At 300,000+ acres, Texas’ largest state park offers a huge variety of experiences, whether you stick to the pavement or adventure into the interior! Let me help you prepare for your visit with my Park Ranger recommendations and tips to make sure you have a safe and successful adventure!

Guide includes essential information to know before you go, campsite recommendations and info, and 8 recommendations on things to do, including options for both on-pavement and off-pavement.

Big Bend, TX, USA

West Texas, El Paso, TX, USA

Texas, USA

The Park Ranger’s Guide to Big Bend Ranch State Park

Having a safe and successful trip to Big Bend Ranch State Park requires a little more planning than your average state park. Located in Far West Texas & the largest park in the Texas State Parks system, Big Bend Ranch is REMOTE, substantially more so when you venture into the interior of the park. Plan ahead and know your comfort levels and abilities! No matter what you’re looking for, Big Bend Ranch has something for you!

If you’re venturing into the park to camp at Tres Papalotes or for a hike into El Solitario, you’ve gotta hike the Road to Nowhere! It takes you into the heart of the Solitario. Enjoy the vistas along this 4WD road (which was closed when we were there) and take your picture by the “Nowhere/Other Side of Nowhere” sign at the very end! This hike is about 2 miles one way and is an out and back.

I like the Upper Madera campground, personally. You get some really great views and the sites are pretty spaced out. There are only 4 sites in Upper Madera and quite a few more in Lower Madera. Primitive camping - no water or electrical access, pit toilets. When you’re on the reservation website, these sites are listed under Barton Warnock Visitor Center.

Before reserving a campsite, look thoroughly at the Campsite Guide. There are pictures of each site, along with really important information like whether or not you need 4WD or if you need to bring a bathroom system. I used this SO much while planning!

Spend some time studying the map. It’s a big park with NO PAVEMENT in the interior. Some roads are trickier than others. The park map will show you which roads require high clearance or 4WD vehicles. If your car doesn’t meet those requirements, DO NOT ATTEMPT IT. Please trust the map. If you get stuck or break down, it can easily turn into a dangerous situation, especially if it’s hot outside. Make sure you have at least one good spare tire (they recommend two) and keep extra water and snacks in the car juuuuust in case.

There are places to resupply on the East (Terlingua/Lajutas) and West (Presidio) ends of the park. I recommend going to Presidio for gas/groceries/etc. Prices are better because it’s not touristy the way Terlingua and Lajitas are. We picked up a ton of firewood at the TruValue in Presidio - make sure you bring plenty if you’re camping in winter!

There are soooooo many different options in the interior that it’s hard to make recommendations. Truthfully, it all depends on your comfort level and your vehicle. Having a 4WD vehicle will open up your options for sure. We camped at one of the farthest sites in the park - Tres Papalotes. It was 2 hours and 45 minutes away from pavement. The road is accessible via 2WD vehicles but they need to be high clearance. My 4Runner isn’t 4WD and I had no issues, but the road was definitely a little nerve wracking in some spots. Especially when we were leaving and I had a moment of panic about not knowing which direction to go. If you’re up for a little adventure, picking a site that is further away is a really neat experience. The solitude can be pretty magical.

Map of Big Bend Ranch State Park

There are a lot of great places in the park right along the paved River Road (FM170) that are accessible by any vehicle so if your vehicle doesn’t have much off-roading capabilities, you can still have a great visit!

Campsite Guide

There are other campsites that are way closer to “civilization” but still provide epic dark skies and quiet! You don’t HAVE to go deep into the heart of the park to get that experience. We had initially booked Papalotito Colorado, which was way closer to “civilization” and still would have been gorgeous.  

For a 2WD non-high clearance vehicle, stay closer to the eastern parts of the main road. Once you hit the Sauceda Ranger Station it really starts to get pretty rough. The closer you are to the highway, the better the road is. The two closest sites are:

The Park Ranger’s Guide to Big Bend Ranch State Park

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