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Arkansas River Tours |
800-321-4352 |
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Big Bend River Tours |
800-545-4240 |
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Bill Dvorak's Kayak/Raft Expeditions |
800-824-3795 |
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Far Flung Adventures |
800-359-4138 |
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Canyon Marine Whitewater Expeditions |
800-643-0707 |
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Texas River & Jeep Expeditions |
800-839-7238 |
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| Sections |
Canyons
of Big Bend National Park; Lower Canyons |
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Location |
Presidio and Brewster
counties, Big Bend National Park, southwest Texas; Brewster and Terrell counties, southwest Texas United States-Mexico
border |
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Driving Time |
El
Paso—5 hours, Midland—4.5 hours |
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Difficulty |
Class
I-IV |
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Trip Length |
105 miles (168 km) (Big
Bend); 84 miles (134 km) (lower canyons) |
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Trip Options |
Paddle raft, oar-raft; one
to seven days (Big Bend canyons) Oar raft, inflatable kayak; seven
to ten |
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Season |
Year-round |
Big Bend National Park's
three best-known river canyons—Santa Elena, Mariscal, and
Boquillas—may be rafted individually during two- and three-day
trips, or as a continuous seven-day trip. Outfitters normally
shuttle rafters between Lajitas and the put-in and take-out points
for each river trip.
Santa
Elena, the park's first and most popular canyon, is known for its
picturesque waterfalls, outstanding flora and fauna, and Rock Slide
Rapid—a long and technical maze created by numerous large
boulders. Hikes into Santa Elena's side canyons afford a close-up
look at petroglyphs, fossils, bat caves, and desert wildflowers. Its
towering walls are home to numerous bird species, including eagles
and the endangered peregrine falcon. During high water, some
outfitters may run the 20-mile (32-km) Santa Elena canyon as a
one-day trip.
In
southernmost Big Bend, Mariscal, 10 miles (16 km) long, is the
park's most colorful and remote chasm. Its walls tower nearly 1,600
feet above Tight Squeeze, 10-foot-wide rapids, and Rockpile, a
technical swirling maze. Two other remote park canyons, San Vicente
and Hot Springs, are usually run with the Mariscal trip.
Boquillas
Canyon, the longest and most tranquil of Big Bend's canyons, carves
a picturesque route through the Sierra del Carmen Mountains on the
eastern edge of the park. Sheer walls over 4,000 feet high, numerous
side canyons with striking rock formations, and secluded caves add
to the intrigue of the Boquillas adventure. Because of the very easy
Class I-II rapids, outfitters will normally take families with
children as young as five years old on the Boquillas section.
From
La Linda, just north of Big Bend, to Dryden, some 84 miles (134 km)
down river, the Rio Grande provides a solitary journey through some
of the most remote canyons in the Southwest. On the second day,
rafters enter a section of almost 60 miles (96 km) of continuous
canyon. Promoted by outfitters as the Lower Canyons of the Rio
Grande trip, its entire length is protected by Wild and Scenic River
legislation and consists of principally of one deep canyon after
another. Because of the trip’s remoteness, difficult access, and
seven- to ten-day length, only physically fit and adventurous
campers should attempt it. Oar-guided raft trips, often accompanied
by canoes and kayaks, provide an abundance of time to hike side
canyons or relax in the shade or warm springs.
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