Plan early Michael, especially if you want to stay in the park. The Chisos Mountains Lodge is the ONLY place to stay unless you want to camp. Wonderful part of Texas! Good travels.
An excellent video, many thanks. I visited here last September but only for a couple of days. Fantastic scenery, a great thunder storm on the Saturday night and I loved the tarantulas. Not bad for an arachnophobe! I hope to see more next time. A new subscriber and greetings from Mooroopna, Australia.
Hello Australia! I hope to go there again one day after this pandemic is done. Went to Brisbane and the Great Barrier Reef in 2009. Fantastic country. Hope to visit interior and south of the country next time!
Boquallis looks a LOT more developed when I was there in the mid 80s.Of course then we just crossed, no guards. Lovely to see they reopened the crossing
Having lived in big bend National park, actually in panther junction. The canyon is no where near the most beautiful thing there. And it’s stunning. Just goes to show that there are tons of hidden gems all over the park. Just look into the The fire canyon.
Spent 13 days camping throughout Big Bend and Terlingua in 2008, saw a black bear casually eating a snickers bar and a deer let me pet it. Climbed the Chisos, saw and sat with my legs dangling into Mexico. Bought my first and only bag of chewing tobacco (yes I took and held a whole chaw) in a roadside cafe/store in Terlingua abaja/ghost town...point being, I wound up in New Mexico as a volunteer at Carlsbad Caverns NP, later to be hired as a seasonal worker for two years (four seasons) Being from the South, it was almost like I lived and loved the Desert in a former life....Great memories!
Thank you for a really good video on Big Ben National Park. It really brings back memories. My only complaint is that he did not show the best part of the whole area... The roads. Motorcyclist will understand what I mean.
Since I'm not a biker, I can't appreciate it but please elaborate more on that.....I can see riding open air in the beautiful surrounding and I can see the small town of Terlingua attracting bikers... just has that vibe to it. Am I wrong?
@@JourneytoAllNationalParks you are correct. With Bikers it is truly the journey not the destination. Twisty, well maintained roads with great scenery are Paradise for a Biker.
Thanks for this video. So when I was there this past Thanksgiving. I became friends with some of the locals in the ghost town. And the goat is their sacred animal in a way. From what I was told. That's why the town of Lajitas has a goat as their major.
It's near impossible to do it justice in one day, especially if you have to travel 3 hours to get there. You can scratch the surface of one of the parts in a day, but it would be good to spend at least 3 days there. The park is big.
Yes you do. Upon return, (at the time I went), the ranger talks to you then they put you in front of a kiosk where a remote DHS person talks to you and looks at your passport.
It is not the only park with a border crossing within it. Organ Pipe has a crossing into Mexico, still within the park. Glacier has a crossing into Canada from the Goat Haunt area.
Well, I guess it depends on what is considered a crossing. According to the NPS website: In 2023, there will be no customs in Windigo. If unable to clear customs prior to your visit, expect long wait times for custom officials to become available in Rock Harbor. I guess you are expected to "cross" on the Canadian side and clear customs there.
I am thinking to go their after seeing your video. Do I need to plan enough before going? I am planning if I go their tomorrow for couple of days. Not sure where to stay. We are in Houston.
You will need to plan because there is a lot of distance between the park and the gateway towns. At least call ahead and reserve a room or campsite. I'm not sure how crowded camping would be. This should be good time to go.
The Gage Hotel in Marathon is a cool place to stay the night before heading south to BBNP the next day. Go to the park website and follow the links to book a room at the motel up in the Chisos Basin. They have a decent restaurant and a shop there as well. The rooms are pretty basic, but it's all you need to park your body at night b/c you'll be spending all your awake time hiking and exploring the park. It's like being on another planet, the scenery is just stunning.
My family are coming there at the end of October/beginning of November and would welcome any suggestions you would have for us? Thank You fine people 🙏🏻🙏🏻
October / November is a good time to visit -- not too hot. The park is big and remote so plan drive time accordingly. I second D Kramer's reply - Santa Elena Canyon, Window Trail are great - as is the hot tub. I would have recommended crossing to Mexico to have lunch, but not sure what the border situation is like now. Ross Maxwell Scenic drive is also very nice, on your way to Santa Elena canyon
Todd Malmberg I was just at Glacier a couple of months ago. It is next to Waterton National Park in the Canadian side but the border crossing is outside the national park boundary.
