Texas Mountain Trail Classics Week: Hiking Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park

All this week, entry to National Parks is FREE through April 24, thanks to National Parks Week celebrations!  We decided to feature one of the signature hikes in Big Bend National Park, the 1.7 mile roundtrip hike through Santa Elena Canyon.  The park's website has this to say about the hike:

"This trail begins at the end of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. Although a short trail, it is one of the grandest spectacles in the park. After crossing Terlingua Creek, the trail climbs several short switchbacks and then gradually descends along the banks of the Rio Grande. Hikers are surrounded by lush riparian vegetation and 1,500-foot towering vertical cliffs of solid limestone. The trail ends where canyon walls meet the river. Take a lunch and enjoy the scene.
Note: Following rains, flash floods, or periods of high water, Terlingua creek can be impassable, effectively closing the trail."

You can plan a rivertrip through the Canyon as well, visit this link for more information.  Plan to add this adventure to your trip to the Texas Mountain Trail region!  For more hiking information, visit www.texasmountaintrail.com/hike!