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Last minute my buddy and I decided to head to Big Bend and White Sands National Park over our New Year holiday break. Most of the country was in either a snow or rain storm, so I found the one corner where we could find some good weather and enjoy a bit of off-road adventuring. He hopped in his 4Runner and we met in Palm Springs CA.
The drive from LA took 2 days. Our first stop, White Sands National Park in New Mexico. Not a far detour on our way to Big Bend.
Reservations at Big Bend were scarce and for our second night we didn't have a place to stay. Most hotels in the nearby town of Alpine and Marfa were booked but we managed to find a place(not a nice place). We also managed to secure campsite for our second night in the park once we arrived and spoke to the rangers. Basics like Propane was in short supply in town.
Once we arrived at Big Bend National Park, we headed off-road on the Old Maverick Trail to Santa Elena Canyon. This was a fantastic introduction to the park.
From there we headed down river road west, taking our time to enjoy the sights. I totally miscalculated how long the trail would take and how big this park actually is. Our campsite was on the far northern end of the park at the Grapevine Spring, so we had quite a bit more driving to do.
There are private ranches in the park and spotted cows grazing.
Our shortest route to our campsite was through the Jeep badge of honor trail "Black Gap Road". By now it was getting dark so we completed the trail at night. While I love night rides, I would have preferred to run the trail during the day to take in the views.
We stopped along the trail and made coffee. Much needed to get to our campsite and setup.
Our campsite was a frigid 26 degrees at night. No campfires allowed in the park so this is how we managed. Don't judge my choice in beer. lol
The following morning we ran the Old Ore Road trail which was fantastic. I was taken back by how lush this desert is, many springs bring the landscape to life with color. The trail took us about 6 hours with plenty of breaks to enjoy our environment.
We then used the paved roads to head to our southern campsite at Cottonwood for New Years Eve. I was expecting the other campers to be in a party spirit, but it was fairly subdued with the highlight being fireworks set off across the border by the local Mexicans at midnight. I really enjoyed that
The following morning we packed up and took the scenic paved road to exit the park. At one of the vistas we met the only other 2 door bronco I saw at the park. Plenty of 4 doors out and about but just us two with two doors.
We then took the 170 Scenic Farm Road for a drive near the Rio Grande next to Big Band Ranch.
Even though I was a bit tired of desert landscapes having recently visited Joshua Tree, Anza Borrego and Johnson Valley, this park is a whole different ball game. The river and the springs turn the landscape into a desert jungle. The colors, variety, and scope is a sight to behold.
The drive from LA took 2 days. Our first stop, White Sands National Park in New Mexico. Not a far detour on our way to Big Bend.
Reservations at Big Bend were scarce and for our second night we didn't have a place to stay. Most hotels in the nearby town of Alpine and Marfa were booked but we managed to find a place(not a nice place). We also managed to secure campsite for our second night in the park once we arrived and spoke to the rangers. Basics like Propane was in short supply in town.
Once we arrived at Big Bend National Park, we headed off-road on the Old Maverick Trail to Santa Elena Canyon. This was a fantastic introduction to the park.
From there we headed down river road west, taking our time to enjoy the sights. I totally miscalculated how long the trail would take and how big this park actually is. Our campsite was on the far northern end of the park at the Grapevine Spring, so we had quite a bit more driving to do.
There are private ranches in the park and spotted cows grazing.
Our shortest route to our campsite was through the Jeep badge of honor trail "Black Gap Road". By now it was getting dark so we completed the trail at night. While I love night rides, I would have preferred to run the trail during the day to take in the views.
We stopped along the trail and made coffee. Much needed to get to our campsite and setup.
Our campsite was a frigid 26 degrees at night. No campfires allowed in the park so this is how we managed. Don't judge my choice in beer. lol
The following morning we ran the Old Ore Road trail which was fantastic. I was taken back by how lush this desert is, many springs bring the landscape to life with color. The trail took us about 6 hours with plenty of breaks to enjoy our environment.
We then used the paved roads to head to our southern campsite at Cottonwood for New Years Eve. I was expecting the other campers to be in a party spirit, but it was fairly subdued with the highlight being fireworks set off across the border by the local Mexicans at midnight. I really enjoyed that
The following morning we packed up and took the scenic paved road to exit the park. At one of the vistas we met the only other 2 door bronco I saw at the park. Plenty of 4 doors out and about but just us two with two doors.
We then took the 170 Scenic Farm Road for a drive near the Rio Grande next to Big Band Ranch.
Even though I was a bit tired of desert landscapes having recently visited Joshua Tree, Anza Borrego and Johnson Valley, this park is a whole different ball game. The river and the springs turn the landscape into a desert jungle. The colors, variety, and scope is a sight to behold.
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