Big Bend NP in April?

[Big Blu]

I'm planning to be in Austin for the MotoGP in mid-April and I'm thinking about a visit to the park.
Tell me what I need to know? Weather? Rides/roads/trails? Lodging? How many days to explore?

I'm more of a touring guy, not a knarley off road rider.. ::025::

Thanks for your help!

Paul

 

[~TABASCO~]

Tons to look at and ride. I've been over there several times on different bikes. I would go ride the west BB park for sure.

(East Side) I would suggest you go out to see Santa Elena Canyon. You can ride a nicely groomed dirt road out to it, or take the SE loop road over to the location. If you take the dirt road this is what it looks like as your getting closer.

There are also some history on the way if you take the dirt road with an old house and the story that is next to the house. I think they raised like 6-8 kids in that house.
Also, Would ride out to Chisos Basin, The road to the top is pretty fun, and the look out at the top is nice as well. If your into hiking, there are some great trails that start at the top next to the motel. Tons to look at even on a short hike. On the North side of the park I would suggest takeing the dirt road up Grapevine Hills Road... There are some really cool rock structures on the right hand side.

(West side of the park) This would be west of Terlingua or Lajitas. If you want a nice Hotel look at the only resort on Lajitas. Its now rooty-tooty. Make sure you ride the road from Lajitas out to Presidio. That's an excellent road. Again, if your into history, there is a very cool 'structure' on the left (heading west) that has been many things to many people. Its a large structure and you can walk and read about it for a few hours. Make sure to get fuel in Lajitas or Presidio. There are a fair amount of border patrol 24/7 on the roads so do go nuts out there. If your interested in heading down some nice dirt roads there are several dirt roads that head north from RM 170. You can do several hundred miles like we did out there. Watch your FUEL, and don't be out in the desert after dark. Boarder patrol told us about that every time we ran into them.

Most but not all the dirt roads on the East side are sandy and some are a total SOB. Most of the dirt roads on the West side are firm and pretty groomed.. Last time I was out in the West side, even 100+ miles out the roads had been groomed and graded for the most part. Kinda crazy but really fun. The only thing stopping you from riding hundreds and hundreds of miles off road all at once is daylight and fuel.

If you have never been to BB I also would suggest you spend one day riding all the roads in side the 'East' park. You will like that. In a nut shell, there you go.... Its awesome ! ::008::

Weather- nice durring the day, cold at night, maybe even 20-30's if your camping... How long? Just depends on what you might like to do.. I would suggest 3+ days.

 

[88millimeter]

::026::

What he said, offroading is the best part of that area but if thats not your thing then definitely ride Hwy 170 from Lajitas to presidio , eat a light lunch cuz you may lose it . After the canyons the road has a lot of dips enough to make you motion sick . I got some nice air on my ST off several of those dips

 

[markjenn]

Did BB last year in April. Rode from E. Texas via Hill Country and Del Rio in coolish weather, but once in BB, it got ungodly hot - at 10AM it was approaching 100. An approaching winter front had us high-tailing it out prematurely (unfortunately had to skip the Presidio run which was a shame) to get back to E. Texas on I-20 before it snowed. Extremely harsh but very interesting country. Wild weather so plan for anything. I think if I went again, I'd do a lot more research about the history which is fascinating.

Be sure to do the loop out and around the observatory road W of Fort Davis. And both Marfa and Alpine are interesting towns.

- Mark

 

[snakebitten]

My favorite spot on the planet. It's another world. And feels almost undiscovered most of the time. You can ride forever. And for the most part, very bike friendly. Your business is welcomed.
Having said all that, some folks don't really get the allure. So I suspect it's not for everybody.

If I was retired and the wife was willing? Hmmm. I'd homestead in a second.

 

[mbabc]

Most definitely a bucket list ride. BB is like 3 parks in one, you have the desert, the Chisos Basin and the Rio Grande. Lot's of great paved roads in the park itself and FM-170 is not to be missed. Made sure to visit the quirky restaurants in Terlingua.

 

[coastie]

I'm planning to be in Austin for the MotoGP in mid-April and I'm thinking about a visit to the park.
Tell me what I need to know? Weather? Rides/roads/trails? Lodging? How many days to explore?

I'm more of a touring guy, not a knarley off road rider.. ::025::

Thanks for your help!

Paul

Never been to the park, but I know it's about 8 1/2 hours from Austin. So you will need two days to get there and back.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[markjenn]

Never been to the park, but I know it's about 8 1/2 hours from Austin. So you will need two days to get there and back.

