News Release

Temporary Closure of the Hot Springs Historic Area

The Hot Springs will be closed to visitation on Tuesday, April 2 while the park manages invasive cane in the area.

News Release Date: March 29, 2019

Contact: Tom VandenBerg, 432-477-1107

BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TX – Big Bend National Park is temporarily closing the Hot Springs Historic Area and part of the Hot Springs Trail on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 for invasive vegetation management. The closure will begin on Tuesday morning and remain in effect for approximately 8 hours until 5:00 PM the same day.

The closure includes the hot springs themselves, as well as the trail from the hot springs parking area to a point .5 miles east of the parking area where the trail begins to climb a hill. The trailhead at Daniels Ranch will remain open.

The purpose of the closure is to provide for visitor safety while a vegetation management crew performs work to mitigate the impact of Arundo donax, also known as giant cane. The spread of this exotic and invasive cane along the Rio Grande riparian corridor has crowded out native plants, diminished water quality, and altered wildland fire behavior in Big Bend’s desert ecosystem. Its presence along the Hot Springs Trail impedes visitor traffic and obscures river views. This effort is part of Big Bend’s long-term, integrated approach to mitigate invasive plants and protect park resources.