Unless they made a change, when in Canada in Waterton Lakes NP, you can take a boat trip down Waterton Lake into the U.S. And you must have your passport to cross into the U.S. Via the boat. You can then disembark the boat into Glacier which is why you need a passport. Again, unless they changed this recently. Note, you do this via ROAM, now, remotely via mobile.
Estos lugares son hermosos. Se deja ber la mano. Poderosa de Dios. El Arquitecto. Del. Mundo. Dios. Bendiga. Ha los que conservan. Y respetan. Lo que Dios hizo perfecto
Yes, you need to show valid entry - passport, green card etc. At the time (2017), it was "virtual". You go to a camera and show the border on the other side of the camera your documents. The ranger watches you do it live. At this time (March 2021), the border is closed. No timeline to reopen.
Glacier does, You can get to it from Canada's Waterton National Park via a ferry only. I don't think there are any roads that go there. But then again, the crossing at Bouquallis in Big Bend is by boat only, except it's only a 2 minute crossing :-)
Do your research & planning well before you go! This Chihuahua Desert here is quite hot & & rugged, with no major city anywhere! Very few water sources here! The Chisos Mtns (Spirit), rise up to above 7000 ft. The greater area here was settled by camels before the civil war! The Mexican village is basic, but primitive! You'll like Boquilles del Carmen as it is! Very beautiful, hot in summer, 100℉ or more, but dry! River Valley, mtns, & canyons, are beautiful & deserty!
early spring or late fall are best. Summer can actually be dangerous if you are not careful. We went in late Feb as part of our "southern swing" trip and the weather was perfect for hiking.
You are right, the Chief Mountain crossing is (just) within the national parks boundary. We actually crossed there when we visited Glacier, well after the video on Big Bend was published. This crossing is closed in the winter. There is another "crossing" at Glacier at Goat Hunt when you take the boat ride from Waterton. We did not go on that boat ride so I don't know if they actually make you go through customs to enter Goat Hunt.
@@JourneytoAllNationalParks I must say.. I do appreciate the acknowledgment. I also appreciate that you’re going to fix the problem. You never want music competing for what people need to actually hear. It only takes away from the experience. You should repost the video with the music turned down from a 10 to a 0.5. I’ll watch, like and sub if you do!
Glad you found it informative... I assume you meant the comment about illegal border crossings there (or the lack of). That was not meant to be political at all. Looking at the river itself, which is not very wide or deep, I was wondering if there were lots of illegal crossing and the ranger explained to me that isn't a problem because of the vast, inhospitable terrain (and the lack of any big city for hundreds of miles on either side) that surrounds the Rio Grand in that part of Texas/Mexico.
Thanks for replying, my concern is items being stolen off bikes, I have friend who works for DoD down there and said I have to watch for folks crossing the river while out on trails, I’m told a common occurrence.
The place is lousy with donkeys all the way down to Chihuahua I used to live in Big Bend National Park try going to school there it's like a hundred and ten miles to the nearest elementary school from where I lived father was in the Border Patrol I want be buried there you should canoe the entire Park there are three incredible Canyons it might take a couple of weeks what's life
Bo-kal-lis Mexico. At least the Asian looking guy could do some research and pronounce the name correctly. Or he could have asked anyone, including the boat captain.
![Big Bend National Park: A Texas Size Adventure Documentary and Guide [Documentary] [4K]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XAicH2q5AW8/mqdefault.jpg)
![Big Bend National Park: A Texas Size Adventure Documentary and Guide [Documentary] [4K]](/img/tr.png)
I never comment on videos, but this video helped me plan my trip so much!! Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
This was a very nice visual tour of Big Bend. Thank you for posting this, and I look forward to seeing your other videos about other parks.
Thank you! Share the video!
I love this 😀 such gentle delivery! A great idea too, will have to watch more 🙂
Thanks so much! 😊 Please le me know what you think of the other videos - watch the National Parks playlist. Share it with your friends!
Just got back from Big Bend a couple weeks ago and totally used this video to help plan the trip. Thank you!
Wonderful to hear. Hopefully it was an excellent trip and the video was useful to help you plan it
This was really helpful for us prior to visiting Big Bend! 🙏
Glad it was helpful! Share it with your friends!
