San Antonio To Big Bend Road Trip

I completed my sixth solo trip to Big Bend National Park in November, with a stop in Alpine on the way there and one night in Del Rio on the way back. This was my first time visiting Big Bend in November, and it was fabulous! With cooler temperatures it was perfect weather for hiking, and I always enjoy the scenic drives, amazing views, and being surrounded by nature.

With three nights in Big Bend I had enough time to do a few hikes, drive the Max Roswell Scenic Drive, and spend time watching sunsets, wildlife, and getting into conversations with other visitors to the park.

If you haven’t been to the park yet, this article will give you a good starting point for a 3-day itinerary for Big Bend.

Getting to Big Bend from San Antonio

405 miles (approximately 6.5 hours driving time) via US-90

Driving from San Antonio to Big Bend National Park is so easy! Take Hwy US-90 West all the way to Marathon, then turn left (south) onto Hwy US-385 South and that will take you to the park.

Previously, I had driven from Austin to Big Bend on Interstate 10, but I enjoyed the Hwy 90 route a whole lot more because there were fewer vehicles on the road and hardly any 18-wheelers. Another plus is that Highway 90 is much more scenic than I-10, so it’s a more enjoyable drive.

Where To Stay in Big Bend National Park

NOTE: Chisos Basin is scheduled to close from May 2026 (revised from previous start date of May 2025) through approximately April 2028 for upgrades to the water system and the hotel.

There is only one hotel in Big Bend National Park, the Chisos Mountain Lodge, located in the Chisos Basin area. As far as I know, the only way to book a room is through the Chisos Mountain Lodge website.

Usually you need to book well in advance of your trip. However, I booked this trip last minute and reserved my 3-night stay only 4 days before my visit to Big Bend. I guess they had a cancellation because when I checked earlier in November there was nothing available for more than one night.

Campgrounds at Big Bend

There are three campgrounds at Big Bend operated by the National Park Service and one RV park operated by Aramark. In addition, backcountry camping is also available, permit required.

Chisos Campground: 56 sites open year-round, food storage lockers, flush toilets, no showers. Note that Chisos Basin is closing in May 2026 for infrastructure upgrades and renovations to Chisos Mountain Lodge and will remain closed for several months.

Cottonwood Campground: 22 sites open November through April, food storage lockers, dry camping, no hook-ups and no generators permitted, vault toilets, no showers.

Rio Grande Village Campground: 93 sites open year-round, food storage lockers, flush toilets, coin-operated showers, laundry.

Rio Grande Village RV Park: 25 sites with full hook-ups (maximum length 38 feet), flush toilets, coin-operated showers.

Stops On the Way to Big Bend from San Antonio

I stopped at Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site on the way and spent one night in Alpine. Then I spent a night in Del Rio on the way home, so I could visit the Amistad National Recreation Area.

Both places are worth spending some time to visit, anywhere from an hour or two to a few days, depending on your schedule. Marathon is also a great place to stop on the way to or from Big Bend.

Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site

The park is located near the small town of Comstock and features hiking and biking trails, a campground, and petroglyphs in the canyon. To view the petroglyphs at Seminole Canyon you must sign up for a tour. Tours are offered from Wednesday through Sunday, at 10 am and 3 pm. It’s best to sign up online in advance to be sure you get a spot on the tour.

Amistad National Recreation Area

The Amistad Reservoir is a popular spot for boating, fishing, and swimming, especially in the hotter summer months. There are also primitive campsites, hiking trails, and excellent birdwatching year-round, but especially during the migration seasons in spring and fall.

Marathon

I stopped in the small town of Marathon during my first road trip to Big Bend in 2010, staying at the beautiful Eve’s Garden Bed and Breakfast. There’s also the Gage Hotel and a few other lodgings like the Marathon Motel. The population of Marathon is around 300. It’s a great place to spend a night on the way to or from Big Bend.

Alpine

Alpine is a small college town, home to Sul Ross University, and has a population of around 6,000. This is one of my favorite places to stay in West Texas. It’s close to Marfa, Marathon, Fort Davis, Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center, Balmorhea, Terlingua, and Big Bend. Plus, it’s fun to walk around town visiting boutiques, galleries, and restaurants, visit Museum of the Big Bend, and hike Hancock Hill to the desk on hilltop.

One Night in Alpine Texas

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You don’t need to stop in Alpine on your way to Big Bend, but I wanted to break up the drive a bit and have more time in the park on my first day. Since it’s only a two-hour drive from Alpine to Big Bend, I got to spend the whole afternoon and evening at the park on my first day.

In Alpine I stayed at The Holland Hotel, a historic hotel on Holland Avenue. The railroad is close by, so if train whistles bother you, this wouldn’t be a good choice. I loved my stay at The Holland and would definitely book it again.

Part of the reason I loved staying at The Holland Hotel is because I received an upgraded room. My original room was very nice, but the air conditioning didn’t work. They couldn’t get maintenance to check on it, so they gave me an upgrade to one of the Family Rooms at The Holland. Sweet!

