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Texas

Hiking in the Unspoiled Beauty of Big Bend

Program No. 11958RJ

From desert vegetation to the lush floodplains of the Rio Grande, from dinosaur fossils to Native American pictographs, come hike and learn the story of Big Bend, in Texas.

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6 days

5 nights

14 meals

5B 4L 5D

Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner

Big Bend Country

Hot Springs, Panther Junction

Big Bend Country

Hiking "The Window" & Lost Mine Overlook

Big Bend Country

Fossil Exhibit, Upper Burro Mesa, Santa Elena

Big Bend Country

High Chisos Mountain Loop Full Day Hike

Big Bend Country

Program Concludes

Big Bend Country

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At a Glance

Hike your way through Big Bend National Park, one of the most remote, wildly beautiful and peaceful places in America. Geological history spanning millions of years and a discussion of the “brief” era of the dinosaurs in Texas will add to the appreciation and mystique of what the early Spanish explorers called “El Despoblado” — the empty land.

Activity Level

Varies by date

Varies by date. Outdoor: Challenging – Hiking 7-12 miles daily over varied terrain. Outdoor: Spirited – Hiking up to six miles daily over varied terrain. Elevations up to 6,850 feet.

Micro Group

These adventures feature our smallest group size, with 12 participants or fewer.

Best of all, you’ll…

Learn about the community, culture and industries that have shaped the diverse west Texas town of Marathon, Texas.
Hike through three ecosystems, from mountain peaks to desert springs and river trails.
See Native American rock art and soak in the Hot Springs after a 6-mile hike along the Texas Rio Grande.

General Notes

Due to the nature of this program, listening devices will be unavailable.

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Tara Shackelford

Tara Shackelford’s love for adventure and family roots in the desert of West Texas prompted her to share her passion for community, adventure, and conservation with the world through her company, Hidden Dagger Adventures. She has worked for various companies in the outdoor field, including Outward Bound California, and is thrilled to be back in her home state of Texas to deliver top notch trips.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Tara Shackelford View biography

Joe Lorenz View biography

Joe Lorenz hails from northern Wisconsin. He attended St. Norbert college, graduating in 2015 in biology. After working a year at the University of Colorado-Boulder, he completed a Master of Science in Molecular Biology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He completed wilderness medicine training through NOLS in Lander, Wyoming, earning his EMT license, which led him to Terlingua, Texas, working as an EMT and river guide. Since then, he has worked as a football coach, substitute teacher, wildland firefighter, and in safety management.

Sandy Devers View biography

Sandy Devers hails from Scotland and has always loved the great outdoors. He enjoyed a successful career in social services, including working in regulation of services, as well as policy and planning with the Scottish government. He served as CEO of a nonprofit organization which supports people with disabilities. This role included overall responsibility for health and safety in the workplace. In 2022, he cycled coast-to-coast across the U.S., experiencing the best of Far West Texas along the way. Sandy is also a bagpiper.

Suggested Reading List (10 books)

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You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

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Hiking in the Unspoiled Beauty of Big Bend

Program Number: 11958

Beneath the Window: Early Ranch Life in the Big Bend Country

by Patricia Wilson Clothier

A memoir by Patricia Wilson Clothier. Before it became a national park, the Big Bend was home to a number of ranches and mining operations. On the Wilson ranch, which stood at the center of the current park, Mrs. Clothier spent her youth exploring the wonders of ranch life in the Chisos. Patricia's richly detailed memories, coupled with a backdrop of Depression era hardships, bring the Big Bend to life in this original and vivid description of a childhood spent "Beneath the Window".

The Story of Big Bend National Park

by John Jameson

This book offers a comprehensive, highly readable history of the park from its founding in 1944 up to the present.

God's Country or Devil's Playground

by Edited by Barney Nelson

In this anthology of nature writing, Barney Nelson gathers nearly sixty literary perspectives on the landscape and life of the Big Bend region, broadly defined as Trans-Pecos Texas and northern Chihuahua, Mexico. In addition to Leopold and Webb, the collection includes such well-known writers as Edward Abbey, Mary Austin, Roy Bedichek, and Frederick Olmsted, as well as a wide range of voices that includes explorers, trappers, cowboys, ranch wives, curanderos, college presidents, scientists, locals, tourists, historians, avisadores, and waitresses. Following a personal introduction by Barney Nelson, the pieces are grouped thematically to highlight the distinctive ways in which writers have responded to the Big Bend.

I'll Gather My Geese

by Hallie Crawford Stillwell

The New York Times identified Hallie Stillwell (1897-1997) as a "rancher and a Texas legend." At the age of nineteen, Hallie decided to take a job teaching school in the remote border town of Presidio, Texas. Her father thought it a dangerous proposition and told her she was getting into a wild goose chase. She responded, "Then I'll gather my geese." After teaching for a year, she got a proposal from an old-fashioned rancher twice her age, Roy Stillwell. Hallie's escapades as a bride in the rough environs of the Big Bend ranch have appealed to thousands of readers.

The Big Bend, A History of the Last Texas Frontier

by Ron C. Tyler

A study of four centuries of human society-Indian, Spanish, Mexican, Texas and American - in a region remote and little known.

Big Bend, A Homesteader's Story

by J.O. Langford

A story of the Langfords' life in the rugged and spectacularly beautiful country which they came to call their own. This account is told with the help of Fred Gipson, author of Old Yeller.

Big Bend, The Story Behind The Scenery

by Carol E. Sperling

This book is dedicated to all who find nature not an adversary to conquer and destroy, but a storehouse of infinite knowledge and experience linking man to all things past and present. They know conserving the natural environment is essential to our future well being.

Big Bend Vista, A Geological Exploration of the Big Bend

by William MacLeod

Hiking Big Bend National Park

by Laurence Parent

Comprehensive guide to 44 most popular hikes in the national park as well as three hikes in Big Bend Ranch State Park

Naturalist's Big Bend

by Roland Wauwe

An introduction to the trees, shrubs, wildflowers, cacti, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects of the Big Bend.

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Hiking in the Unspoiled Beauty of Big Bend

Enroll with Confidence

Protecting the Environment

At a Glance

Best of all, you’ll…

General Notes

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