For our fourth and final day in the park, we made Boquillas Canyon in the Park’s southeast corner our primary focus. It was a 50-mile drive from the Park entrance. This canyon is one of the last locations we saw where the Rio Grande is still easily accessible, that is, reachable on paved roads. Four miles before the canyon, we also stopped at the Rio Grande Village. The village consisted of another campground, a good-sized retail store, visitor center, historic Daniels Ranch, and a nearby Port of Entry (closed) should we want to cross the river into Mexico and visit the town of Boquillas del Carmen. We went to the Visitor Center first, but it was closed for the summer despite the fact summer was still a month away. We deduced high temperatures rather than dates defined summer for the Park. This relief map below offered an overview of what we hoped to see.
We were hungry and thirsty by the time we arrived in the Village. MFI found the ingredients for a classic hiking meal in the store and prepared a quick lunch before we continued. This particular epicurean sandwich sustained me and others when we hiked sections of the Appalachian Trail in recent years. Definitely a favorite!
Before leaving the village, we did a quick drive around the campground and stopped for a quick look at Daniels Ranch, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The ranch was another example of early 20th century settlements. The Daniels built irrigation ditches to water their crops, but the pictured building is the only surviving structure. It’s being preserved as an an excellent example of adobe architecture. There was supposed to be a trailhead nearby, but I never found it. Many of the historic irrigation ditches were still being used, and as a result, the grounds of the villiage were quite green.
We headed for the canyon next and stopped at two overlooks on the way: one above the Rio Grande, and the other at the entrance to the canyon. Atop the river overlook, we saw for the second time, an area being used by Mexicans to display and sell all manner of homemade crafts. A smaller version of this open air store had been in the parking lot next to Daniels Ranch. Everyday, these sale items are brought across the river and laid on the ground. All items had price tags, and sales were made on an honor system. Each family placed a locked collection box next to where they had set up. We subsequently learned from reading the Park rules that all these items were considered contraband, and therefore, were illegal to buy. Yet we encountered NO means of enforcement, and from the extent of what was being displayed, the authorities were obviously turning a blind eye. We followed the rules!
The next overlook was where the river entered Boquillas Canyon. MFI waited in the parking lot in the air-conditioned Sid, while I climbed to the overlook and hiked the 1.4-mile canyon loop trail. There were no creeks to ford this time. From the overlook, I was able to capture the ease at which the Mexican peddlers were able to cross the river. Look closely and you’ll see one of several boats likely used and a horse for transporting the seller and their goods from town.
I didn’t think Boquillas had as grand a feeling as Santa Elena, although still worth seeing. The pictures were less dramatic, because the walls of the canyon weren’t as high, the trail was mostly at river level, and the bright afternoon sun washed out many of the rock features. Here is the first shot I took as we approached the canyon from the roadway. The river flows from right to left into the canyon entrance, which is barely distinguishable just right of center.
The hiking path was well worn, and the topography was such that in many places the trail spread out across the wide, flat, and sandy riverbank. I saw more hikers on this trail than I had on all the others. Do you see the horse manure in the second photo below? There was a Mexican selling the crafts he could carry while on horseback, and he had the rest of his goods set up on a blanket further down the trail. He was the only rider I encountered; however, there was much evidence of other riders having used the trail. The campground at the Village catered to visitors who brought horses, and we saw a small herd grazing there earlier.
It was mid afternoon, and we decided to see one more thing. We had read about a picturesque attraction called Ernst Tinaja (tin-AH-ha). Tinaja translates to “water jar” and is in reference to the 13-foot diameter natural water pool set within orange striated rocks containing giant oyster fossils. Getting there required a 5-mile drive on the rugged, primitive road called Old Ore. About 30 minutes in, we called the ball and turned around. By our calculations, the roundtrip drive alone was going to take two hours, and this didn’t include the 2-mile loop hike to the tinaja, and the time we’d have spent climbing and photographing it. I borrowed a representative photo from the National Park Service image gallery instead.
Once on pavement again, our route out of the park took us past some more picture-worthy formations. These were taken as we approached and then crossed the broad but dry Tornilla Creek, which passed through Ernst Valley (when wet).
Our Big Bend adventure covered only half of the Park property, and even then, we didn’t come close to experiencing all the sights. To cover the entire Park would take multiple weeks each over multiple years, require staying in Park accommodations, involve lots of hiking, and demand driving many miles on dirt roads. Not sure anyone has gone to that extent yet. Nonetheless, this was the correct amount of exposure for us. As we left, I believe this picture of the Chisos provided a fitting goodbye.
