Backcountry Roads in Big Bend

Along the Black Gap Road

NPS/Tom VandenBerg

 

There are things in Texas worse than a mere fifty miles of rock and sand. I’d rather be broke down and lost in the wilds of Big Bend, any day, than wake up some morning in a penthouse suite high above the megalomania of Dallas or Houston.
          -Edward Abbey

 

In addition to scenic vistas, abundant wildlife, and diverse geology, an outstanding aspect of Big Bend National Park is its system of unpaved roads. While most visitors will stay on the 112 miles of paved roads in the park, those with a sense of adventure and a high-clearance and/or four-wheel drive vehicle can enjoy over 150 miles of unpaved roads. The tremendous increase in popularity of four-wheel drive "sport utility" vehicles means that more and more visitors are enjoying Big Bend's backcountry roads. While the unpaved roads can vary greatly in condition, they offer beautiful scenery, access to fascinating natural and historic sites, primitive roadside campsites, and some of the park’s most primitive and remote hiking trails, as well as the opportunity to test the durability and limits of your vehicle and its occupants. The key to having a successful trip through the backcountry is being prepared to deal with large and small emergencies and the extremes of the Chihuahuan Desert.