Beautiful! A climb, with stairs to get in. If you can't make this climb, you can still enjoy it from the banks of the Rio Grande.

This is a nice 45-minute hike down into the river bed and then up the mountain. It's not too strenuous as the path is cut very well, as most are in Big Bend. The water is nice and cool to dip your toes in as well.

This is a short hike into the Santa Elena Canyon for upclose views of Rio Grande River. It does involve some stair climbing which are built into the canyon. Views are great.

One of the coolest things about BIg Bend National Park is that you can hike in mountains, desert, and river canyons. This hike is not long but gives you some great views of the RIo Grande canyon and the sheer cliffs on either side in this area.

Big Bend National Park (BBNP) is one of the largest state parks in the USA. The entire state of Idaho fits inside the park with room to spare! We stayed in Alpine Texas and took a day to hike the Santa Elena Canyon and wow, was it worth it! Excellent Little Hike & Awesome views of the entire BBNP basin.... More

The Rio Grande River has cut a very respectable canyon through the mountains here. If the Terlingua Creek is not running, this scenic spot is easy to reach. It looks like a place where kids would love to play in the sand. But don't let them wade the thirty feet across to Mexico!

Dramatic canyon walls with lovely desert plants & flowers. Eventually hike down to cool and lush river bank.

The parking is within a few hundred yards of the river. The walk into the canyon is fairly easy, although you will need to walk up stairs and ramps and back down to get into the canyon. Once there, the views are incredible. We had the place to ourselves. Lifetime memories for sure.

Do not miss the Santa Elena canyon hike. There are some steps and those with vertigo may be a bit put off but suck it up and enjoy this great area of the park. Go early to get a parking place. The river is very low now due to drought so river rafting is not possible. Hike the canyon for... More