National Park · TX
45 trails · 64 places · 110 audio stories for the drive
Parkwolf’s Big Bend ranking
1SightSanta Elena CanyonThe Rio Grande threads an eight-mile gorge of sheer limestone.
2SightSotol VistaA west-side panorama with Santa Elena Canyon as a distant gap.
3SightFossil Discovery ExhibitA shady gallery pairs bronze skulls with a 35-foot pterosaur.
4SightWindow ViewA short, paved loop for sunset through the Window.
5SightBoquillas CanyonFollow the river into a limestone gorge at Big Bend’s edge.
6SightLangford Hot SpringsA warm soak inside a historic bathhouse foundation.
7SightMule Ears OverlookPaired volcanic spires make this roadside detour worth a stop.
8SightBalanced RockA boulder spans two stone pillars in a field of desert rocks.
9SightSouth Rim ViewpointA hard, full day of hiking earns the high rim panorama.Hiking
ChallengingSouth Rim Trail12.5 mi · 6.5 hrA hard climb to the rim, back through Boot Canyon and Pinnacles.
EasySanta Elena Canyon Trail1.6 mi · 1 hrCross a shifting creek, then walk beneath towering limestone walls.
ModerateLost Mine Trail4.8 mi · 3 hrA stepped climb to a ridge above Juniper Canyon.
ChallengingEmory Peak Trail10.5 mi · 7 hrA full-day climb to Big Bend’s highest summit and wide-open views.
ModerateThe Window Trail5.5 mi · 3.5 hrA 5.5-mile canyon hike with a tough climb back to the Basin.
ModerateGrapevine Hills Trail2.2 mi · 1.5 hrFollow a sandy wash to a boulder balanced above the desert.EasyBoquillas Canyon Trail1.5 mi · 1 hrA short climb opens onto the Rio Grande beneath canyon walls.
EasyRio Grande Village Nature Trail0.8 mi · 30 minWetland boardwalk and a short ridge loop with Rio Grande views.
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Big Bend Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Big Bend National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Big Bend audio tourRecorded for this place
Santa Elena Canyon“You're approaching Santa Elena Canyon, where the Rio Grande runs between limestone walls rising fifteen hundred feet. Stop for the canyon-mouth view even if you don't want a hike.”
Plays as you drive up to Santa Elena Canyon in the Parkwolf Big Bend Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Map
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Wildlife
377 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
329 sightingsCollared PeccaryMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
500 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
985 sightingsRoadrunnerMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
228 sightingsRavenMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
264 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Big Bend. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.