big bend ranch state park

The Closed Canyon hike is just a short drive from Lajitas. It is an easy, quick hike. The hike would be great on a hot day, because you are in a cool canyon for the whole hike.

We went to Big Bend Ranch State Park in July 2013, before camping in Chisos Mountains campgrounds in Big Bend National Park. Both great experiences, but quite different. Chisos Mountains campground is a well-developed car camping experience, with your neighbors right next to you, and the lodge with dining and a relatively well-stocked general store right above you.Big Bend Ranch is a starkly different experience. If you have ever dreamed of camping in complete solitude in an undeveloped area out in the middle of the desert, with not another soul around you for miles, Big Bend Ranch State Park is the place to go.We camped at Pila Montoya 3, a campsite accessible by 2 wheel drive high clearance vehicles, and it also had a toilet nearby (over a small hill so you didn't have to look at it in your campsite) so you don't have to use a bucket like at many of the other campsites. The toilet is surprisingly nice. The building was roomy, with a concrete floor and metal sides and roof, spotlessly clean, with a toilet just like yours at home, except it doesnt flush, waste goes down a deep hole. It did not smell bad. I highly recommend this campsite, but there are plenty of other great ones out there.Here are some tips for camping, especially in the summertime, when we went.1. Expect that when you enter the park boundaries, you still have about an hour drive over dirt roads to get to the park headquarters to check in.2. Once you leave the park headquarters, you still have about another hour of very slow, careful driving on uneven, hilly, bumpy, unpaved roads to get to your campsite.3. This is NOT a park for sedans. You really will want at least a 2WD SUV with high ground clearance, and something with 4WD will make things more comfortable, safer, and give you access to more campsites than 2WD will.4. Make sure you buy all food, water, and other supplies in Presidio before driving to the park. There is nothing around the entrance to the park, the park headquarters does not sell much beyond souvenirs and some small camping gear and snacks, though they do sell portable toilets if you didn't bring your own. If you get to your campsite and found you forgot something, it is a looong drive back to the headquarters, which probably won't have what you need, and a loooooooong drive back to Presidio. You really need to be self-reliant and self-sufficient to camp here.5. It gets pretty hot here in the summer (it was over 100 F), and the sun is intense. Your tent will be too hot to get into to escape the heat, and the little wooden roof over the picnic table is too small to provide good shade, so I highly recommend bringing some kind of sun canopy to put up. I really mean it. Remember too that this park is really far west in the Central Time Zone, almost to the beginning of the Mountain Time Zone, so that means the sun sets very late here, so you have a long time to wait before you start getting relief. It was 9:00 before it got really dark.Again, bring an opensided canopy to sit under. Here is a great publication that really helped us pick which sites we wanted.http://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_p4501_2059.pdf

To truly experience Big Bend Ranch State Park, a visit to Sauceda is a must. The drive from Lajitas to the Visitor Center took us about 2 hrs and 15 minutes. The road is not paved once you leave 170. The drive is beautiful the entire way. There are a few bathrooms along the way. We arrived on New Years day for the ranger hike. Due to a huge winter storm, the power was out. We came to the bunkhouse where they had a huge fire going in the fireplace. The rangers let us bring our lunch inside to eat. There are no more food services provided there but they are converting the kitchen to communal so that residents of the bunk house can fix their own meals there. The bunkhouse is a great deal for $35/night. I also toured the historic home which offers rooms you can rent as well. The whole location is an experience! I hope to return to stay at the home and arrange for a ranger led tour for the day. My boys did some of the bike trails nearby and loved it.

The road from Lajitas to Presidio is filled with spectacular scenery around every bend in the road (and there are many!) Take time to stop at the scenic viewpoints. If you have time, the hike at Closed Canyon is spectacular!

We spent 5 nights around this state park and I found it to be more intimate and enjoyable than the nearby national park. This is slightly different from other state parks in that there are only two trails that you can take your leashed dogs on that are nearby the river. Unlike all other TX state parks, all other trails are off limits to dogs. You can take your leashed dogs on any roads in the park. The rangers consider this more of a wilderness park and after getting two flat tires in the space of 15 minutes can see why they say that more people can get in trouble in this park than others. We drove to the middle of the park to the Sauceda Headquarters. There are two options for this drive from highway 170 near presidio. Both dirt road options are OK for regular clearance vehicles. However, the rocks on the roads are like little spears, particularly just after the road has been graded and tire punctures are common. The ranger materials recommend two spare tires. Having experienced the two punctures and only having one doughnut, I can fully appreciate why they say to carry two spare tires. Luckily the second puncture occured within 2 miles of HWY 170, so we were able to get a lift into Presidio to get them repaired.We also drove from Lajitas to Presidio and the scenery is gorgeous. Sunset and sunrise are beautiful. The road is well maintained but there are a couple of parts with very steep grades. According to one local, most accidents occur on these grades because people underestimate them and speed. We camped at Arenosa campground. We were the only ones there. It has a compost toilet, a covered dining area for groups but no other facilities. Primitive and quiet. Very sandy. Great solitude. Best hike with our dogs was Closed Canyon. At parts we had to lift our dogs through some of the 4' drops. Can be challenging for some, but well worth it.Lovely picnic areas all along hwy 170 with great views of the river.

We drove the river road from Lajitas to Presidio and it was everything people said it would be. Right on the Rio Grande with views to die for of the rugged mountains. The drive itself is not too difficult in a normal car or SUV and well worth it. As others have mentioned there is no fuel stops so fill up prior to leaving Lajitas.

Just a great place to wander around --- wonderful scenery, great hikes, no crowds. It is a real treasure.

