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