Big Bend National Park camping pics and Black Gap Road video

[DallasCajun]

This is why we only camped 1 night there and did the lodge for 2. Not showering for more than 1 day was not her idea of fun. She is a trooper though.

Just getting mine to spend a day on trails as opposed to sitting on a beach, much less driving to BB and back is a flat no. Boys trip or nothing for me.

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[Ironiguana]

The footage is fantastic.

Thanks. I spent a lot of time trying to find videos of that trail before we went. Not much out there. I hope it is helpful to those that are wondering about it.

 

[Tex]

View of our La Clocha campsite #2 (one of the few campsites with shade from trees- that was important to us):

That's one of my favorite campsites

That looks amazing out there. I feel like I would be able to complete a trail like that with all-terrain tires. Great video!

looks like a great trip, thanks for the video!! do you think black gap is doable in a stock BB? seems like it if that ledge no longer exists. i've always wanted to drive that road

I've done it in a stock 2WD 4runner with slightly oversized street tires back before they stacked the rocks under that ledge. Figured we'd need the kinetic rope to get us over it but just a little momentum and picking the right line is all it took. You should be fine in any Bronco.

 

[SuperDave150]

looks like a great trip, thanks for the video!! do you think black gap is doable in a stock BB? seems like it if that ledge no longer exists. i've always wanted to drive that road

Absolutely! Even in a stock non-SAS base. Can do.

 

[focaloca95]

Wanting to go on that trail and not being able to was a big reason I made the Bronco plunge. Can't wait to do the same exact trip. Thanks for the nice video!

 

[Peter Gosenya]

Nice sound track.

 

[grayshadow]

We were at Big Bend NP April 5-10 and ran Black Gap as well. Really enjoyed seeing Mariscal Mine.

 

[RHeinz]

BBNP is awesome. Partially because it so remote and less crowded.

Couple weeks back we've camped on a primitive site (Telephone Canyon) accessible by Old Ore road - really nice drive.

I want to do “Old Ore Road” also. Can you recommend a specific camp site?

I’m going out to Big Bend Ranch State Park (the interior) week after next. If you like remote and less crowded you can definitely find it there! I have Guale 1 and Rincón 1 primitive campsites reserved.

I thought I might try to overnight in BBNP off of “Old Ore Road” on my way back to Houston.

 

[Tex]

We need to set up a meet at Big Bend someday, seems like a lot of people are riding out there lately.

 

[sergk]

I want to do “Old Ore Road” also. Can you recommend a specific camp site?

I’m going out to Big Bend Ranch State Park (the interior) week after next. If you like remote and less crowded you can definitely find it there! I have Guale 1 and Rincón 1 primitive campsites reserved.

I thought I might try to overnight in BBNP off of “Old Ore Road” on my way back to Houston.

The one on the photo is Telephone Canyon 2

Old Ore road is about 25 miles long. There are bunch of primitive campsites along it. All of them seem nice:
McKinney Spring
Roys Peak
Ernst Basin
Willow Tank
La Noria
Camp de Leon
Candelilla

 

[Strizzo]

I want to do “Old Ore Road” also. Can you recommend a specific camp site?

I’m going out to Big Bend Ranch State Park (the interior) week after next. If you like remote and less crowded you can definitely find it there! I have Guale 1 and Rincón 1 primitive campsites reserved.

I thought I might try to overnight in BBNP off of “Old Ore Road” on my way back to Houston.

I just got back from BBNP followed by 5 days in Fort Stockton for the Big Bend Open Road Race.

Be aware that the park service will not allow online reservations for the old ore road campsites after May 1st and will only honor reservations made before April 10th due to the rough road conditions on old ore road. You will have to book those sites in person so the rangers can verify you have a vehicle capable of getting in and out.

• Beginning May 1, sites along Old Ore Road are no longer available for advanced reservations. We will honor existing reservations made prior to April 10, but no additional reservations are accepted. The Old Ore Road is exceptionally rough and is not suitable for most visitors at this time. Sites affected include: Candelilla, Camp De Leon, Ernst Tinaja, La Noria 1 and 2, Ernst Basin, Willow Tank, Telephone Canyon 1 and 2, Roys Peak, McKinney Spring.
  
  If you are specifically looking for these sites, check at Panther Junction Visitor Center for permit availability when you arrive in the park.

I ran Old Ore Road in my 2015 Lexus GX 460 with 32" general grabber ATx (black diamond take-offs) and it took me a lot longer than I expected to get through the trail. I got on the trail about 11:30am and didn't make it back to pavement until after 4:00pm. The road isn't super difficult, although there are a couple spots that will require some thinking ahead, it is just super rough through most of it. A sasquatch bronco would probably be able to get through a lot quicker, but on stock suspension, I was taking care to not beat up the front bumper or skids. I've done Black Gap in this truck on the same setup and I only scraped the front bumper once, a slider once, and the hitch once, none were at "the gap". I didn't drag anything on Old Ore, it was just 29 miles of constant picking through a rough and rocky road.

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