Big Bend National Park (East Side)
- ahschneid
- Mar 13
- 5 min read
We drove from Paisano RV Village to Rio Grande Village Campground inside Big Bend National Park on 4 March 2025. The drive was only about 40 miles, but during a wind event with gusts up to 60mph, so we were happy to arrive and get set up with no issues. Our last night at Paisano, we had brought our slides in to protect our slide toppers. It was a night of our camper shaking with the wind gusts.
Rio Grande Village was great! We had no hookups, but we were happy to see green grass and trees. We also saw wild javelina! Anita had been looking for one since our first stop in Arizona back in October and we never saw one until Rio Grande Village in BBNP where they come every evening to eat grass. We got a picture one evening of the javelina, cows and people all living together and doing their own thing.
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Village Campground 4-6 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Village Campground 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Village Campground 6 March 2025
Mexican Cows, wild javelina, and people living side by side...
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Village Campground 6 March 2025
On 5 March, we did the Boquillas Canyon hike. It’s rated easy and just 1.5 miles round trip. That afternoon, Steve went into the Rio Grande natural hot springs. 105 degree water in 80 degree ambient temp wasn’t appealing to Anita, so she stayed in the shade and read her book. That evening we went to the top of the hill on the Nature Trail to see the sunset, but the spectacular views people in the park talk about were not visible due to clouds and dust.
Big Bend National Park - Boquillas Canyon Trail - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Boquillas Canyon Trail - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Boquillas Canyon Trail - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Boquillas Canyon Trail - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Boquillas Canyon Trail - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Boquillas Canyon Trail - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Boquillas Canyon Trail - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Boquillas Canyon Trail - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Boquillas Canyon Trail - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Boquillas Canyon Trail Rio Grande Overlook- 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Boquillas Canyon Trail - 5 March 2025
Mexican selling hot tamales
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Hot Springs trail - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Hot Springs - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Hot Springs trail - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Hot Springs - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Hot Springs - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Hot Springs - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Hot Springs - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Hot Springs - 5 March 2025
Mexicans cooking across from Hot Springs
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Hot Springs - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Hot Springs trail - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Hot Springs - 5 March 2025
Big Bend National Park - Sunset from hill on Nature Trail- 5 March 2025
Sunset view of Sierra del Carmen Mountains in Mexico
On 6 March we went to Boquillas del Carmen Mexico for lunch. That is one of our favorite things about our lifestyle. We didn’t even have that on our radar, but we heard about it and it’s quite easy to do, so we did it. We parked and showed passports at the Boquillas Crossing and then walked down to the river (Rio Grande) paid $5 each for a boat ride (Mexican wading and pulling a flat bottomed boat across), then we walked the half mile into the village of Boquillas. We had four options for getting to the village: vehicle, mule, horse or on foot. We wanted to look for birds, so we opted to walk. We had to find the official building to pay our $7 each for entering Mexico, then we walked through the village. It took about a half hour to see the whole town, then we stopped for lunch on our way back to the boat. Anita had heard from a lady in the laundry room that “Falcon’s” is a good restaurant. We ate at Jose Falcon’s and loved the setting and our meals. Our walk back to the boat was hot with it being high noon. We opted to get ice cream at the camp store in the campground on our way back to our camper. There’s nothing like ice cream when it’s 90 degrees and the sun is like a laser.
Lunch in Boquillas del Carmen Mexico 6 March 2025
Border Crossing
Lunch in Boquillas del Carmen Mexico 6 March 2025
Lunch in Boquillas del Carmen Mexico 6 March 2025
Lunch in Boquillas del Carmen Mexico 6 March 2025
Lunch in Boquillas del Carmen Mexico 6 March 2025
Three of the options for getting into town...
Lunch in Boquillas del Carmen Mexico 6 March 2025
Sand Dunes Mexico
Lunch in Boquillas del Carmen Mexico 6 March 2025
Lunch in Boquillas del Carmen Mexico 6 March 2025
Lunch in Boquillas del Carmen Mexico 6 March 2025
Nuestra Senora del Carmen Catholic Church (Priest says mass once a month here)
Lunch in Boquillas del Carmen Mexico 6 March 2025
Nuestra Senora del Carmen Catholic Church
Lunch in Boquillas del Carmen Mexico 6 March 2025
Nuestra Senora del Carmen Catholic Church
Lunch in Boquillas del Carmen Mexico 6 March 2025
Lunch in Boquillas del Carmen Mexico 6 March 2025
Lunch in Boquillas del Carmen Mexico 6 March 2025
Boquillas Crossing overlook
The next day (7 March) we moved to Stillwell Ranch Store & RV Park which is just outside Big Bend National Park.
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