Big Bend Ranch State Park

Big Bend Ranch State Park is the largest state park in Texas and the backcountry driving in it is managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife, which means permits rather than open access. An entry permit with a daily fee is required for every visitor, and backcountry or primitive camping requires a separate permit obtained in person. Permits are issued at the Barton Warnock Visitor Center on the east side or Fort Leaton State Historic Site on the west, so build the stop into your route rather than driving straight to the interior. The main routes are named. FM 170, the River Road, runs along the Rio Grande and is paved. Sauceda Ranch Road, the interior road, is a 27 mile rugged dirt road leading to the interior ranger station, and Casa Piedra Road and the Main Park Road complete the primary network. TPWD states that high clearance four-wheel drive is required for roughly 70 miles of unmaintained interior roads, so our record's 100 plus miles overstates the interior mileage somewhat: the interior road network adds up closer to 97 miles counting Sauceda. There is no water and there are no restrooms in the backcountry, and cell service is generally unavailable in the interior. Summer heat in this part of the Chihuahuan Desert is extreme and can exceed 130 degrees in direct sun, which makes October through April the only sensible window for a multi-day trip. Carry more water than you think you need, at least two spares, and a way to signal for help that does not rely on a cell tower. The reward is genuine solitude: volcanic mesas, slot canyons, and desert night skies with almost no light pollution anywhere on the horizon.