Big Bend

Big Bend isn’t the kind of place you get to on accident. This is something we heard many times before heading down to Big Bend National Park—which sits in Texas’ western armpit along the Rio Grande Rive and border with Mexico—and it definitely rings true. It’s a remote spot that takes some time to get to, but it’s certainly worth it. This desert park has tons of unique trails, canyons, and foliage to see that really make it special. We enjoyed the epic views of the Chisos Mountains, especially from the heart of the basin (where we were hoping to camp, but gosh darn it, it filled up right before we got there.) The trail to Balanced Rock was awesome, and we really enjoyed the Lost Mine Trail high up in the mountains too. Unfortunately the river was flooded, so we couldn’t hike through the Santa Elena Canyon, but we still got some great peekaboo views of it. I’d venture saying this park is underrated, so I recommend a visit if you’re willing to make the trek!