News Release

Big Bend National Park Closes All Overnight Camping and Lodging

News Release Date: March 21, 2020

Contact: Tom VandenBerg, 432-477-1107

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TX – In response to guidance from the White House and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Texas Governor Abbott, and Brewster County Commissioners, the National Park Service (NPS) today announced additional modifications to operations at Big Bend National Park in order to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Effective Monday 3/23/20 at noon and until further notice:

Camping

• All park campgrounds and backcountry campsites will be closed until further notice.
• Reservations made through www.recreation.gov will be cancelled.

• The concession operated RV Campground at Rio Grande Village will be closed.

• All river trips and operations are suspended until further notice.

Concessions

• The Chisos Mountain Lodge hotel will be closed.
• The Chisos Mountain restaurant will remain open, with take-out service only.
• Park camper stores and service stations will remain open.

Big Bend National Park remains open for day use. Park employees remain at work, and will be patrolling the park, assisting visitors, and enforcing all regulations. As services are limited, the NPS urges visitors to continue to practice Leave No Trace principles, including pack-in and pack-out, to keep outdoor spaces clean, safe and healthy.

The health and safety of visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at Big Bend is the park’s number one priority. The NPS is working with federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor COVID-19 and will notify the public via updates on the park website and social media channels when full operations resume.

For more information on the NPS response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, please visit the NPS Public Health Update webpage (www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/public-health-update.htm)