We used to mountain-bike down from the Basin to the Rio Grande. Thirthy-three miles, downhill. Of course, we had to ride, slip, slide and walk the 6 miles up but still... 33 miles downhill - everything is great for that. The good think about walking is you can see everything nearby. Tons of odd vegetation, lotsa insects and reptiles. The pretty vegetation among that seemingly colorless scrabble, ending up with hours of rare colors. Also, the night sky is so full and bright by starlight that any sliver of the moon is simply too bright.
If we had enough bikers with us, we'd bring along gallon jugs of water and have the park-rangers deliver those, and often they'd suggest best-stopping points and best supper vistas. They all had favorites and, because of the general lack of people, they were all the more hyped to share.
Another fun outing was finding out when canoes trips were planned and we'd bike down and bring extra supplies to those folks. Cupcakes. Muffins. Ground coffee. Just anything was a delight for them...
Finding Marathon is one of the jewels out there. If you're heading west from Ft Stockton, hopefully someone will tell you about the oasis town of Balmorhea (bal muh RAY) just south of I-10, and their wonderful county park and spring-fed pool. We used to inner-tube down from the highway into 'downtown Balmorhea' along the canal-river... salamanders, mud puppies, etc. If you want to do it again, stand on the main street, thumb out and find a pickup who'll carry ya north about a mile or so, hop out and grab your floaties and enjoy another hour long journey downstream.
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I vacationed in Big Bend years ago. Beautiful, rugged country. But the thing I remember most is how quiet it was. Really loved that solitude.
I haven’t experienced this level of solitude in other parks so it was definitely a treat!
We used to mountain-bike down from the Basin to the Rio Grande. Thirthy-three miles, downhill. Of course, we had to ride, slip, slide and walk the 6 miles up but still... 33 miles downhill - everything is great for that. The good think about walking is you can see everything nearby. Tons of odd vegetation, lotsa insects and reptiles. The pretty vegetation among that seemingly colorless scrabble, ending up with hours of rare colors. Also, the night sky is so full and bright by starlight that any sliver of the moon is simply too bright.
If we had enough bikers with us, we'd bring along gallon jugs of water and have the park-rangers deliver those, and often they'd suggest best-stopping points and best supper vistas. They all had favorites and, because of the general lack of people, they were all the more hyped to share.
Another fun outing was finding out when canoes trips were planned and we'd bike down and bring extra supplies to those folks. Cupcakes. Muffins. Ground coffee. Just anything was a delight for them...
Mountain lions aren't the worst - that's the badgers. They will be more tan and dustier colored but they are the mountain lion killers.
Outside the park, the Indian Lodge State Park is wonderful for camping AND lodging, too.
Finding Marathon is one of the jewels out there. If you're heading west from Ft Stockton, hopefully someone will tell you about the oasis town of Balmorhea (bal muh RAY) just south of I-10, and their wonderful county park and spring-fed pool. We used to inner-tube down from the highway into 'downtown Balmorhea' along the canal-river... salamanders, mud puppies, etc. If you want to do it again, stand on the main street, thumb out and find a pickup who'll carry ya north about a mile or so, hop out and grab your floaties and enjoy another hour long journey downstream.
Did you know Jurassic Park was actually filmed at Big Bend?