Visiting Big Bend Ranch State Park With Dogs

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A visit to Big Bend Ranch State Park with your dogs is a must when you explore the National Park and State Park in far west Texas. Where in Big Bend National Park dogs can’t go on trails, there are 2 trails in Big Bend Ranch State Park where your dogs will enjoy his/her day with you on the trails.

Hundreds of miles hiking trails can be found in Big Bend Ranch State Park, but less than 3 miles are designated for hikers and their dogs. The rest of them are for hikers only, mountain bikers, and horse riders.

Less than 3 miles is really short, but there are reasons behind it. Not just because of other wildlife that live in the park or visitors that aren’t comfortable with your dogs around, the park has stricter regulations on dogs because of these two reasons:

1. Unlike any other Texas State Parks, Big Bend Ranch State Park is located in a wild area that features rugged mountains, steep canyons, and most of the area isn’t developed yet. They want to maintain the beauty, solitude, and natural feeling of the wilderness.

2. Your dogs’ comfort and safety. The park is located in a Chihuahuan Desert with summer temperatures averaging over 100 Fahrenheit degrees, dry air, and rough rocky terrain. A park’s conditions that can be very difficult on dogs. Many dogs live in air-conditioned houses and normally walk on sidewalks, manicured lawns, and maintain city parks. The heat and the trail conditions can be hard and painful for them.

You can visit the park’s website for more info on dogs policies in the park.

Hiking at Big Bend Ranch State Park with Dogs

Even with only 2 trails that are pet-accessible, hiking at Big Bend Ranch State Park with your dogs is a fun thing to do on your visit to the Big Bend region. In fact, don’t skip it as you and your dogs can enjoy more of the region at this state park. So, here are the trails where you can hike with your dogs:

1. Closed Canyon Trail

If you think Texas doesn’t have slot canyons, you are wrong. At Closed Canyon Trail you can even bring your dog. Here you will do a short hike through a narrow slot canyon for approximately 1.4 miles, round trip, toward the Rio Grande River.

This trail is only for hikers and their dogs. You must keep your dog on a leash no longer than 6-feet. Pick up after and properly dispose of their waste. There’s no trash can on the trail, but there is one at the parking area. You can’t leave your dog unattended, and you must bring plenty of water for them.

There are parts of the trail where your dog will need your help to go down or go up on the way back, especially towards the end. It’s really steep, more than 5 feet, and there’s a boulder stuck between the slot’s walls after this part. It’s easier to cross the boulder when you have small dogs. We didn’t even let Snoopy go down this steep part, because we knew we couldn’t carry him back.

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When you hike here, watch out for wildlife! Look for their scat and tracks. If you encounter a mountain lion, here are the things you must do that I got from the park’s brochure: – do not run – slowly back away – try to look as big as possible – pick up small children – if you are attacked, you must fight back. If you see a mountain lion or signs of a mountain lion in the canyon, you must report to the park ranger immediately.

Another thing to consider during your visit, do not enter the canyon when you see a chance for rain. Canyons and creeks can flash quickly and without notice, especially during the summer rainy season from June-August. (This warning reminded me about flash floods during our summer road trip to the west a few summers ago. Something that you don’t want to experience during road trips.) Don’t forget to check with the park ranger about the trail and weather conditions.

The canyon walls are so tall and narrow, it makes little to no sunlight reach the floor of the canyon. As a result, the temperature in the canyon is cooler than out in the desert for most of the day.

I would say it’s a pleasant hike here even with the steep parts. In fact, at one of the steep parts you can slide on the rock to go down. Even me and my husband had fun sliding there.

Back to the parking area, you can take a rest by the shaded picnic table or continue your journey. There’s also a self-pay station where you can drop your money before you start the hike.

Location: approximately 22 miles west of the Barton Warnock Visitor Center and 26 miles east of Fort Leaton State Historic Site on River Road, FM 170.

2. Hoodoo Trail

Not just in the southwest, Texas also has hoodoos, the weathered towering rocks that have cap-like rocks on the top. In some areas they called these formations fairy chimneys or goblins.

Anyway, Hoodoo Trail is a bit shorter, only a 1.1-mile loop trip. It is easy to follow and it is marked with rock cairns (stacks rocks), rock baskets, and rock alignments. From the trailhead you will travel counter clockwise down past the hoodoos, along the bank of the Rio Grande, up an old historic road to an overlook and back to the trailhead.

