Pet-Friendly Travel in Big Bend

4/29/2021

Though quite a long drive from Houston, the Big Bend area was absolutely worth the road trip. We loaded up the baby and the pup, stopped one night in San Antonio, and then continued on to Big Bend via Alpine. We stayed in an AirBNB RV near Terlingua and spent our days exploring Terlingua, Big Bend National Park, and Big Bend Ranch State Park.

Read more to see what to do in the Big Bend area with a pet.

Terlingua Ghost Town

Home of the original chili cookoff, Terlingua was once a great mining town. Now a ghost town, it attracts visitors year round who come to see the cemetery, the ruins, the old mining equipment, and the magnificent views.

Big Bend National Park

Unfortunately, pets are not allowed on the trails in Big Bend National Park. But they are allowed inside the park, and can go anywhere your vehicle can go. We drove the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, stopping along the way to take pictures. During one stop, a coyote ran across the road 30 feet from us.

Big Bend Ranch State Park

By far our favorite stop in the Big Bend area, Big Bend Ranch State Park does allow pets to hike the trails. We chose to hike Closed Canyon Trail, and walk up to the lookout point at Hoodoos Trail, both of which offered incredible scenery. We also stopped along the Rio Grande and contemplated a quick crossing to Mexico (which, for the record, we did not do).

If you're thinking of visiting Texas, we highly recommend a trip to the Big Bend area. Next time we get to West Texas, we're going to make sure we have time to visit the Fossil Discovery Center in Big Bend, as well as Marfa, TX, an artsy, walkable town, and home of the mysterious "Marfa Lights," located approximately an hour and a half from Big Bend National Park.

What's your favorite Texas destination?

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