of the Big Bend area. Features trails like Gualle Mesa, Madrid / Mexicano Falls, Sollitario, Topado Canyon, Panther Canyon, Palo Amarillo, Papalote Alto, and Smith Springs.

"Big Bend National Park Official NPS Website - Dead Link Removed For what it's worth: there are some trails in Colorado that are listed as "4WD high clearance only" that I've seen 2WD grocery getters manage just fine. In other words, you can't always trust what a "vacation" guidebook (website) tells you." - Alan Hatcher


"Big Bend National Park is where Black Gap Rd. is, the location is out the Glen Springs Rd. down towards Mariscal mountain. The link you posted was for some guide in west Texas here is the park link if you don't have it Dead Link Removed" - River Rat

"I found this on “backcountry dirt roads” in Big Bend, read about the river road Dead Link Removed" - Jimmy Mancuso

"None of those roads are really difficult, but they do change season to season and get washed out in parts. I took my '79 jimmy on 35'' through must of them and never had to put her in 4wd. It would be more difficult if it rained.
By picking the right line (avoiding the large loose rocks ) the only problems is the width at times as some of them have a drop of in one side with part washed out. Black Gap road can be driven by a stock vehicle and probably a car if carefully picking the right lines.
I believe the 3 picture in the web page Jimmy sent is the hardest place in Black gap, and you can even see in the picture that they have smoothed it out by putting concrete with rocks to make it an even grade. Still fun.

But it is a great place and well worth traveling to, just don't expect extreme trails, they are just difficult enough to keep you on your toes as the dirt roads are full of holes, trenches and small/medium sized rocks.
There is supposed to be some difficult trails north of Terlingua but I don't have any information, and there are some ghost towns that were discussed in here not long ago.

The scenery and the solitude are incredible, and the hiking is excellent in and out of the Chisos Basin. I f you haven't been to this area of Texas you need to see it. I do highly recommend it." - Javier

 

[John_Rock]

Here I am on Black Gap Rd just coming down the part they had cemented. As you can see in the picture, the date was 7/3/2000. I had bought my ST on 6/30/2000.
So she was bone stock with open diffs. And it was a rainy time of the summer. I made it through just fine.
There was some muddy spots that worried me, but I just put it in 4lo and didn't take my foot off the gas.

The one thing you may worry about the most is running out of gas. The gas stations are few and far between and that park is huge.

 

[Trckmagik]

Lets go......... Im all for it.

 

[John_Rock]

Jared? Did you end up going camping in Big Bend?

 

[Texan01]

I'll agree that the trails aren't all that tough, in '89 we took our '84 Olds Delta 88 (wheezy and underpowered 307-V8, 2.41 open rear) over some of those trails, but had to turn around after we ran out of ground clearance, a fully loaded sedan with 5 people just don't offer that much clearance.

The scenery is spectacular, and I would love to go back and take some of those roads less travelled, we stayed at the hotel in the basin which is nice, but not the penthouse suite, more like motel 6. and like was said before, fill up the tank before you head out on those trails.

 

[TwoToneX]

We ended up going to Sam Houston National Forest because it was closer. I think we're gonna try and go out to Big Bend for a week sometime before it gets too hot

 

[John_Rock]

On the way back from Truckhaven, the wife and I did a detour trip into Big Bend National Park.
It was good to revisit it during a cooler part of the year.
It's cool to see the Rio Grande River emerge into the park through one canyon and exit the park into another canyon.
Because of a lack of rain lately the roads were even easier than when I first visited the park when my truck was all stock. If Big Bend wasn't a national park it would probably be a really cool place to offroad.

Here's the before and after pictures of my truck on Black Gap Rd.

July 2000 - My truck was brand new off the lot 3 days prior.

 

[John_Rock]

January 2003 - 2.5 years and 60,000 miles later...

 

[Sinjin]

Here are a few pics from a Superlift Event in Big Bend that I attended a while back.

If you do decide to make a run and you are looking for a "Spring Break" party atmosphere, be sure to go during the Chili Cookoff!

 

[John_Rock]

Sinjin, where is that spot in your two bottom pictures?

 

[Sinjin]

John,
Unfortunetly I was not leading so Im not sure exactly how we got there. This was quite a while back, all I can remember about that spot it was a dry river bed with great obstacles. Sorry I could'nt help more. I will ask one of my buddies about it, I think he has the GPS coordinates.