Can't believe anyone would give this a thumbs down. Thanks you for the video!
You are welcome! Share the video!
Glacier National Park actually has a border crossing in it as well.
Thank you for putting this together. My family and I are planning a trip out to Big Bend Park.
Plan early Michael, especially if you want to stay in the park. The Chisos Mountains Lodge is the ONLY place to stay unless you want to camp. Wonderful part of Texas! Good travels.
Goooo! I go there every year and I love it so much that’s where I’m planning to live, there when I get out of highschool, it’s amazing
An excellent video, many thanks. I visited here last September but only for a couple of days. Fantastic scenery, a great thunder storm on the Saturday night and I loved the tarantulas. Not bad for an arachnophobe! I hope to see more next time.
A new subscriber and greetings from Mooroopna, Australia.
Hello Australia! I hope to go there again one day after this pandemic is done. Went to Brisbane and the Great Barrier Reef in 2009. Fantastic country. Hope to visit interior and south of the country next time!
Boquallis looks a LOT more developed when I was there in the mid 80s.Of course then we just crossed, no guards. Lovely to see they reopened the crossing
The crossing was open when we visited in 2018. It is probably closed now due to Covid.
Having lived in big bend National park, actually in panther junction. The canyon is no where near the most beautiful thing there. And it’s stunning. Just goes to show that there are tons of hidden gems all over the park. Just look into the The fire canyon.
The canyon is beautiful and if other parts are even better, those places must be heavenly!
@@JourneytoAllNationalParks was truly the prime of my life living there, getting to see stuff that visitors and even residents don’t see
@@isaiahtowers1865 Would love to know what some of these hidden gems are?
There is another Texas National Park: Guadalupe Mountains
Spent 13 days camping throughout Big Bend and Terlingua in 2008, saw a black bear casually eating a snickers bar and a deer let me pet it. Climbed the Chisos, saw and sat with my legs dangling into Mexico. Bought my first and only bag of chewing tobacco (yes I took and held a whole chaw) in a roadside cafe/store in Terlingua abaja/ghost town...point being, I wound up in New Mexico as a volunteer at Carlsbad Caverns NP, later to be hired as a seasonal worker for two years (four seasons) Being from the South, it was almost like I lived and loved the Desert in a former life....Great memories!
I enjoyed your video and your commentary. Nicely done. Thank you!
Thanks. Glad you liked it. Share it with your friends!
Thank you for a really good video on Big Ben National Park. It really brings back memories. My only complaint is that he did not show the best part of the whole area... The roads. Motorcyclist will understand what I mean.
Since I'm not a biker, I can't appreciate it but please elaborate more on that.....I can see riding open air in the beautiful surrounding and I can see the small town of Terlingua attracting bikers... just has that vibe to it. Am I wrong?
@@JourneytoAllNationalParks you are correct. With Bikers it is truly the journey not the destination. Twisty, well maintained roads with great scenery are Paradise for a Biker.
Thanks for the tour!
You bet! Share it with your friends
Very nicely done. I am planning to visit the park Apr 2019, you showed me many things to see!
Great ! Big Bend in April should be very nice! Just keep in mind it is a very big park and pretty far away from any big city.
@@JourneytoAllNationalParks TY! That's kinda why I chose it, off the beaten path, you have to go there on purpose, it's not on the way to anywhere!!
Thanks for sharing this, was helpful info on our upcoming trip there!
Glad you liked it. Have fun on your trip and share the video for others to enjoy. Read the blog for more info and tips.
Thanks for this video.
So when I was there this past Thanksgiving. I became friends with some of the locals in the ghost town. And the goat is their sacred animal in a way. From what I was told. That's why the town of Lajitas has a goat as their major.
Interesting!
And the goats kids make for an excellent meal. Cabrito barbacoa.
Sorry about that.
Very good video. I will definitely have to visit someday
Beautiful place!
Yes, beautiful and remote!
Big Bend is our fave!
Big Bend is such a gem! So much to offer!
What site or application did you use to get the 3D look would love to use this for my videos? Thank you in advance. AWESOME video by the way!
are you referring to the intro "zoom in"?
Man, I love your videos!
I appreciate that! Share it with your friends.
Very nice vast park.Enjoy your background music.Thanks.
You are welcome!
This channel is amazing
Thanks! Share it with your friends!
