How perfect is this?

Caught Between A Rock And...

Intagrammer @rvallejo90 says he's "caught between a rock and a hard place." Not a bad place to be! #SantaElenaCanyon

The cool shade of Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park

The Rio Grande coming
through Santa Elena Canyon

Few places are as iconic of the region as Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park, and this time of year visitors flock to the trail, and to the river to experience it for themselves.


Hiking information from the park's website:


Santa Elena Canyon Trail

Difficulty: Moderate; Distance: 1.7 miles round trip
Begins at terminus of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive
This trail leads into the stunning Santa Elena Canyon. After crossing Terlingua Creek, the trail ascends on paved steps to a vista, then descends back to the water's edge, continuing into the canyon until the canyon walls meet the water. A Big Bend classic. Trail is impassable when Terlingua Creek floods.

Some like to head to the river instead of the trail to explore Santa Elena Canyon and the Rio Grande as it runs through Big Bend.  Click here to see a list of river outfitters on the Visit Big Bend website.

We recommend saving this hike for the last light of the day.  Plan to complete your hike as the sunlight wanes, for great shadows and great light.

Hiking Santa Elena Canyon

Photo by Kathleen Seal

A favorite of many, a great hike for first-timers to Big Bend National Park, and one of our best recommendations for an evening hike for the light against the canyon rock faces....Santa Elena Canyon Trail.

From the park's website:

"Santa Elena Canyon Trail
Difficulty: Moderate; Distance: 1.7 miles round trip
Begins at terminus of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive
This trail leads into the stunning Santa Elena Canyon. After crossing Terlingua Creek, the trail ascends on paved steps to a vista, then descends back to the water's edge, continuing into the canyon until the canyon walls meet the water. A Big Bend classic. Trail is impassable when Terlingua Creek floods."

Big Bend National Park: Castolon

Near Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park, the Castolon area's history is of farming, military activity during the Mexican Revolution, and frontier trading post.  The park's website has a brief interesting history online, here.

Today the park's Cottonwood Campground sits in land that used to be a farmer's field, the La Harmonia Compnay Store is still open (though it caters to visitors, not ranchers or farmers), and there are exhibits and frequently interpretive activities in the area that help tell the area's story.

Most visitors to the park visit Santa Elena Canyon for the short, spectacular hike.  While you're there, plan extra time to poke around and explore the history of this important trading post, too!

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!

Hiking Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park

One of the signature short hikes in the region is Big Bend National Park's Santa Elena Canyon.  The National Park's website says this about the 1.7 mile round trip trail:  "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."

 

For more regional hiking information, visit: www.texasmountaintrail.com/hike

Hiking Santa Elena Canyon

One of the shortest and grandest hikes in our region, Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park.  The park's website says this about this trail:

"1.7 miles roundtrip. 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."

For more regional hiking information, visit: www.texasmountaintrail.com/hike

Wow, look at that view! Part 5

Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park is a favorite hike and river trip for visitors to Far West Texas.  Here's what the park's website says about the hike:

"1.7 miles roundtrip

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."
 
Here's a link to the park's website page on Santa Elena Canyon, which includes links to outfitters, river guides and information on the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River.
 
For other regional hiking information, visit the Texas Mountain Trail website, www.texasmountaintrail.com/hike

Looking back at 2009--Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park

The cool shade of Santa Elena Canyon

On the left: Mexico. On the right: one of the best hiking trails in Texas. The Santa Elena Canyon hike in Big Bend National Park, is a short one, but a scenic one. For more information on hiking in the region, visit: www.texasmountaintrail.com/hike

Hiking Santa Elena Canyon

One of the premier hikes in the Texas is Big Bend National Park's Santa Elena Canyon. Hikers are dwarfed by the spectacular scenery on this short jaunt, which takes them above the Rio Grande just a stone's throw from Mexico.

For information on hiking in the Texas Mountain Trail region, visit: www.texasmountaintrail.com/hike

Santa Elena Canyon

One of the highlights of visiting Big Bend National Park is seeing Santa Elena Canyon. In the late afternoon, the sun warms one side of the canyon casting a glow everywhere.

The short Santa Elena Canyon hike was rated by Texas Monthly magazine as one of the best in Texas. For more information on hiking in the area, visit: www.texasmountaintrail.com/hike

Hiking in Santa Elena Canyon

If you only have one day to visit Big Bend National Park, a "must do" hike is through Santa Elena Canyon, a short hike regularly listed as one of the best in the state. Down Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive is the Visitor Center at Castolon, a quiet place to get off the road and relax a bit, and learn about the history of the area. A little further down the road is the trail head to Santa Elena Canyon, and a short walk to Terlingua Creek. After crossing the creek, you'll climb through several switchbacks to the 1,500 foot cliffs along the Rio Grande. Only 1.7 miles roundtrip, this is hike one of the most spectacular experiences in the park.

Check out the dramatic scale of the canyon...notice the person at the bottom of the picture? Don't you want to be there yourself?

For other great hikes in the Texas Mountain Trail region, visit: www.texasmountaintrail.com/hike