Big Bend National Park covers more than 800,000 acres and shares a border with Mexico for more than 1,000 miles. Big Bend Ranch State Park is about 1/3 the size at 300,000 acres, most of which are in the Chihuahuan Desert.
Except for the Chisos Mountains Lodge in the Chisos Basin, park accommodations consist of three main serviced campgrounds at Rio Grande Village, Cottonwood and the Chisos Basin. A full-service RV camp is located at Rio Grande Village. Backcountry camping accessible by four-wheel drive is available with a permit.
Lodging is available at the Sauceda Lodge Bunkhouse or in the Sauceda ranch house. Camping is allowed with permits in tented sites along the river or in the park's interior. Backcountry camping areas also requiring permits and can only be reached by hiking or horseback.
Visitors can bring their own horses to either park, along with weed-free feed and veterinarian certificates of a recent Coggins test. No horses are for rent in Big Bend National Park, but guided horseback rides are available at the Sauceda Ranger Station at Big Bend Ranch State Park.
Big Bend Ranch State Park offers visitor a chance to participate in the annual Longhorn Cattle Drive.
The only legal points of entry into Mexico in the Big Bend area are Presidio and Del Rio. The borders are heavily patrolled so it is a good idea to carry documentation of citizenship while traveling in the area.
