Big Bend and Hot Chili

Big Bend National Park in West Texas is one of the least visited national parks, but is well-worth the long drive to get there. And if you visit at the right time of year, you can sample the fixings’ at the Terlingua International Chili Championship held a few miles away.



A Texan we chatted with on the way to Big Bend told us “where you’re going isn’t the end of the earth, but if you stand on the roof of your camper, you’ll be able to see it.”

This area is a desert with mountains, beautiful and grand in its own way, but very different than the national parks in the Rockies and the northwest. The 800,000 acre park is located on the Rio Grande, a stone’s throw from Mexico. Terlingua is the closest town to the park, and it is mostly a ghost town. There are a couple of small stores and gas stations, a bank, a post office, a campground, and a couple of cafes in Terlinqua. Each year on the Wednesday before the first Saturday of November the four day chili celebration begins, culminating on Saturday with the Terlingua International Chili Championship which is said to be a cross between Woodstock, Burning Man, and a big tailgate party.

A strange site in Terlinqua is what I think is a private home (a trailer with some unusual yard decorations -- a sailing ship, a full-size submarine conning tower rising from the sand, and the Statue of Liberty), and a sign that says “Passing Wind.” Once I learned of the chili cooking contest, the sign became more understandable.

Big Bend National Park has three park-operated campgrounds as well as a full-hookup concession RV Park. Be sure to check in advance that your rig will be able to negotiate some of the tight roads in the park. There are several off-site campgrounds within a few miles of the park as well. The Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa is a few miles west of Terlinqua and boasts a surprisingly nice RV park, restaurant and equestrian center.

Photos: Lew Pinsker Map courtesy National Park Service.