I live just 3 hours away at the moment. Think I’ll go down. Any idea if this can all be done in a day?
It's near impossible to do it justice in one day, especially if you have to travel 3 hours to get there. You can scratch the surface of one of the parts in a day, but it would be good to spend at least 3 days there. The park is big.
Awesome!
Thanks. Share the video!
Nice video! My boys and I are planning to go.
Enjoy!! Big and beautiful place to explore.
...Great video. I have visited Big Bend a few time but never to the Boquillas crossing...Do you know if you need a passport ?
Yes you do. Upon return, (at the time I went), the ranger talks to you then they put you in front of a kiosk where a remote DHS person talks to you and looks at your passport.
Nicely done, thank you!
You are welcome! Share the video!
It is not the only park with a border crossing within it. Organ Pipe has a crossing into Mexico, still within the park. Glacier has a crossing into Canada from the Goat Haunt area.
My new favorite channel
Syed Ahmed very glad you like it!
Great video, thank you!
Isle Royale does have a customs office in Rock Harbor, So is it a border crossing?
Well, I guess it depends on what is considered a crossing. According to the NPS website:
In 2023, there will be no customs in Windigo. If unable to clear customs prior to your visit, expect long wait times for custom officials to become available in Rock Harbor.
I guess you are expected to "cross" on the Canadian side and clear customs there.
What's the name of the intro music?
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is also in Texas. Has been since 1972.
Check out the video on Guadalupe -- th-cam.com/video/1H3UwGz377I/w-d-xo.html
really enjoyed your video!! new subscriber here.
Wonderful! Glad you liked it and thanks for subscribing!
I am thinking to go their after seeing your video. Do I need to plan enough before going? I am planning if I go their tomorrow for couple of days. Not sure where to stay. We are in Houston.
You will need to plan because there is a lot of distance between the park and the gateway towns. At least call ahead and reserve a room or campsite. I'm not sure how crowded camping would be. This should be good time to go.
The Gage Hotel in Marathon is a cool place to stay the night before heading south to BBNP the next day. Go to the park website and follow the links to book a room at the motel up in the Chisos Basin. They have a decent restaurant and a shop there as well. The rooms are pretty basic, but it's all you need to park your body at night b/c you'll be spending all your awake time hiking and exploring the park. It's like being on another planet, the scenery is just stunning.
My family are coming there at the end of October/beginning of November and would welcome any suggestions you would have for us? Thank You fine people 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Get to the trails early to beat the crowd.
Limited parking.
Window trail and Santa Elena Canyon is a must. Hot tub trail was closed due to covid.
October / November is a good time to visit -- not too hot. The park is big and remote so plan drive time accordingly. I second D Kramer's reply - Santa Elena Canyon, Window Trail are great - as is the hot tub. I would have recommended crossing to Mexico to have lunch, but not sure what the border situation is like now. Ross Maxwell Scenic drive is also very nice, on your way to Santa Elena canyon
Nice video.
Thanks! Share the video!
Good video
Glad you enjoyed
Great video. I believe there is a border crossing in Glacier NP also.
Todd Malmberg I was just at Glacier a couple of months ago. It is next to Waterton National Park in the Canadian side but the border crossing is outside the national park boundary.
@@JourneytoAllNationalParks
gdmcm50 you are right. It is not a land crossing but it is inside the park. There is a boat that goes from goat hunt to waterton
Unless they made a change, when in Canada in Waterton Lakes NP, you can take a boat trip down Waterton Lake into the U.S. And you must have your passport to cross into the U.S. Via the boat. You can then disembark the boat into Glacier which is why you need a passport. Again, unless they changed this recently. Note, you do this via ROAM, now, remotely via mobile.
Marathon, TX is not pronounced like a marathon (mare-uh-thawn) your run, but mare-uh-thun.
So different at Boquillas today than pre-9/11. You folks missed something. The whole atmosphere was different.
I've heard a little about that. What was it like before 9/11?
Estos lugares son hermosos. Se deja ber la mano. Poderosa de Dios. El Arquitecto. Del. Mundo. Dios. Bendiga. Ha los que conservan. Y respetan. Lo que Dios hizo perfecto
Yo los he disfrutado. Mucho en mis viajes. Missioneros. Cada cosa. Que encuentras. Habla. De su creador. Las fam de esos lugares. Son muy. Amorosas
Amen
Does it require green card at least when you are coming back from the Mexico side?
