This is where you can find websites, helpful phone numbers, friends groups and cooperating associations, and, sometimes, books related to the park.
Big Bend National Park: www.nps.gov/bibe
There are five visitor centers at Big Bend National Park:
Panther Junction Visitor Center
Chisos Basin Visitor Center
Castolon Visitor Center
Rio Grande Village Visitor Center
Persimmon Gap Visitor Center
Click here for detailed information, physical and mailing addresses, phone numbers, and operating seasons/hours for each of these visitor centers.
You can find helpful maps at this site.
Information about bringing along pets.
Big Bend shares the border with Mexico for 118 miles (189.9 km). Click here for Information about visiting a border area.
Fees
Entrance fees are payable by credit/debit card only. No cash is accepted.
Standard Entrance Pass:
- Seven-day vehicle access: $30
- Seven-day motorcycle access: $25
- Seven-day per person access (pedestrians and bicyclists): $15
Big Bend National Park and Preserve Annual Pass: $55
American the Beautiful Annual Pass (including Senior Passes): FREE - $80
Organizations And Businesses
- Non-Commercial Group (16+ persons): $30
- Commercial Sedan (1-6 seats): $25
- Commercial Mini-Bus (16-25 seats): $100
- Commercial Motor Coach (26+ seats): $200
Friends Groups and Cooperating Associations
Big Bend Conservancy is a private not-for-profit organization whose mission is to support, promote, and raise funds for Big Bend National Park and the Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River in partnership with the National Park Service and other supporters who value the unique qualities of this national resource on the Rio Grande. The Big Bend Conservancy has provided the park with more than $3.6 million for a range of critical projects, including the Fossil Discovery Exhibit, wildlife research programs, the rehabilitation of over 50 acres of wetlands, and the orientation film at the Panther Junction Visitor Center.
Helpful Books
Stars Above, Earth Below, A Guide To Astronomy In the National Parks
Add Stars Above, Earth Below, a Guide to Astronomy in the National Parks to your library and you'll not only gain a better appreciation of the dark skies over national parks, but you'll also be better informed on the stars twinkling at you.
Compiled by Michael Joseph Oswald, author of Your Guide To The National Parks, this nearly 200-page full color atlas goes beyond simply reprinting park maps. Oswald opens with snapshot profiles of the 63 parks and includes regional maps of the United States so you can gain some perspective of where parks are in relation to major cities and even other parks.
The Dayhiker’s Guide To The National Parks
Author Mike Oswald’s latest endeavor tackles 280 trails in the 63 "national parks" within the National Park System. As he points out on the back cover of the guide, "There are more than 10,000 miles of trails in the U.S. National Parks. Choosing the best ones can be a challenge."
Big Bend Official National Park Handbook (#119)
Packed full of information, this thin book is a handy companion to pack for your Big Bend Trip, introducing the reader to the historic and scenic significance of Big Bend’s canyons, Chisos Mountains, and Chihuahuan Desert. Within the pages are color photos and descriptions to some of the park’s flowers, vegetation, birds, and wildlife. There’s a section about the history of the area prior to establishment of the park, and the last few pages of this book provide handy information about getting there, scenic drives, and facilities and services within the park.
Big Bend Vistas: Journeys Through Big Bend National Park
Big Bend Vistas takes you on five journeys that begin at Panther Junction and travel to Study Butte; then on to the Chisos Basin, Santa Elena Canyon, Boquillas Canyon, and finally to Persimmon Gap. Easy to read and understand, this book describes how volcanoes millions of years ago created some of the most striking scenery in Texas. Included is a wealth of photographs, maps, and diagrams explaining the landscape and geology of Big Bend National Park in layman’s terms.
