Travel Guide: 5 Days in Marfa and Big Bend National Park
Intro
Big Bend National Park is a must-see for any true Texan (and even if you’re not.) Unless you’re from West Texas, the landscape will be drastically different than the Texas you know and it may make you second guess whether you are actually in the Lone Star State. We went in March and experienced cool weather compared to the hot temperatures that come during the summer. Since we were already 500 miles away from home, we decided to also visit the mystical city of Marfa. This trip included a lot of driving in a few days, but the views and experiences were completely worth it!
Are you ready to explore one of Texas’ national parks? Keep reading!
Before You Go
The drive out to Marfa and Big Bend National Park is a long one depending on where you live. Here are our drive times:
Waco to Marfa – 470 miles/7.5 hours
Marfa to Big Bend National Park – 140 miles/2.5 hours
Big Bend National Park to Waco – 500 miles/8 hours
You will need to make sure to stop at a gas station when you see one to fill up with gas, go to the bathroom, and get snacks. There will be some stretches of road where cities and gas stations are few and far between.
Reservations
Big Bend National Park offers three developed campgrounds for car camping options. The campgrounds use self-registration and the majority of sites are first-come, first-served.
Chisos Basin Campground (60 sites, 26 reservable)
Cottonwood Campground (24 sites, no reservations)
Rio Grande Village Campground (100 sites, 43 reservable)
Limited campsites at Rio Grande Village campground are reservable November 15–April 15, and at the Chisos Basin campground from November 15-May 31.
Real Talk: When I went to make reservations two months before we planned to go, all of the reserved spots were taken at both campgrounds. Did I love driving 8 hours to Big Bend without 100% knowledge that there would be a campsite spot for us? No, I did not. Since we would be arriving in the area in the evening, we reserved a campsite through Airbnb in Terlingua and woke up early the next morning to claim a campsite. (Spoiler alert: We got the one with the best views in Chisos Basin!)
We also made reservations to do self-camping at El Cosmico for $20. I really wanted to stay in one of the tepees, but Rebecca wanted to save money by camping. (If you know the two of us, you know this is very much a reversal of our roles.)
Packing
Weather in Big Bend in March had highs in the 80’s and low’s in the 50’s. Layers were very important. We wore tights with light jackets in the mornings and would take off layers as it warmed up. It did rain one evening, so we were glad we had brought rain jackets. For hiking, we each brought a backpack with a water reservoir that we would fill up before each hike. We also brought multiple gallons of water to keep at the campsite just in case. Do you need help figuring out what else to pack for a camping trip like this? Read and download our Ultimate Car Camping Packing List for help.
Our 5 Day Marfa & Big Bend National Park Itinerary
Day 1: Drive. Drive. Drive.
Leave for Marfa
Most of this day was dedicated to driving. Download podcasts and your favorite playlists before you leave because it’s a long drive and you may not always have good service.
Real Talk: We were arriving late at night and got pulled over for speeding on the outskirts of town. He let us off with a warning, but be mindful of the speed limit changes when you’re coming into town.
Stop at the Marfa Lights Viewing Area
If you’re arriving at night, you have to stop here to try to catch a glimpse of the mysterious Marfa Lights. We didn’t see them, but maybe you’ll be more lucky!
Check in at El Cosmico and set up camp
Pardon my language, but this is definitely the “grooviest” campsite around. The next morning, we had fun walking around and looking at all the different shelter options at this campground. It really is a unique campground.
Day 2: Explore Marfa and drive to Terlingua
Real Talk: Because Marfa is such a weekend getaway city, almost everything is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. I didn’t realize this until after we had made reservations and structured our itinerary to be there on a Monday. Check ahead of time for businesses hours and come prepared to make alternate plans in case you find a shop or restaurant unexpectedly closed for the day.
Eat breakfast at Marfa Burrito
This place is famous for their large and cheap breakfast burritos! I would highly recommend. We were full for along time after eating breakfast here.
Grab a cup of coffee at Frama
Drive out to see Prada Marfa
You’re probably coming to Marfa to see this and you might be surprised to learn it’s actually not in Marfa. It’s located 35 minutes away in an even smaller town called Valentine. Despite the extra driving, it is totally worth it to see this “store” up close.
Walk around the town and look at all the cute shops:
Dosa | Tienda M.
The Wrong Store
Freda
Cobra Rock Boot Company
Marfa Book Company
Climb to the top of the Presidio County Courthouse for a view of the town
See the historic Hotel Paisano
Eat lunch at Food Shark (because Beyonce did!)
This restaurant (as well as most other places) was closed when were there, so we ended up not being able to eat lunch here.
Option: Go to the Chinati Foundation and experience art on a large scale.
Drive to Terlingua (115 miles/2 hours) and setup the campsite
This campsite was on solid rock. Bring a hammer to hit your tent pegs into the ground.
Real Talk: Again, we only stayed in Terlingua because I didn’t want to risk driving into Big Bend and not being able to find a campsite. If you’re going during low season, you shouldn’t have a trouble finding a campsite in the park.
Eat a late lunch at High Sierra Bar & Grill
This restaurant was fine. There are not very many lunch options in Terlingua.
Option: Drive into Big Bend National Park and hike Santa Elena Canyon (1.6 miles/1 hour)
We left Marfa early enough (because of so many things being closed on a Monday) to where we had time to go into Big Bend and do a hike before the sunset. This hike is easy and has a beautiful view of the river and canyon. An easy AND beautiful hike? Count me in everytime.
Pick up groceries and firewood at the Cottonwood General Store
Eat dinner at Starlight Theater
We got there later in the evening because of our hike and the wait was LONG – over an hour. Get there earlier to avoid the wait.
Day 3: Grab a campsite and explore
Stop at Big Bend Motor Inn for coffee
Drive into Big Bend and pick out a campsite
When we arrived at Big Bend, we decided to try Chisos Basin first to find a spot. A father and son were leaving from a campsite with the best view of The Window. It felt like we hit the campsite lottery!
Hike the Lost Mine Trail (5 miles/3 hours)
I would classify this as a moderately physical hike. We loved the scenery and the views at the end were beautiful.
Eat a packed lunch
Hike to Balanced Rock (2.2 miles/1 hour)
Grapevine Hills Road was unpaved and pretty rough. We had to drive very slowly on this road.
Eat a campfire dinner
Day 4: Climb a mountain
Hike to Emory Peak (8.5 miles/7 hours)
Emory Peak is the highest peak in the Chisos Mountains and it was definitely the hardest hike we did in Big Bend. Come prepared with enough water, snacks, sunscreen, and endurance to finish this one. The views from the top are spectacular!
Grab a drink or snack at the Chisos Mountain Lodge
Real Talk: We hung up our hammocks on the metal covering at our picnic table and took long naps after hiking all morning.
Take showers at the Rio Grande Village Store
These are the only showers in Big Bend. Bring your quarters!
Eat a campfire dinner
Emory Peak
Window Trail
Day 5: One last hike and head home
Hike the Window Trail (5.5 miles/4 hours)
This is a moderately flat hike and the perfect way for us to end time at Big Bend. We loved being able to see the Window up close.
Leave for home
That’s it!
We an incredible time exploring Big Bend National Park! We loved all of the hiking trails and we had a lot of fun camping under the beautiful Texas night sky. The stars were incredible! If you have a long weekend and don’t want to leave Texas, I would definitely recommend a visit to Big Bend National Park and if you have time, see the iconic Marfa!
Comment below with your questions or things you would add!