This a good point. It is a heck of a distance. First attempt on my Dallas-based rental, I got as far as Del Rio before tire concerns set in and I turned around. 2nd attempt, I was sure I started on fresh tires.

- Mark

 

[snakebitten]

719 miles to my porch. (terlingua)
11 hours with a quick lunch. 4 tanks of gas. And rarely under 85mph (indicated)

Ask me how I know.
Oh, and however much knobby you head home with, it's melted when you go to bed that night.
Worth it though.

 

[Big Blu]

Thanks for all the good information guys. Sounds to me like it will be worth the effort for visit BBNP an I will checkout the historic sites, thanks J..

I'm lucky enough to be retired with no schedule constraints so time and distance are of little concern. I do my best to avoid the interstates, large metro areas, and high speed riding, for me it about the journey, the culture, and the people I meet along the way.
Perhaps an itinerary something like this: MotoGP, BBNP, NM, Co., Utah,.....

Paul

 

[lotecredneck]

If you have that kind of time, I would definitely go across New Mexico to Silver City and through the Gila National Park. There are cliff dwellings that are very interesting to see and then go West from there into Arizona and pick up highway 191 which used to be Route 666 the "Devils Highway" to Alpine. You will begin 191 in the middle of a copper mine! From there you can choose to go to Four Corners and on to Utah or into Colorado. On your return trip you should ride the "Enchanted Circle" in Northern New Mexico which includes, Red River, Taos, Questa, Angel Fire and over to Cimarron. The road from Angel Fire to Cimarron is awesome.

Do like MarkJenn said, and make sure to ride the area around Ft Davis while in the BB area. I rode that with him and the observatory tour was very interesting. Huge amount of history in that area.

~Tony

 

[Big Blu]

Thx Tony. I've been through that part of Az. and NM a few time when visiting a friend in Mesa, Az. In 2012 I visited there then headed N. via 87 to Payson then E. on 260. I was returning home from a cross country trip on my Vespa 300 GT. Bought it in Las Vegas, NV, rode to S. Ca.(played in the canyons for a few days), then up to Yosemite, then back to Fl. via Mesa, AZ and Austin, TX. 5K miles in 30 days on back roads, Interstate only into and out of S.Ca. Been cross country many time on two wheels but this trip was very special. Luv that Vespa! ::26::

Get 85mpg at 55-60mph, flat out at 85mph it get 60mpg! That's cruis'n in style! ::013::

Paul

 

[snakebitten]

You are having entirely too much fun. No time limit with no schedule on a Vespa, purely in discovery mode? That has to be a hoot.

 

[FJRacer]

Did BB last year in April. Rode from E. Texas via Hill Country and Del Rio in coolish weather, but once in BB, it got ungodly hot - at 10AM it was approaching 100. An approaching winter front had us high-tailing it out prematurely (unfortunately had to skip the Presidio run which was a shame) to get back to E. Texas on I-20 before it snowed. Extremely harsh but very interesting country. Wild weather so plan for anything. I think if I went again, I'd do a lot more research about the history which is fascinating.

Be sure to do the loop out and around the observatory road W of Fort Davis. And both Marfa and Alpine are interesting towns.

- Mark

I putted thru BB in March(2013) and it was 90.......at 10:00 AM. Loved the Observatory Loop north of Marfa. Cooler, and shouldn't we mention the Marfa "Lights"?

 

[markjenn]

... and shouldn't we mention the Marfa "Lights"?

Sure we should. Was staying at Alpine and at 10PM a group of us rode the 30 miles to Marfa and set up camp at the observation area. We did see some odd lights meandering around on the horizon, but probably reflections from car lights - when you stare off in the distance long enough, you can see almost anything. It was a fun little trip. It would be better if the observation area was further from the highway - even at 11PM, there is a car every few minutes that degrades your night vision.

I wished I had seen the 60-Minutes segment on Marfa before going. I would have definitely have spent more time in Marfa and seen Marfa Prada. I found it odd that the TV segment didn't mention the Lights. They did mention that the Coen Brothers "No Country For Old Men" was shot there. What a movie!

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/marfa-texas-the-capital-of-quirkiness-2/

- Mark

 

[FJRacer]

We did see some odd lights meandering around on the horizon, but probably reflections from car lights - when you stare off in the distance long enough, you can see almost anything. It was a fun little trip. It would be better if the observation area was further from the highway - even at 11PM, there is a car every few minutes that degrades your night vision.

- Mark

That was my experience as well. Saw absolutely nothing definitive.