Wednesday through Sunday, there are plenty of restaurant options in Alpine. Monday and Tuesday, not so much.

I arrived on a Tuesday night, and I had forgotten that many of the restaurants are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, including my favorite place in Alpine, the Reata Restaurant.

I always bring emergency foods on road trips; in case I get stuck somewhere with no options for food. So I also had a premade tomato, zucchini, and olive salad that I ate along with a couple of beers I brought in my cooler. And I bought a big slice of cheesecake from Scoops Creamery. I’m not supposed to eat cheesecake because I’m prediabetic. So I compromised—I ate the cheesecake, but I didn’t eat the crust. YOLO! It was delicious.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the space in my upgraded room at the Holland Hotel and the air conditioning. In the morning I had lots of room to roll out my yoga mat to enjoy doing my full yoga routine.

Then I grabbed a coffee in the lobby. Oh my goodness, the coffee was excellent—a real cup of coffee! I brought my own breakfast of egg bites, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, honey, fresh blueberries, and homemade sugar-free cocoa oatmeal cookies. I also bought some plain yogurt at Lowe’s grocery store. I was impressed with the selection of goods and the quality of produce at this store.

Driving from Alpine to Big Bend

There are 2 options for driving routes from Alpine to Big Bend, and both take about 2 hours of driving time to get to Chisos Mountain Lodge, where I was staying for 3 nights.

Option A: Take Hwy 118 South and pass through Study Butte (close to Terlingua) along the way to Big Bend and enter via the west entrance, Maverick Junction.

Option B: Take Hwy 90 East to Marathon, then turn right onto Hwy 385 South to Big Bend and enter via the north entrance, Persimmon Gap.

Day One in Big Bend

Max Roswell Scenic Drive

I chose to take Hwy 118 to Big Bend because I wanted to drive the Max Roswell Scenic Drive, and since it’s on the west side of the park, this was my best option from Alpine.

The day was sunny and warm, and I enjoyed the drive to Big Bend and soaked in the majestic views all the way to Santa Elena Canyon, arriving around 1:00 pm. The parking lot was almost full, but I snagged one of the last two spots.

Max Roswell Scenic Drive is only 30 miles, but it’s a twisty, winding road, so it takes (minimum) about 90 minutes (roundtrip) to drive to Santa Elena Canyon and back to the main road. There are so many places to stop along this scenic drive that you could spend a whole day or two (or more) exploring this section of the park.

Santa Elena Canyon Trail

Easy 1.7-mile round-trip, out-and-back hike

I hadn’t planned on hiking the Santa Elana Canyon Trail, but once I got there and saw the water level was low enough to cross easily to the trailhead, I eagerly made my way up the canyon and enjoyed hiking along the Rio Grande.

The end of the trail brings you right up to the Rio Grande, where you can swim or wade into the river. During mid-November, even in the afternoon, the entire hike was shaded, which made for a super comfortable hike.

The canyon is gorgeous, and I highly recommend this short, easy 1.7-mile round-trip hike. Although, be aware that sometimes the water level is too high to safely cross the creek to the trailhead.

You can also go paddleboarding or canoeing on the Rio Grande at Santa Elena Canyon. I saw a few paddleboarders while I was hiking.

Chisos Mountain Lodge

Refreshed after the hike, I headed back on the winding roadway of Max Roswell Scenic Drive and turned right onto Gano Springs, continuing to Basin Jct, and checked into the Chisos Mountain Lodge.

My room was at the Emory Lodge, which is a lovely old stone building with no TV, no telephone, and no air conditioning but shaded with lots of trees. There is a heater in the main room and in the bathroom, a microwave, fridge, and coffeemaker.

All of the rooms at Chisos Mountain Lodge are old and rustic, but the location is the main attraction. Remember, Chisos Mountain Lodge will be renovated starting in May 2025, so we’ll have to wait a couple years to see what the rooms are like after the renovations.

Also at Chisos Basin there is a dining room open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus a store with basic supplies, souvenirs, food, and snacks. And there’s a visitor center (you can connect to Wi-Fi here) where you can get maps and ask the park rangers questions. They often have ranger-led walks as well as presentations at the amphitheater located next to the Chisos Campground.

Window View Trail

.3 mile (.5 km) loop

My usual ritual is to watch the sunset at Window View Trail, which is a paved walk (wheelchair accessible) rather than a hike.

After watching the sunset I enjoy dinner either at the onsite restaurant or bring my own food.

Day Two in Big Bend

You can have a buffet breakfast at the onsite restaurant. It’s pretty basic but nothing special, so I only ate there once on this trip and brought enough food for the other two mornings.

Window Trail Hike

Moderate 5.5 miles round trip out and back hike from Chisos Basin Trailhead (or 4 miles round trip out and back hike from Chisos Campground)

The most popular hike at Chisos Basin, and probably all of Big Bend, is the Window Trail. The trailhead is located just to the left of the Basin Store.

