Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River - Texas

Address:Big Bend National Park, Texas
Tel: (432) 477-2251

From the snowcapped Rocky Mountains in Colorado across 1,900 miles to the Gulf of Mexico, the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River brings with it a variety of scenic beauty and recreation that draws visitors from all over the country!

From its headwaters in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River serves as the boundary between the United States and Mexico for a stretch of 1250 miles. The river makes a curve to the northeast to form the "big bend," in Texas, where it attracts visitors to enjoy a wide variety of recreational opportunities, in the Big Bend National Park, drawing everyone from fishermen, and hikers, to artists, and whitewater boating enthusiasts.

The spectacular river canyons and the primitive character of the Rio Grande, along with its international flavor provide a stimulating environment for a quality recreational and scenic experience. Floating the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River has become increasingly popular in the park on one of three canyons: Santa Elena, Mariscal and Boquillas. Further south of the park, the "Lower Canyons" of the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River, offer challenging white water in stark wilderness. Visitors can opt to take an organized trip which caters to everyone from the armchair tourist to the expert, and ranges from 1/2 day to three weeks with all levels of ruggedness.

To get here, choose from one of several highways that lead to The Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River through Big Bend National Park: TX 118 from Alpine to Study Butte or FM 170 from Presidio through Study Butte, or US 90 or US 385 through Marathon.