rio grande

A visit to Big Bend is a "not to be missed" activity. The Rio Grande, a river which has carved 1500 ft deep canyons through solid rock, is but a shadow of its former self. I was there in February so perhaps this was a low water time and there is a more significant flow at other times. I hope so because it's sad to see an iconic river reduced to this.

We drove to the Rio Grande this morning from Sanderson. After turning off highway 90 at Marathon ( be aware that the gas stations charge and extra 50 cents a gallon yikes a bit of High way robbery ). We drove down highway 385. Very quiet but sunny today. We paid the $20 for entrance fee which is good for 7 days not handy as we cannot take our pet dog kayaking or on any trails. So disappointed all the rules about no dogs yet no where to board dog. So this is a short trip here. We went to the rio grande village so see the river and could not see it as we cannot go with milo and cannot leave him in the car again not much happiness going on here. So we drove to the port of entry then to the boquillas canyon overlook. So we got to see the river then off we go again. WE rounded off by leaving by the 118 highway. Was is worth $20 USD for that not sure. But I have seen a pile of rocks before. The best part was having to show our passports to prove we were not illegals for some reason the Ontario plates did do it. We figured they were board. Any ways will not take that trip again, but had to try it.

The Rio Grande here passes through two dramatic slices through mountains like the Colorado does through the Kaiparowits Plateau. We viewed one of the cuts from across Teralingua Creek as it was flooded and we could not simply walk across to access the trail with handrails up to look directly into the cut. The more Eastern cut was accessible from the road that goes down to the border crossing and we walked past some large puddles until we got to where the river was still rising and could view the cut with Mexico and US on opposite sides.

The Rio Grande in the Big Bend Park is very hard to find. While it is talked about in everything you read it was hard to find but once you find it the view is beautiful. In the Rio Grande Village you have to walk a trail up to catch a view and there is a boat ramp in the picnic area but I would not advise viewing it there. You can view it up at the canyon by the border.

Spent an amazing day, floating the river, criss-crossing the US/Mexican border, making for an exciting adventure, watching the turtles and swimming in the cool waters.

The canyons and chasms of the Rio Grande are spectacular, and the park is well worth the visit if you like out of the way places that are away from the crowd. The river itself is managed upstream, where dams hold back the flow until spring, so the river level in the fall and winter months is low; at high season the rapids return closer to the wild natural state that earned the river its' Mexican name Rio Bravo, or angry river.

We drove along the Rio from Presidio to Big Bend... we canoed part of the Rio... we birded from the Santa Elena Canyon to the Cottonwood Campground... we hiked along the Rio in various parts of the National Park. It's not the Mighty Mississippi, but offers a keen look into what this river means to Americans and Mexicans alike.For example... there's a barbed wire fence between the Cottonwood camp ground and the river... to keep the cows, horses and burros out of the camp ground when they wander over from Mexico as they can easily wade the river at that point and just about any other point where there are farms. BTW, this is one of the few fences that we saw on our side of the river, while the Mexico side does have a fences to restrain their livestock from being illegals.Political commentary aside... while the water flow is low and slow, the vegetation that it still produces shows just what a little water can bring to life. And it creates a green ribbon from Presidio to the eastern exit of the park. And the canyons are magnificent, though not as big as the Grand Canyon, in their own right whether viewed from afar or from up close and personal while you're on the water.And half the fun is getting there!

We visited the Rio Grande at the Hot Springs, Boquillas, and the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon. It's not much to look at, and most places one could probably wade across. The Southwest has been in drought conditions for the past 3-4 years, so that probably explains why there is so little water. One has to wonder why the ICE maintains a fortified entry station at Boquillas. One could cross the river at almost any spot outside the canyons. On the other hand, it is so isolated, where would you go ofter crossing in either direction? The border guards were obviously bored, as there was no activity at the entry station.

I visit big bend at the end of winter. Cause there is no plenty of rain, the Rio Grande is not so spetacular as what I saw in the picture.

The Rio Grande is a rather small river winding its way about on our border with Mexico but it's also very pretty. Many birds flit about along with the occasional deer but the sunsets are the star of the show here. I have seen sunsets all over the world and the ones I witnessed here were probably the cream of the crop: just spectacular!

It was really interesting to see the river but it was not so much Grande as quite narrow! This is possibly due to the time of year after the dry season but really amazing to be on the border

How in the world did this irrigation ditch get a "wild & scenic" designation. I suggest the powers that be visit the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho. People are not allowed to even brush their teeth near that river. The Rio Grande has been robbed of its water and treated as a watering hole for livestock. What a shame!

The Rio Grande is always such a beautiful site. The edge of the USA is always an interesting place to be. Highly recommend visiting it any time you can.

We spent a morning bird watching with Mark Flippo of www.birdingbigbend.net. He is a retired park ranger who spent 17 years in BBNP. We had a really good time with him as he knew a lot about the park and area along with a fantastic ability to find the birds. His phone number is 432-371-2348My wife is the birder but I enjoyed going along and asking questions about the park and the culture that Mark was happy to explain. He is an easy person to be with so we spent an enjoyable morning in the Rio Grande Village with him.We were visiting the park in late Feb 2013 a little early for the best birding but still saw plenty of birds and many new birds for us.

We visited November of 2012 thanksgiving week and what a amazing place! Beautiful scenery, wildlife everywhere, and plenty to do. We camped at the Rio grande village because we thought it might get cold in the chisos mountain campground. The temps did drop to 45 degrees a couple nights, but it was fine. Woke up at 4 am several times to see a clear sky filled with the most stars I've ever seen. This park is remote and very peacful. If you want to get away from it all, this is the place. Also plan a day trip to Presidio and the mexican town right across the border, Ojinaga. The drive from big bend to Presidio is stunning. We felt very safe in Ojinaga and went to a large grocery store and bought chips, salsa, and of course tequila! I bought some pottery on a roadside stand that was cheap. This was one of the best trips we've ever taken and it was not expensive.