Rio Grande Village and Boquillas
2 / 5
We started our second morning in Big Bend with a hike on the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail. At just 0.75 miles, it is short but surprisingly scenic. The trail begins near a small desert pond lined with tall marsh grasses, then climbs gently up a hillside. From the top, we had sweeping views of the Rio Grande below and could easily see across the river into Mexico.
Lookout from Rio Grande Village Nature Trail
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Later that morning, we decided to cross the border ourselves. From Rio Grande Village, we headed to the Boquillas border crossing, a tiny international crossing that only allows foot traffic. The Rio Grande was low enough that you could roll up your pants and walk across, but after the boat operator joked about “muchas pirañas,” I decided five dollars was money well spent. One slip in the water and it would have been goodbye to my phone and camera.
Once across, you can either pay for a donkey ride into town or walk the dusty half-mile road. We walked. Mexican immigration consisted of a converted shipping container, a seven dollar fee per person, and a wristband. No one even glanced at our passports.
The town itself is small, with two restaurants and several local vendors selling souvenirs. Lunch was delicious and well worth the adventure. On the way back, the U.S. side of the crossing was more formal, with our passports getting a thorough inspection before we were waved through.
Back at our campsite at Rio Grande Village, we spent the hottest part of the afternoon lounging in the shade and doing very little. With temperatures hovering around ninety degrees and no hookups, conserving energy felt like the right call. That was when we had some unexpected visitors. A group of javelinas wandered through the campground, grazing and completely unconcerned with the people around them. One came within about six feet of me while I was sitting at the picnic table, which prompted me to climb up on top of it just in case. I figured short legs might make that maneuver more difficult for him than for me.
That evening, we returned to the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail for a second walk. The views we had seen earlier in the day felt entirely different at sunset, with softer light settling over the river and surrounding mountains. Walking the same trail twice in one day and seeing it change so much was a fitting way to end the day.
Once across, you can either pay for a donkey ride into town or walk the dusty half-mile road. We walked. Mexican immigration consisted of a converted shipping container, a seven dollar fee per person, and a wristband. No one even glanced at our passports.
The town itself is small, with two restaurants and several local vendors selling souvenirs. Lunch was delicious and well worth the adventure. On the way back, the U.S. side of the crossing was more formal, with our passports getting a thorough inspection before we were waved through.
Back at our campsite at Rio Grande Village, we spent the hottest part of the afternoon lounging in the shade and doing very little. With temperatures hovering around ninety degrees and no hookups, conserving energy felt like the right call. That was when we had some unexpected visitors. A group of javelinas wandered through the campground, grazing and completely unconcerned with the people around them. One came within about six feet of me while I was sitting at the picnic table, which prompted me to climb up on top of it just in case. I figured short legs might make that maneuver more difficult for him than for me.
That evening, we returned to the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail for a second walk. The views we had seen earlier in the day felt entirely different at sunset, with softer light settling over the river and surrounding mountains. Walking the same trail twice in one day and seeing it change so much was a fitting way to end the day.