Big Bend National Park Alerts and Current Conditions

Cover of Brian Russ's guide to Big Bend National Park

Last checked: October 25, 2026. This page tracks what's closed, what's changed, and what's coming up at Big Bend National Park, Texas, from the park's alerts, conditions, and hours pages. I check it daily and rewrite it when the park posts something new, so bookmark it rather than an old news story. Desert storms can close roads and fill Terlingua Creek with little warning, though, so check the park's own conditions page the morning you go.

Current alerts

  • The paved road to Santa Elena Canyon is closed. The park lists weather-related closures, until further notice, on the paved road between Cottonwood Campground and Santa Elena Canyon, on Hot Springs Road beyond the overflow parking area, on Paint Gap Road, and on River Road West to Glenn Springs Road. (NPS)
  • Black Gap Road is closed until further notice because of unsafe conditions left by flash flooding in 2025. (NPS)
  • Temporary closures for a wildlife management project. In early October the park and Texas Parks and Wildlife began targeted work to reduce non-native aoudad (Barbary sheep) and protect native desert bighorn. The park announced temporary closures tied to the project; read the release and ask at a visitor center about which areas are affected. (NPS)
  • The lodge restaurant is closed. A food truck outside the main lodge building serves daily, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed from 10 to 11 a.m. (NPS)
  • Santa Elena Canyon Trail crossing. To reach the trail you cross Terlingua Creek, which can be dry sand, deep mud, or flowing water. The park says not to attempt the crossing if the water is too high. (NPS)
  • Pets and drones. Pets can go only where vehicles can go: not on trails, in the backcountry, or on the river, and never left alone. Drones are prohibited parkwide. (NPS)

Open and closed right now

  • The park is open 24 hours a day, every day. Entrance is $30 per private vehicle, good for seven days. Fee stations and visitor centers may be closed if you arrive after hours. (NPS)
  • Panther Junction Visitor Center: open daily, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Chisos Basin Visitor Center: open daily, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m.
  • Persimmon Gap, Rio Grande Village, and Castolon visitor centers: closed for the summer season through October 31.
  • Camping: every campground is reservation only, with no first-come sites. Chisos Basin Campground is open year-round. Rio Grande Village Campground is open but running at its reduced summer capacity through October 31. Cottonwood Campground is closed until November 1. The concession-run Rio Grande Village RV park is open; you have to call 855-765-1324 to arrange a site. (NPS)
  • Boquillas Crossing: the port of entry to Boquillas, Mexico, is open Friday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A passport is required. (NPS)
  • Backcountry roads: Old Ore Road and Black Gap Road are extremely rough. The park says primitive dirt roads need high clearance and true four-wheel drive, and aren't passable for cars, minivans, motorhomes, or small crossovers.

Coming up in the next few weeks

  • Sunday, November 1: the busy season starts. Persimmon Gap Visitor Center opens daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Rio Grande Village 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Castolon 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., each closed for an hour at lunch. Cottonwood Campground opens, and Rio Grande Village Campground goes to full capacity. (NPS)
  • Busy season ahead: the park says November through April is its busiest time. Cottonwood books only up to 14 days ahead, and Chisos Basin and Rio Grande Village hold some sites for a 14-day window too.
  • Christmas Day, Friday, December 25: Panther Junction and Chisos Basin visitor centers open 8:30 a.m. to noon; the other three close.

What this means for your trip

The Santa Elena Canyon closure is the one that hurts. Most west-side days end at the canyon mouth, and right now you can't drive the paved road past Cottonwood Campground to get there. Ask at a visitor center whether any other route is open, but don't build the day around the canyon. The upper part of Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, with its overlooks, isn't on the closure list and still makes a good half day.

The Hot Springs Road closure beyond the overflow parking area cuts off the usual drive to the historic hot springs by the river; ask a ranger what access remains. Rio Grande Village and Boquillas Canyon, at the same end of the park, aren't on the closure list. Black Gap is closed, and the park says Old Ore needs a truly rugged four-wheel-drive vehicle, so neither is a rental-sedan road.

Late October is still shoulder season here. The visitor centers on the edges of the park reopen November 1, and that's when the campgrounds start filling. If you're camping in the next few weeks, book now; there's no walk-up fallback. With the lodge restaurant closed, plan meals around the food truck or pack your own.

Earlier alerts (outdated)

  • Outdated: reported by the park as of October 22, 2026; no longer listed as of October 25, 2026. Weather-related road closures remain in effect until further notice. The park lists Grapevine Hills Road, River Road East, Glenn Springs Road south of Pine Canyon Road, Old Ore Road, and Lone Mountain Trailhead Road as closed. (NPS, as of October 22)

Before you go

  • Check the park's current conditions and alerts the morning of your visit. The page links current weather, river levels, air quality, and a webcam from park headquarters.
  • Reserve campsites at Recreation.gov before you drive in; Rio Grande Village and Cottonwood are listed there too.
  • Heading to Boquillas? Bring your passport and check the crossing's days before you plan around it.

If a closure knocks out part of your plan, my guide to Big Bend National Park has nine one- to three-day itineraries at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a backup plan for weather or closures. You can also check alerts and conditions for every national park.

This page is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Always check the park's current alerts before you go.