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Big Bend Ranch State Park, TX Events

September

9 - 11 Marfa Lights Festival Marfa - Celebrate the mystery with us at the Marfa Lights Festival held each Labor Day Weekend. Activities include a main street parade, food and crafts booth ... more

October

28 - 29 Chinati Foundation Open House Marfa - Open House is a free, two-day festival of art, music, lectures, and meals that energizes the small town of Marfa, Texas, bringing over 1,000 tourists ... more

5The Haunting of "Contrabando" Presidio - The "Contrabando" movie set is transformed into a haunted ghost town. Includes haunted house, games, refreshments, fortunetellers and ghost stories. H ... more

November

14 - 19 Annual Terlingua International Chili Championship Terlingua - Once a year, on the first Sat. in November, some 5,000 "chiliheads" converge on Each year on the first Saturday of November CASI holds the ultimate ce ... more

Big Bend Ranch State Park Camping

Big Bend Ranch State Park Camping
Big Bend Ranch State Park CampingCamping Areas are located at Colorado Canyon, Madera (Monilla) Canyon and at Grassy Banks River Access along FM 170. Two group camping areas, Contrabando and Arenosa, have self-composting toilets. 11 small, designated primitive campgrounds along the gravel park road in the backcountry may be accessible to high-clearance vehicles only. Self-composting toilets are located at Colorado Canyon, Madera Canyon and Grassy Banks; no other facilities, electrical hookups, water, or dump stations are available. Motor homes and large recreational vehicles may not be able to enter backcountry park areas. Shower and restroom facilities are available at the Visitor's Center at Sauceda Headquarters.

Picnic tables are available at "the Tepees," a Texas Department of Transportation rest area on FM 170 about 10 miles north of Lajitas, and at Sauceda, the old Big Bend Ranch headquarters in the interior.

Big Bend Ranch State Park Hiking

Big Bend Ranch State Park Trails
Big Bend Ranch State Park TrailsFifty miles of hiking and backpacking trails in Big Bend Ranch State Park are accessible at trail heads along FM 170, and opportunities for short hikes abound at several locations along the interior park road.

Day-Hiking - Several short trails are ideal for day-hikes are available. Rancherias Canyon (9.8 miles round-trip) and Closed Canyon (1.4 miles round-trip) trails are accessible from FM 170, near the Rancherias Loop trail head. Three short hiking trails are located off the gravel park road in the backcountry, leading to Ojito Adentro, Cinco Tinajas, and a short Sauceda Nature Trail. The Encino Mountain Bike/Hiking Trail (7.5 miles) and Horsetrap Mountain Bike/Hiking Trail (5 miles) offer a slightly longer hike in the interior.

Backpacking - The 19-mile Rancherias Loop Trail is available for serious backpackers. Trail heads are located at both ends of the loop trail along FM 170, near the Colorado Canyon River Access. Contrabando Multi-use Trail is an easy to moderate 19 mile trail system. Trailheads are located at both ends of the loop trail with the east-end located across from The Warnock Center. Campsites are designated, water must be carried, and all wastes must be carried out.

Big Bend Ranch State Park Equestrian

Big Bend Ranch State Park Equine Trails
Daily/Hourly horseback rides are offered at the Sauceda Ranch Headquarters with Park staff guiding visitors through some of park's canyon trails. For information and reservations please call office (432)229-3416. Visitors may also bring in their own stock with appropriate documentation. Currently, the Oso Loop, Llano Loop, and Contrabando Multi-use Trail offer 32 miles of horseback trails.

Big Bend Ranch State Park Biking

Big Bend Ranch State Park Bike Trails
The park interior offers 17 miles of Mountain Biking trails of levels 1-3 and 30 miles of gravel road. The Visitor Center at Sauceda offers mountain bikes for rent. The River Road-FM 170 parallels the Rio Grande with 25 miles of paved road which is ideal for street bikes. The River Road also hosts the trailheads to a 19 mile multi-use trail system.

Big Bend Ranch State Park Canoeing

Big Bend Ranch State Park Canoeing
Spectacular Colorado Canyon in Big Bend Ranch State Park offers among the finest rafting and canoeing opportunities along the Rio Grande. Bring your own gear, or hire a commercial outfitter in nearby Study Butte, Lajitas, or Terlingua. If planning to continue a trip downriver from Colorado Canyon into the canyons in Big Bend National Park, the necessary permits must be secured from the National Park Service.

FM 170 allows access to small recreation areas along the river and to rafting and canoeing "put-in" and "take-out" points.

Park Area Attractions

Presidio 1

Lajitas 2

Marfa 5

Terlingua 2

Park Area Events

Park Area Businesses

Lajitas 4

Marfa 2