Yes, you need to show valid entry - passport, green card etc. At the time (2017), it was "virtual". You go to a camera and show the border on the other side of the camera your documents. The ranger watches you do it live. At this time (March 2021), the border is closed. No timeline to reopen.
Do we need a stamped visa along with passport ?
The crossing is closed right now and no date for reopening. Normal border crossing criteria apply.
Is it a good idea to go in November?
November is good since it won't be scorching hot.
only NP with a border crossing? I believe Glacier has one also
Glacier does, You can get to it from Canada's Waterton National Park via a ferry only. I don't think there are any roads that go there. But then again, the crossing at Bouquallis in Big Bend is by boat only, except it's only a 2 minute crossing :-)
@@JourneytoAllNationalParks huh, interesting. thanks for info
Do your research & planning well before you go! This Chihuahua Desert here is quite hot & & rugged, with no major city anywhere! Very few water sources here! The Chisos Mtns (Spirit), rise up to above 7000 ft. The greater area here was settled by camels before the civil war! The Mexican village is basic, but primitive! You'll like Boquilles del Carmen as it is! Very beautiful, hot in summer, 100℉ or more, but dry! River Valley, mtns, & canyons, are beautiful & deserty!
Great comments! Great Basin, Death Valley and Big Bend are the parks in the lower 48 that's far from population centers.
!!!!!
@7:30 "on the left is Mexico and on the right is US'
Rio Grande = translation "Big River"
Ernst Tinaja?
What’s the best time of year to go?
early spring or late fall are best. Summer can actually be dangerous if you are not careful. We went in late Feb as part of our "southern swing" trip and the weather was perfect for hiking.
Waterton-Glacier?
You are right, the Chief Mountain crossing is (just) within the national parks boundary. We actually crossed there when we visited Glacier, well after the video on Big Bend was published. This crossing is closed in the winter. There is another "crossing" at Glacier at Goat Hunt when you take the boat ride from Waterton. We did not go on that boat ride so I don't know if they actually make you go through customs to enter Goat Hunt.
@@JourneytoAllNationalParks Yeah though I'm sure it's more interesting to cross into Mexico for a while.
Has anyone encountered snakes while visiting here?
We did not, but that doesn't mean it's not there.
Music is WAY too loud.
Yep. I agree.... my later videos have the music turned down. I guess I was too enthusiastic on the music when I made this. Sorry about that.
@@JourneytoAllNationalParks I must say.. I do appreciate the acknowledgment. I also appreciate that you’re going to fix the problem. You never want music competing for what people need to actually hear. It only takes away from the experience. You should repost the video with the music turned down from a 10 to a 0.5. I’ll watch, like and sub if you do!
I would bet illegal crossings are a bit more common now
I have no information on that.
Great video and informative, planning visit this September on motorcycles. Could have done without the political comment though.
Glad you found it informative... I assume you meant the comment about illegal border crossings there (or the lack of). That was not meant to be political at all. Looking at the river itself, which is not very wide or deep, I was wondering if there were lots of illegal crossing and the ranger explained to me that isn't a problem because of the vast, inhospitable terrain (and the lack of any big city for hundreds of miles on either side) that surrounds the Rio Grand in that part of Texas/Mexico.
Thanks for replying, my concern is items being stolen off bikes, I have friend who works for DoD down there and said I have to watch for folks crossing the river while out on trails, I’m told a common occurrence.
Dang dude. Seems you’d find a political comment in a jar of peanut butter. SMH
The place is lousy with donkeys all the way down to Chihuahua I used to live in Big Bend National Park try going to school there it's like a hundred and ten miles to the nearest elementary school from where I lived father was in the Border Patrol I want be buried there you should canoe the entire Park there are three incredible Canyons it might take a couple of weeks what's life
2:43 HAHAH DUDE THAT IS RACIST 🤣🤣😂
Sorry -- it was not meant to be that way at all... just trying to crack a joke but looks like I missed.
Not anymore Trump screwed it all up with a ugly ugly fence
Right in the middle of the river... Yes sir
Bo-kal-lis Mexico. At least the Asian looking guy could do some research and pronounce the name correctly. Or he could have asked anyone, including the boat captain.
Stop the man made music! Hate music in nature films 👎🏻