Lodging · Big Bend National Park
Stay at the park's only lodge, high in Chisos Basin.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
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
Chisos Basin and Window View“You're coming up on Chisos Basin, a mountain-ringed bowl with a gap called the Window opening toward the desert.”
Plays as you drive up to Chisos Mountains Lodge 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!!!!”
Guide
Chisos Mountains Lodge is a group of hotel, motel and cottage rooms in Chisos Basin, around 5,400 feet in the Chisos Mountains. It's the only lodging inside the park, and its appeal is the mountain setting with quick access to the Basin trail network. Choose it if staying inside the park matters more than resort-style comforts.
The accommodations are straightforward rather than resort-like, and room condition and upkeep can vary. Wi-Fi is available in shared areas, while cell coverage in the basin is limited. Some Casa Grande rooms have accessible features, including roll-in shower options, so confirm the room type when booking. The gift shop belongs to the lodge complex; the larger Chisos Basin Store is a separate nearby supplies stop.
The main lodge building was constructed in 1964. Its open interior and expansive windows frame the surrounding mountains and the classic view of the Window, bringing the landscape into the shared space as well as the grounds outside.
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.
Keep exploring
ChallengingSouth Rim Trail12.5 mi · 6.5 hr · 0.1 mi awayA hard climb to the rim, back through Boot Canyon and Pinnacles.
EasyWindow View Trail0.3 mi · 30 min · 0.1 mi awayA paved Basin loop with a clear view through the Window.
ChallengingEntire Rim Loop13.6 mi · 9 hr · 0.1 mi awayBoth Chisos rims and Boot Canyon in a full-day loop.
ChallengingPinnacles Trail7 mi · 4.5 hr · 0.1 mi awayA steep, shaded climb to a high pass above the Basin.
ModerateLaguna Meadow Trail7.4 mi · 4.5 hr · 0.1 mi awayA steady climb into meadow country with views back to the Basin
ChallengingEmory Peak Trail10.5 mi · 7 hr · 0.1 mi awayA full-day climb to Big Bend’s highest summit and wide-open views.
ChallengingOuter Mountain Loop30 mi · 18 hr · 0.1 mi awayThree days from Chisos woodland to exposed desert, with no reliable water.
ModerateChisos Basin Loop Trail2 mi · 1 hr · 0.1 mi awayA shaded Basin loop with Window views and pine forest.
Visitor center · 0.1 mi awayChisos Basin Visitor CenterA quick Chisos wildlife primer before you head for the Basin trails.
Store · 0.1 mi awayChisos Basin StoreCold drinks and camp basics, without a detour from the Basin.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayWindow ViewA short, paved loop for sunset through the Window.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayChisos Basin AmphitheaterRanger talks bring local stories to a stone stage outdoors.
Campground · 0.4 mi awayChisos Basin CampgroundHigh-country camping for hikers; road and site size favor smaller rigs.
Scenic pullout · 1.3 mi awayTree Zone ExhibitStand under an oak where desert plants meet mountain woodland.Sight · 1.7 mi awayEmory PeakA 10.5-mile round trip earns a 360-degree summit panorama.
Sight · 2 mi awayThe WindowA long hike to a 200-foot pour-off framing the desert.Parkwolf’s Big Bend ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
