- What's up, guys?
It's Andy Feliciotti,
and welcome back to another video.
Right now we're in Terlingua, Texas.
And this weekend, Meagan and I are exploring
Big Bend National Park
and we're gonna share some of our favorite hikes
and experiences over the weekend.
So let's go.
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This remote national park is located
near the US-Mexico border in West Texas.
Due to its location,
it's one of the least traveled
national parks in the country,
but quickly gaining popularity.
Big Bend protects over 1,200 species of plants
and 75 species of mammals.
The park contains over 800,000 acres
of scenic drives, hikes, and the Chisos Mountain range.
Now let's hop into our favorite things
we did in Big Bend National Park.
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First up, we did the hike to Balanced Rock,
which takes you through the Grapevine Hills
and is well worth the effort.
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The two-mile out and back hike
is pretty flat most of the way,
increases difficulty as you climb up
towards the Balanced Rock.
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Once you're at the top,
it's the perfect spot for a photo op
and to stand there under the Balanced Rock,
and you can see the Chisos Mountains in the background.
Just be aware that the road to the parking lot
and trailhead is a six-mile drive on a rugged road.
We had no issues doing the drive with our Subaru Outback,
but I could see it getting a little difficult if it's muddy.
Next, we did the Window Trail,
which is located in the heart of Big Bend.
This five-mile out and back hike
takes you to a window that overlooks the Chihuahuan Desert
and is well worth the effort.
The trail starts out pretty easy
with the first mile being downhill.
But as you approach the Window,
you'll see a few rock scrambles and even stone steps.
We saw plenty of people birdwatching on the trail,
and even spotted some Mexican Blue Jays throughout the hike.
We enjoyed the view at the Window for a few minutes,
and then we returned back to the parking lot.
The journey to the parking lot
is definitely more challenging
as it's mostly uphill and in direct sunlight.
By far our favorite hike in the park
was the Lost Mine Trail.
The small parking lot fills up quickly,
so I suggest arriving early to find a parking spot.
We started the hike up at 8:00 AM
and it was great to see the morning light
hitting the mountains.
The hike takes you up a gradual, light incline,
and about 1/2 mile into the hike,
you begin to see the Chisos Mountains
and the views continue as you climb to the top.
Initially, we were afraid
of mountain lions and bears on the hike,
but luckily we made friends
with a man named Allen at the start,
and we did the whole entire hike with him.
There are plenty of overlooks as you climb the mountain
that give you a chance to take a break and take in the view.
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As you summit the mountain,
it feels like you're on a different planet.
Climbing the giant rock face at the top of the mountain
gives you views from each side of the mountain range.
The end of the hike gives you an interesting view
of a rock formation sticking out from the mountain.
And after that, it's time to head back down.
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By the time we finished the hike,
the parking lot was completely full
and people were waiting for our parking spot.
The next thing you have to do
when you're in Big Bend National Park
is do the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive.
This road takes you to the popular Santa Elena Canyon Trail
and has plenty of places to pull over and enjoy the view.
One of the largest scenic overlooks you pass
is the Sotol Vista Overlook, which is well worth the stop.
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Another point of interest that we enjoyed
was the Mule Ears Overlook.
After about 40 minutes of driving,
you'll reach the end and you'll be at Santa Elena Canyon.
The Santa Elena Canyon Trail
is a 1.4 mile out and back trail that is heavily trafficked
and brings you close to the US-Mexico border.
We didn't go on this hike on our trip
since we didn't wanna get wet in the Rio Grande,
but the view from the start of the trail was worth seeing
with the 1,500 foot cliffs in front of you.
If you're looking for somewhere to stay near Big Bend,
we had a great experience at Basecamp Terlingua.
They have many types of properties,
and in our visit we actually had a water issue
and they moved us to one of their bubbles,
which was a fun little excursion,
and it had a great view of the park as well.
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Highly recommend stopping
at the Little Dipper Food Truck as well.
It had tons of great Mexican food,
and even breakfast burritos and tacos for lunch.
There's plenty I didn't cover in this video,
like the hot springs and the fossil exhibit,
but I hope this helps you plan your trip
to Big Bend National Park,
and hopefully you'll get a chance
to explore this beautiful place.
Thanks again for watching,
and remember to like, and subscribe, see you around.
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