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Canoeing the Rio Grande
as featured in Treks in a Wild World |
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Canoeing the Rio Grande through Big Bend National Park
in Texas is like stepping back in time and seeing just how
the earth began. The rugged solitude encompasses an area of
ancient mountains, deserts teeming with wildlife and, best
of all, the mighty Rio Grande coursing a green path
through steep canyons. Canoeing down the Rio Grande is an
experience in true solitude. At dry times of the year the
river levels are low, so you may have to drag your canoe through
shallow parts of the river. It can get slightly tiring on
the arms, but with views like this, you won't even notice.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Seeing the sunrise over the Chisos Mountains
- Navigating your canoe through Tight Squeeze Rapids
- Canoeing through Mariscal Canyon
- Campfire stories about the stars with guides who live their
life on the rivers
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Our Journey Path (as featured in Treks in a Wild
World)
Zay Harding starts his journey at Santa Elena Canyon.
Following the course of the Rio Grande, he continues
down it through to Mariscal Canyon. The only access
into this canyon is via the river and the entrance to Mariscal
is via the Tight Squeeze, famous by river buffs for
being a bit tricky to get your canoe through. Zay then continues
on his journey along the Texas-Mexico border to the village
of Boquillas, which is on the Mexican side of the border.
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TRAVELLERS TIPS
- Go with a guide; they know the most about the area and are
chock full of interesting facts, stories and anecdotes about
the river. If you're going on your own, make sure you tell
someone where you're going and when you expect to end your
trip.
- Wear long cotton t-shirts; they dry quickly and keep you
from getting burned by the very intense sunshine.
- Don't forget a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses!
- You need a permit to camp in Big Bend National Park.
The Park office supplies them for free.
- Portable toilets are essential in Big Bend National Park.
Human waste upsets the fragile ecosystem of the desert and
mountains. A portable toilet is a must for all guided trips,
as well as individual campers. |
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Did you know?
- Big Bend National Park is one of the least visited parks
in the United States. With fewer than 350,000 visitors every
year, that leaves a lot of untouched open space to explore!
You can go for days on a river trip without seeing a soul.
- Humans have inhabited the Big Bend area for thousands of
years. An archaeological dig in 1993 discovered the remains
of fire hearths dating back 9000 years. Like the Native Americans
who came after them, these people are believed to have been
hunter-gatherers who moved throughout the year. Later, the
Big Bend became part of the Comanche War Trail. This
was the Comanche and Kiowa Indian route to northern Mexico,
and was also the route taken by Comanches raiding livestock
and slaves. In 1916, Pancho Villa's banditry caused Gen. John
J. Pershing to send troops to Lajitas to establish a cavalry
post. Lajitas became a major headquarters of troops
in the Big Bend. In fact, the original Cavalry post has now
been rebuilt as a hotel!
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- The Rio Grande is the second-longest river in North America,
flowing 1885 miles from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico.
- Canoeing isn't the only activity you can do on the Rio
Grande in Big Bend National Park. In fact, during the rainy
season, when the water levels are higher, rafting is
an even better way of seeing the Park. After the wet summer
months, the Rio Grande can rise by 25 to 30 feet, offering
a fantastic chance for some adventurous rafting. One thing
to bear in mind though, is that while flash floods are seldom
seen, they do occur. You can see evidence of this by watching
for tumbled boulders, pockets of silty soil, tangled leaves,
and pools of water.
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