Rio Grande: Big Bend National Park, Texas

This Trip is currently full and a waiting list has been started. Please contact Trip Coordinator Bill Rivers at [email protected] if you wish to be added to the waiting list. 

Plan A (if the water is below 1000 cfs)

Spend 9 days floating 128 miles of the beautiful Rio Grande River from Lajitas in the west to Heath Canyon Ranch, just outside the eastern boundary of Big Bend National Park. We will pass through the 3 major canyons of the park, Santa Elena, Mariscal, and Boquillas.  Most people choose just 1 canyon, but it’s a long way from home so we should make the most of it.  There are class 3 rapids in Santa Elena and Mariscal at high water levels.  If the flow is less than 1000CFS these 3 rapids become a class II to a II+ so we will only paddle these rapids if the flow is less than 1000cfs.

Plan B (if the water is above 1000 cfs)

Float from Solis to Heath Canyon, a 52 mile stretch that can be done in 3 or 4 days.  Boquillas is in this stretch and is a beautiful canyon and only one class 2 rapid near the end of this trip.

Also paddle Seminole Canyon State Park

3 hours, about 200 miles east from Heath Canyon take out

Float the Pecos River down to the confluence of the Rio Grande, then down the Rio Grande to Panther Cave.  Panther cave is full of pictographs and is only accessible by water. This is a 14 mile round trip, half will be up river, but very slow flow.

Trip Coordinators: Bill Rivers ([email protected]) and Tracy Hays ([email protected])