If you don’t want to do the loop, you can always go straight to the hoodoos by following the rock cairns and rock alignments from the trailhead. That’s what we did because it was close to the 90 Fahrenheit degrees when we were there. It’s too hot for me and Snoopy, and the trail has no shades at all.

Actually, you can see the hoodoos, Rio Grande River, and Mexico from the trailhead. The trailhead starts from the parking area, where you can find a map of the trail. There’s also a self-pay station and shaded picnic table for your convenience.

As always, your dog must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet at all time. Pick up after and properly dispose of their waste. There’s no trash can on the trail, but there is one at the parking area. Never ever leave your dog unattended in this remote park. Also, you must bring plenty of water for them.

As you hike the Hoodoo Trail, look for scat or tracks of wild animals. If you encounter a mountain lion, do as I mentioned above. And if you see a mountain lion or signs of a mountain lion on trails, report to the park ranger immediately.

It is important to ask the park ranger about trail conditions as Hoodoo Trail looped to the bank of the Rio Grande. It can become very muddy and difficult to navigate due to the fluctuating of river levels.  

Also, make sure you or your dog don’t climb the hoodoos formations. They aren’t strong as they look.

Location: approximately 26 miles west of the Barton Warnock Visitor Center and 22 miles east of Fort Leaton State Historic Site on River Road, FM 170.

Other places where you can take your dog at Big Bend Ranch State Park

When visiting Big Bend Ranch State Park with your dogs, you will enter either from Presidio on the west or Lajitas on the east and drive the River Road on FM 170. Your dogs are only allowed on designated roads, and Big Bend Ranch State Park has plenty of overlooks. Just make sure you don’t take them to other than 2 trails above or into the backcountry and let your dogs run loose.

If you decide to pitch a tent in the park, most of the primitive campsites are pet-friendly, as well as the equestrian primitive or with water, and campsite with water. At the campsites, you can walk your dogs as far as a ¼-mile from the tent sites.

Where is Big Bend Ranch State Park?

Big Bend Ranch State Park stretches along the Rio Grande in far west Texas, in the U.S.-Mexico border. It is the largest state park in Texas, and has been designated an International Dark Sky Park.

You can enter the park from the west near Presidio and from the east near Lajitas. The two entrances are connected by the only paved road in the park, River Road or El Camino del Rio on state highway 170. For over 30 miles it twists and winds with the Rio Grande, climbing mountains, and hugging the canyon walls. One area called The Big Hill has one of the steepest grades on a highway in Texas. It can be a challenge for motorhomes, motorcoaches, and trucks hauling trailers. Make sure your brakes work well. Once at the top, views are breathtaking!

National Geographic once called this highway one of the prettiest in America. In my opinion, the prettiest part is when you enter through Lajitas until a few miles after The Big Hill. I just couldn’t believe  we were in Texas and at the same time, I was proud that Texas has this amazingly beautiful nature. Too bad it is located far away in the west! Or maybe it’s a good thing, so they can maintain the beauty, solitude, and natural feeling of the wilderness since not too many people come to visit.

Much of the park is high desert uplands and peaks that average over 4000 feet. Be prepared for extreme heat when visiting in the warm weather. Temperatures typically exceed 100s by late morning and can reach as high as 130 degrees in the sun, and remain at dangerous levels even after sunset. I don’t recommend you visit the park during the warm season. Even when we visited during Spring Break in March, the temperature was closed to 90 in the sun. You must watch the weather carefully. But the road was extra pretty with Bluebonnets blooming on both sides of the road.

Visitor Centers and hours:

Barton Warnock (east entrance, near Lajitas)

8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. daily

Fort Leaton State Historic Site (west entrance, near Presidio)

8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. daily

Entrance Fees:

13 years and older $5

Child 12 years and under Free

Or use your Texas State Park Pass

Hours:

Open daily

A lot of people who went to Big Bend National Park didn’t go to Big Bend Ranch State Park, which I think is a big mistake! It is located just a few miles away to the east. When you come to the Big Bend region with or without dogs, make sure you make a day visit to Big Bend Ranch State Park.

Have you been to Big Bend Ranch State Park with your dogs? What do you think? I would like to hear your experience at the park, even when you visited without dogs. Leave your comment below, and pin the image for later. “Woof woof!” said Snoopy.