There are no words to describe this part of Texas! I had no idea that there were such rugged mountains here. We took the scenic route along the Rio Grande river, we started out in Lajitas and drove about 30 miles into the park. There is so much to see and do, we just drove through stopping at different points of interests and taking pictures. There are different areas that you can camp at, also a rest area that looks like teepees! We stopped and ate lunch here. There is also a canyon to hike in, unfortunately we did not get to do this, it gets so hot and we were there in the afternoon. But from what I was told it is a beautiful canyon

We had stayed in Fort Davis and Marfa for a few nights before tackling a long weekend of outdoors-i-ness at Big Bend National Park. All the locals insisted we access the national park via the scenic river road that went through Big Bend Ranch State Park. Remember, it's two massive parks side by side -- one state, one national. We drove down the desolate yet dramatic 50 or so miles of Chihuahuan Desert between Marfa and Presidio, a border town. Fill the gas tank and load up on some snacks and drinks in Presidio. It's about a three hour drive ahead with no conveniences. A spectacular drive on a well maintained road that hugs the Rio Grande -- and the Mexican Border. Stop frequently to take photos and to breathe in the vistas. Caution: you can get in the water as long as you stay basically on your side of the center of the river. Touching land on the other side is a big no-no. Hint: Border Patrol guards have no sense of humor. And anytime you're driving north from the boarder, you're subject to a traffic stop and checkpoint. Just show your drivers license and say you're a resident.Finally, when you start seeing civilization again, that's a great place to stop for lunch and a drink -- Lajitas. A fully restored fort that is now a luxury resort. From there, on to Big Bend National Park.

This was the trip my wife and I had been waiting for our entire lives. We spent two weeks driving around West and Southwest Texas and Big Bend was the highlight by far. The scenery and landscape are so dramatic and captivating that you have to spend a week to just to take everything in. We primitive camped for 3 days on the Ranchitas trail and then took a canoe trip down the Rio Grande. We also hiked the Closed Canyon Trail then spent a morning on horseback to the top of the Mesa and then the evening in Teralingua enjoying a bowl of chili at the Starlight Theater. We visited in late March and I would recommend this time frame since it was already 90 degrees out. Plenty of camp sites but hiking and primitive camping is where its at.

Like it's cousin, Big Bend National Park, the Ranch covers an area of which you cannot conceive until you try to traverse even a part of it. For example, once you leave the paved road from Paradiso, the 17 mile drive to the bunkhouse takes an hour and that's the well maintained gravel road. Even with a 4-wheeeler,you cannot begin to cover minor portions of the Ranch because of it's sheer size. Everyone there is helpful and will be honest about what you can accomplish. It's a great place to hide. Who could find you if you chose to. The panoramas a vast and breath-taking, but there are only so many ledges, rock piles and canyons before they start melding into one another and become an iteration of the last one.

Detailed information about the bunkhouse was difficult to find, so here is everything you ever wanted to know.Before visiting I really wanted to know how the beds were set up. See the photos. There is a hallway with small cubicles along each side. The cubicles have walls on three sides but are open to the hallway. So this is more private than a bunch of beds in a room, but each cubicle has two beds very close together and is open to the hallway.The cubicles are small and can barely hold two beds, leaving a small space between the beds. There is really not enough room to put an open suitcase between the beds, so if both beds in a cubicle are occupied then it is going to be very tight. Many of the cubicles on the window side had no window coverings. The beds themselves are single width and were comfortable. Bedding was fine.Tip: The first cubicle on the right as you enter the hallway has more space between the beds. It is also darker in the morning.The men's bathroom had two toilets, two sinks and two showers. Cleanliness could have been better but was acceptable. (There was only one other person at the bunkhouse, a long-term visitor, so there probably was not daily maintenance. There is a sign telling guests to alert management if any attention was needed.) One shower had an uncomfortable high-pressure shower head, the other was much better (lower pressure, like normal).The bunkhouse is not air-conditioned. There were heating elements, although if it is very cold it seems like they wouldn't be sufficient. (possibly inquire if you are going in deep winter.)The bunkhouse common area is very nice. It has a great western decor with about six large tables and several couches. There is a large commercial-sized kitchen, but it was not available for individual guests and was reserved for large-scale meal preparation for large groups.As for security, the main bunkhouse door seemed to stay unlocked, although I think it was lockable. The entry door to the women's side of the bunkhouse had a simple doorknob lock, which of course can be locked only after everyone is in. I didn't check the men's side.Overall, this is a good way to stay if you can't get the suite in the big house or if you don't want to spend the money for the sutie. But if you have more than one person in your group, then financially it makes sense to get the suite.

The River Road (FM 170) from Presidio to Lajitas is one of the most adventurous roads I have ever driven with gorgeous views everywhere. Take the time to stop along the way at "Hoodoos Trail" to enjoy the rock formations and the short hike to the Rio Grande River. You'll be tempted but don't wade across to Mexico. And the Teepees Rest Stop is just a great photo op...as is the Contrabando Movie Set! If approaching from the west, I suggest you start at Fort Leaton to get a local map and the Texas Parks issue of "El Solitario" which details important information about the park, its attractions and its services--there is NO gas, diesel or groceries available in park!

This is a lovely park, but you must commit to going as it's a nearly 30-mile drive in to the ranger station on a windy dirt/rock road. You'll be happier in a high clearance and/or 4WD vehicle. Took a few nice short hikes. Nice views. It would be great for someone looking for true back-country opportunities. Somehow picked up a nail in our tire while there.

I would suggest that you go here if you are headed to Big Bend National Park. Go by way of the river road, which is just spectacular. Wonderful views along the way. Even more remote than the National Park and just as lovely. Very few places to stay so plan ahead.