News Release

Big Bend National Park Temporarily Closed

News Release Date: July 1, 2020

Contact: Big Bend National Park, [phone]

Contact: NPS Public Affairs

UPDATE: Big Bend National Park has partially re-opened. Check the latest updates on our COVID-19 Status and Updates Page

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TX – The National Park Service (NPS) announced today that Big Bend National Park and Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River will be closed to all visitors until further notice. The closure is in response to a positive case for COVID-19 in the park residential community. The park is acting according to a COVID-19 operations plan developed alongside public health professionals.

The park will close to public entry Thursday morning, July 2. No entry will be allowed into the park, except to employees, residents, and other authorized persons. Through traffic will be prohibited, as will travel on Terlingua Ranch Road within park boundaries. The health and safety of employees, residents, volunteers, and partners, as well as park visitors, at Big Bend National Park is the Service's number one priority. The NPS is working servicewide with federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are working closely with our state and local partners during this closure,” said Big Bend National Park Superintendent Bob Krumenaker. “Healthy NPS employees will continue to work behind the scenes, improving the condition of the park, with strict adherence to social distancing and safety protocols to assure their safety. We look forward to reopening the park, when the timing is right, as safely as possible.”

For the latest updates and park status, please visit the Big Bend COVID-19 Updates Page.

The NPS encourages people to take advantage of the many digital tools already available to explore Big Bend National Park including: www.nps.gov/bibe, www.nps.gov/rigr, https://www.nps.gov/bibe/learn/photosmultimedia/photogallery.htm and https://www.facebook.com/BigBendNPS.

Updates about the NPS response to coronavirus will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus.