Big Bend 4-Day Itinerary for Hiking with Kids

If you’re considering hiking Big Bend with your kiddos, read on and I’ll give you our four-day hike/see/do adventure itinerary.

Cairn

Big Bend is remote. Let me be super clear; the Panther Junction Visitor Center (which is the best place to start your Big Bend adventure) is an 8.5-hour drive from Dallas, a 7.25-hour drive from Austin, and a 5-hour drive from El Paso. And unfortunately, it’s not on the way to anything. It’s a two-hour detour from the nearest interstate. For these reasons, it’s one of the least visited in the lower 48 states.

However, because it’s SOOO far from urban areas and light pollution, Big Bend is an International Dark Sky Park, and we are huuuuge fans of dark skies. (In my head, I’m singing, “The stars at night are big and bright โ€“ clap, clap, clap, clap โ€“ Deep in the heart of Texas!”)

Because of the driving distance, we decided to stop at Davis Mountains State Park for a couple of nights, and I highly recommend it. This Texas park is gorgeous. The views were breathtaking with awesome CCC-built stone overlooks, the skies were dark, and Fort Davis is such a cute little town. The hikes are kid-doable and worth it. We will definitely go back. You’re gonna want to see it for yourself. Here’s that video link. (We even share the best site in the park. ๐Ÿ˜Ž)

CCC Overlook at Davis Mountain SP
CCC Overlook at Davis Mountains SP

And Fort Davis National Historic Site is a five-minute drive down the mountain from Davis Mountains State Park if you decide to make this stop. You won’t want to miss it. Click here to see our Fort Davis walk-through video.

Plus, the McDonald Observatory is only a 20-minute drive up the mountain. Please make reservations several weeks in advance during busy season. (I checked a month before our trip during Covid, and all reservation options were sold out.)

Another big plus to staying at Davis Mountains SP is it puts you less than two hours from Big Bend (which means you can hike on your arrival day!).


Consider the time of year and temperatures when planning your visit. Big Bend lies in the Chihuahuan Desert. Summers are scorching, and desert floor temps can top 100. Winters are usually mild, but temps can drop below freezing at night. Spring and fall are the most popular times in the park.

But be prepared. During our mid-April trip, some days, the highs got up to 93 (10 degrees higher than average), which meant the desert floor was even hotter than that. Remember to always monitor weather and temps, hike early when it’s warm, wear sunscreen, a hat, comfortable clothing, sturdy shoes, and bring plenty of water (1 gallon per person advised).

Also, know your child’s mileage and hike difficulty limitations when planning your itinerary. Our 7-year-old is a regular hiker, and she maxes out at 5-6 miles each day for easy to moderate hikes during nice weather. As trail difficulty and temperatures increase, her distance will decrease. For this unexpectedly warm trip, I kept max mileage to about 3 miles a day. Make sure you customize according to your youngest child’s ability.


Since we pulled Roamie (our 1973 25โ€ฒ Avion trailer) for this trip, we were unfortunately too long for my first choice, the Chisos Basin campground, which is limited to 20โ€ฒ trailers and 24โ€ฒ motorhomes. So, we decided to make basecamp at Paisano Village RV Park (full hook-ups, super clean, nicely laid out, and owners were very friendly), on the edge of Terlingua, and a 30-minute drive to Panther Junction Visitor Center.

Fire at Chisos Basin
Chisos Basin on fire

The morning we pulled into Terlingua, we found out Chisos Basin was on fire, so I had to adjust the trails we would hike. (I had a backup list of trails which made it easy.) We missed the following “much talked about” Chisos Basin trails, and you may want to substitute or include these in your visit, so make sure you check them out, too.
โซธ Lost Mine Trail – 4.8 mi
โซธ Window View Trail – .3 mi
โซธ Window Trail – 5.6 mi

So let’s get on with our four-day hike/see/do itinerary!
Videos showing the gorgeous hikes and sites is below the itinerary.

(I am listing TOTAL mileage for trails whether out & back trails or loops.)

Day 1
12pmArrive Paisano RV Park
(site was available early)
Set up trailer & quick lunch
AfternoonStop @ Panther JunctionPick up park maps & speak to Rangers
Grab Junior Ranger booklet
Hike Grapevine Hills Trail
(to Balanced Rock)
2.2 miles out & back > easy, then scramble
up rocks/boulders (not for toddlers)
Fossil Discovery ExhibitTour dinosaur fossil exhibit
Walk up to overlook
Day 2
MorningHike Ernst Tinaja1.6 miles out & back > easy, caution around tinajas
Rio Grand TunnelPhotos of Big Bend Tunnel on HWY 118
Rio Grande Village
Nature Trail
1 mile – river detour is out & back > easy
same distance to the top for the view (loop)
EveningTerlingua Ghost Town
& Cemetery
Easy wander, watch your step – broken bottles
Day 3
MorningRio Grande River
Half day canoe
Big Bend River Tours – Highly recommend
Dave & Alison as your river guides.
AfternoonLower Burro Mesa
Pour Off Trail
1 mile out & back > easy
Day 4
MorningRoss Maxwell Scenic DriveGorgeous 30 mile Drive to Santa Elena
Santa Elena Canyon Trail1.5 mile out & back > easy, be prepared
to climb several switchback and then descend
AfternoonSanta Elena Canyon OverlookStop for photos.
(We saw wild horses near this point)
Castolon Visitor CenterTurn in completed Junior Ranger booklet
Get ice cream from store
Tuff Canyon Trail1 mile out & back > We don’t feel this is a must-see trail.
However, there are a couple of nice overlooks
peering into the canyon if you stop.
Mule Ears ViewpointStop for a photo

That’s it! We left the following morning for Big Bend Ranch State Park. (And that blog post is coming soon!)

Check out our 2 part video series below to see our full 4-day Big Bend trip.

Big Bend Part 1


Big Bend Part 2

2 thoughts on “Big Bend 4-Day Itinerary for Hiking with Kids”

  1. Thank you for the post on traveling to Big Bend with kids! Itโ€™s been hard to find resources.

    1. Hi Courtney! You’re SO welcome! And I 100% agree about short resources for camping and hiking for families with kiddos. We are actually much better about posting video content on our YouTube channel, Our Gold Road, and cover trails, length, difficulty, and things to see at the various state and National Parks! Check it out and say HI, sometime! ๐Ÿค—

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