Big Bend Ranch State Park: What to Know Before You Go

Big Bend Ranch State Park stretches along the Rio Grande in far west Texas. The west entrance is near Presidio at Fort Leaton State Historic Site. The east entrance is near Lajitas. Day use costs $5 for visitors 13 and older; kids 12 and under are free.

You can hike, mountain bike, backpack, paddle, ride horses, and fish here. If you plan to camp in the backcountry or float the Rio Grande, you need a permit. Pick up permits at either entrance. Reservations are strongly recommended — the park can fill up. Roads inside the park are unpaved and some require a four-wheel-drive vehicle.