Big Bend National Park is the 14th largest national park, and it is also the location of the Black Gap 4x4 Jeep Badge of Honor Trail. After visiting family in Odessa, and having this national park recommended as a "must see", we thought we would change our route and head south not letting the forecasted rainstorm from deterring us.
We arrived to the park via US-385 entering at the Persimmon Gap Visitor Center. Unfortunately, we arrived after closing but the Entrance Station had a park brochure with map, so we could find our way to our campsite. This park is so large, it has five (5) visitor centers!
We had made our campsite reservation in advance and online via the park's website. With our National Park Access Pass for Veterans, our entrance fee was free and our campsite fee was 50% off which came to a whopping $5.00 for the night. Backcountry campsites require a permit in advance - also through the park website (link below).
We made our way to Pine Canyon 1 (aka PC1) campsite and even though it was dusk and starting to sprinkle, we could not get over the beauty of the surrounding area! It was nothing like we had ever seen! It rained that night, but cleared by the next morning, and wow! We found ourselves among the clouds with the surrounding mountains!
Using our Gaia app, we made our way to Black Gap Road, aired down and checked in on the Jeep Badge of Honor app. The route we chose was just a small portion of the off-road trails available at this national park. We will definitely need to return for a 3-5 day stay to explore the park in its entirety during late fall or early spring.
We hope you enjoy this video and find it helpful should you be considering a trip to Big Bend National Park. Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Make the most of the dash!
Music:
- Running in the Wind - Tomas Skyldeberg
Links:
- Big Bend National Park: www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm
- Developed Campgrounds at Big Bend NP: www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/camping.htm
- Primitive Roadside Campsites at Big Bend NP: www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/roadsidecamps.htm
Make the Most of the Dash
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