Biking in Big Bend

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Details: Created on Wednesday, 26 January 2011 00:04; Published on Wednesday, 26 January 2011 00:04; Written by Abe Connally

The Chihuahua Desert Dirt Fest is coming up, next February 17-19. Three days of mountain trails and fun in both Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park, this is one event all you biking enthusiasts wont want to miss. Three days of blazing trails of various lengths and difficulty levels—the biking festivities will blow your mind and tire your legs. Rides are scheduled in Big Bend National Park for the morning of Thursday, the 17th, where you'll be able to bike the rugged and challenging Jeep trails the Park has to offer.

biking

This Dirt Fest is sponsored by the Big Bend Trails Alliance, Desert Sports, Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and Lajitas Golf Resort & Spa. It's a celebration of biking and Texas trails. Visit the Desert Sports website for more information.

Of course, in the National Park all year around you can enjoy trails on your bike that you may never see otherwise. Here are some Big Bend Biking options to check out:

An easier trail may be the Dagger Flat Auto Tail to McKinney Springs. Only a 14-mile round trip, the starting point, or trailhead, is in the northern area of the park, 14 miles north of Panther Junction.
Or, just a few miles west of Panther Junction, you can try the slightly more difficult Grapevine Hills Road. It's about 15 miles round trip.
If you're looking for something even more challenging, you can try Glen Springs Road, River Road, and Black Gap Road. All three connect to make a massive 26 mile loop. You could start and stop at any point.

So, whether you're a mountain bike professional with years of experience on great Texas trails and roads, or if you're new to the sport and looking for something to cut your teeth on, there are plenty for you to do in Big Bend. Come down in February for Dirt Fest's group rides, or come any other time for the regular trails. And remember to be safe; bike with a partner or in a group and take water—even when it's cold you can get dehydrated.

Worth a Thousand Words

There are some views you just can't take in all at once. Like a dazzling sunset or breathtaking field of wildflowers—you just can't appreciate such beauty in the moment, a moment that is often over before you realize it, the forms and colors of that marvelous vista already fading in your memory. Perhaps it was with the goal of preserving such scenes that the first camera was invented, a goal that you may still share when you visit a place as beautiful as Big Bend and the surrounding area. Why not take a look through our new and improved photo galleries to see what amazing sights have been preserved by astounded visitors and appreciative locals? When you see the mountains, plains, flora, and fauna displayed in those images, you'll be glad the gallery contributors took their camera along.

Birding in Big Bend

Among the many activities available in Big Bend National Park that highlight the region's diversity of wildlife, birding can be enjoyable and promising. Big Bend engulfs a vast area, bounded by the the rushing Rio Grande valley to the south, containing high peaks in the Chisos Mountains, and boasting both desert and forest climates between the two. It embodies the very diversity that makes America great, providing countless opportunities to spot more than 450 birds in one area.

Your Big Year is Here

What are your new year's resolutions for 2012? Did you keep your resolutions for 2011? While the top resolutions each year include losing weight, learning something new, traveling, or getting out of debt, here's a new challenge you can take on this year: spot all the bird species in Big Bend National Park.

Big Bend Video Collections

Big Bend has some of the most spectacular scenery in Texas, if not the entire US. Our big sky country rivals any other state and our night skies are as dark as anywhere for excellent star gazing. The beautiful light and great scenery make for a photographer’s paradise.

Trails and Wildlife

There are many things you may love to do in Big Bend National Park in the heat of summer, but running or jogging is probably not one of them. With 90+ degree temperatures, there simply is no such thing as a nice July run in West Texas. With the dry weather we've had this year, you have truly hostile workout conditions. That all changes this time of year, though, as temperatures drop and the sun gives us a break for a few months. What a great time to get out on some trails in Big Bend!

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