Boquillas Overlook

Boquillas Overlook is a roadside viewpoint 2.5 miles down Boquillas Canyon Road, looking across the Rio Grande to the village of Boquillas, Mexico, with the Sierra del Carmen and Boquillas Canyon beyond it. The view is the reason to stop; if your schedule is tight, pair it with the Boquillas Canyon Trail, whose trailhead is another mile down the road. There is parking for cars and buses or RVs, plus an interpretive exhibit.

From this distance, Boquillas Canyon's narrow entrance nearly disappears into the escarpment. Take a moment to trace the far ridge and see if you can pick out where the river cuts through. The gorge is about 1,300 feet deep, so the full scale is hard to read until you spot that opening.

The village, the river and the Sierra del Carmen give you three clear layers to work into one photo. Keep the Rio Grande in the frame as a clear marker between the overlook and the Mexican village of Boquillas. This overlook is on the U.S. side; crossing the river is allowed only at the separate Boquillas Crossing.

The river first flowed across basin-fill sediments, then eroded through those surface layers and cut steep-sided canyons into more resistant Lower Cretaceous limestone. That limestone is exposed in the walls you see here. Together with Mariscal and Santa Elena, Boquillas is one of Big Bend's three major Rio Grande canyons and part of the reason the park was created.

Visitors often find handmade crafts set out for self-serve purchase near the overlook. When the display is there, small bills are useful; it runs on an honor system and may not be stocked every time.