But you can also take a shorter route by driving over to the Chisos Campground and park near campsite 51. This will shave 1.5 miles off the hike, the boring switchback section, so you won’t miss anything fun.

On this hike I saw a little gray fox run across the trail in front of me, several Mexican Jays, and a tarantula! Don’t worry, tarantulas don’t want to get up close and snuggle with you. They are so impressive to watch. Imagine having eight legs for hiking the trail!

 

 

 

Since I didn’t start hiking until mid-morning, I spent the afternoon enjoying a leisurely lunch and then wandered around the Chisos Basin, where I saw a black bear in a tree eating berries. This was right next to the Chisos Basin Store. A couple of park rangers were standing by to make sure Mister Bear moved away from the area after getting their fill of berries.

Dinner at Chisos Restaurant

I find the lunch and dinner at Chisos Restaurant are a whole lot more impressive than the breakfast. Try the burgers, salads, or the fish. They also serve beer and wine if you want to do happy hour.

Day Three in Big Bend

Boquillas Canyon & Boquillas Crossing

I drove from Chisos Mountain Lodge to Rio Grande Village (about 30 miles) and spent the day in the area around Boquillas Canyon. I forgot to bring my passport, so I couldn’t go to Mexico at Boquillas Crossing, but I chatted with the border patrol and got all the info for next time.

Basically, it’s free to walk across the Rio Grande, but if you want to take a rowboat it costs $5 roundtrip. You do have to pay $4 in Mexico for a wristband to enter because it’s a protected area. The town is about a three-quarter-mile walk (free), or you can pay for a ride via pickup truck, horse, or burro. In town there are a few restaurants, a bar, and plenty of art and crafts for sale.

Even if you’re not going across to the town of Boquillas in Mexico there are plenty of other things to do nearby. You can hike the Boquillas Canyon Trail (1.4 miles round-trip) and check out the view at Boquillas Canyon Overlook.

You’ll probably see art and crafts displayed around the Boquillas overlook and along the trails. These are made by artisans in Boquillas Mexico. If you want to buy something, just leave cash in the provided metal payment box.

Rio Grande Village Nature Trail

Easy .75 mile round-trip loop

For a great view of the Rio Grande, walk the nature trail located near campsite #18 at Rio Grande Village Campground.

The trail starts out in the wetlands, where you’ll hear a lot of birds and maybe see a few too. The trail continues up the hillside, where you can check out the view.

Alternate Day 3 in Big Bend

If you’re more in the mood for hiking, then I suggest you hike the Lost Mine Trail and Balanced Rock; both are in the Chisos Basin, only a short drive from Chisos Mountain Lodge or the Chisos Campground.

Lost Mine Trail

Moderate 4.8 miles round-trip out and back hike

You can’t beat the spectacular views of Lost Mine Trail but get to the trailhead early in the morning (around sunrise) for the best chance for a parking spot in order to do a morning hike.

Alternatively, if you are visiting in late fall, winter, or early spring when the temperatures are cooler, you could hike Lost Mine in the afternoon when there are often parking spots available.

Grapevine Hills Trail

Moderate 2.2 miles round-trip out and back hike

To get to Grapevine Hills Trail you need to drive 6 miles on a dirt road, which is apparently not recommended for passenger vehicles. I drove it several years ago in my Yaris, so I’m guessing the road has deteriorated since then.

This hike is easy until you get to the last quarter mile with the jumble of boulders. There is no shade on this trail and watch out for snakes.

Last Morning in Big Bend and Drive To Del Rio

Basin Loop Trail

Moderate 2 miles round-trip loop

On my last morning in Big Bend I hiked the Basin Loop Trail, which is a short and rather easy hike, with the trailhead conveniently located at Chisos Basin, right next to Chisos Mountain Lodge.

Del Rio and Amistad National Recreation Area

Chisos Mountain Lodge to Del Rio: 250 miles (about 4 hours driving time)

I decided to stay in Del Rio for one night on the way home so I could check out the Amistad Reservoir at Amistad National Recreation Area.

The day was overcast, and it was misting a bit, but it was still pleasant to walk the nature trail near the Ranger Station. I can imagine this place is popular during the summer months; what a great swimming spot!

Del Rio to San Antonio

150 miles (about 2.5 hours driving time)

The drive from Del Rio is super easy; just take Highway US-90 east all the way to San Antonio!

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there is no shortage of fun things to do at Big Bend National Park. Any road trip takes some planning, but it’s easy to take off for a few days to West Texas and enjoy the desert, mountains, the Rio Grande, and maybe even a quick trip to Mexico! Anyone who loves the outdoors will surely enjoy a trip to Big Bend National Park for the hiking, biking, paddling, stargazing, and wildlife viewing opportunities. If you haven’t been yet, I urge you to put Big Bend on your Texas bucket list!

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