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BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TEXAS

Hiking in the Unspoiled Beauty of Big Bend

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Location

TX

Interest

Walking/Hiking

Price Range

$700 - $1000

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Road Scholar
Program #11958RJ
6 Days | 5 Nights
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Moderately Challenging (Variable by Program Date)
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Love to learn in a small-group setting? This collection of programs has at most 10-24 participants.
See our Small Group programs.
EasyFor people looking to exercise their minds more than their bodies. There’s minimal walking and not too many stairs.
ModerateThese programs get you on your feet and include activities such as walking up to a mile in a day through a city and standing in a museum for a few hours.
ActiveFor people who enjoy walking as much as two miles a day, perhaps to explore historic neighborhoods or a nature trail.
Moderately ChallengingFor hardy explorers who enjoy a good physical challenge, spending most of their days on the go.
ChallengingGet ready to keep up with our highest-energy group. These demanding — and rewarding — programs are for seasoned outdoor enthusiasts.
Allan from Dallas, TX Number of programs attended: 2
Date attended: 02/09/13 - 02/16/13
What a great trip through the Big Bend National Park. Hiking on trails spanning the entire park brought us to 4 or the 5 environments and introduced us to a wide variety of sights and sounds. The hikes were complemented with great insight to the history and conditions of the area. I learned more and enjoyed hiking more than I ever expected, especially because of the friendliness of the entire group. What a wonderful time!!

John from San Antonio, TX Number of programs attended: 2
Date attended: 01/27/13 - 02/01/13
Do you want to spend your day experiencing physical exertion and wonderful paneramic views of southwest Texas and the Mexican border? Do you want to be as close to nature and solitude as the desert promises? Do you wish to learn how the early inhabitants of Big Bend survived and thrived? This is the program for you.

Barbara from Hayward, CA Number of programs attended: 10
Date attended: 02/09/13 - 02/16/13
Hiking in the Unspoiled Beauty of Big Bend was great! The group leaders were knowledgeable, capable and fun; the scenery was awesome; the variety of land-forms and plants crazy-making...try it, you'll like it! Barb from Hayward, CA

Roxanne from Okemos, MI Number of programs attended: 10
Date attended: 02/02/13 - 02/09/13
Big Bend National Park offers a very diverse hiking experience---mts., desert and Rio Grande. Tim and Erica were wonderful guides. A warm place to hike during the winter months was a treat for me.

Diane from La Habra, CA Number of programs attended: 11
Date attended: 02/02/13 - 02/09/13
This was a great hiking trip! We saw a lot of the park and the hikes were quite varied with just the right amount of difficulty. Our guides were very knowledge, responsive to the needs of the group, and fun to be with. Tim & Erica worked hard to make sure we had a great time. The accommodations were fine and located right in the middle of beautiful mountain scenery.

Harriet from Milford, DE Number of programs attended: 30
Date attended: 01/27/13 - 02/01/13
Bold Hikes in Big Bend National Park is exactly as stated--the hikes are bold and challenging, but not beyond the capability of "in condition" adults. I particularly liked the variety of the hikes, from desert scrub land to the high forested land of Emory Peak, and crossing a mesa was something I'd never done before. Views are amazing! The program included some fairly unique features--lunch one day at the Chisos Mountain Lodge between hikes, lunch prepared in the field by the guides another day,a historical tour of Terlingua Ghost Town, and three dinners at different local restaurants. Our guides, Chris and Patrick, love the area and are enthusiastic about passing on their love and knowledge. The casitas are wonderful--I especially like having breakfast there before joining the group for hiking each day. I had put off registering for this program for several years because it's relatively hard to get to (from Delaware); it is well-worth the trip.

Susan from Cary, IL Number of programs attended: 5
Date attended: 01/13/13 - 01/18/13
Highly recommend this program, especially staying at Far Flung. The casitas are cozy and the staff is fantastic. Adana and Erica, our guides, we're knowledgeable and interesting. Loved having Erica read stories to us in thevan in her cute TN accent.

Chriss from San Antonio, TX Number of programs attended: 1
Date attended: 01/27/13 - 02/01/13
The Challenging level program was as advertised. Completed lots of hikes and viewed some magnificent scenery. The lodging and organization was above expectations. We had a great time and feedback from the group was the same.

Janice from Austin, TX Number of programs attended: 1
Date attended: 12/16/12 - 12/21/12
I just returned from hiking in Big Bend for four day hikes. The program was extraordinary. The trail guides were highly informative, experienced, and engaging. They truly love Big Bend and shared that feeling with the participants. I will definitely go back to Big Bend for hiking and for enjoying a gorgeous National Park.

Ingerid from Markham, VA Number of programs attended: 8
Date attended: 11/25/12 - 11/30/12
Great program with good hikes and super leaders. If you fly out of Midland on your way home, make sure you have enough time to get through security. It was very slow; took close to 1/2 hour and there were only 15 to 20 people ahead of us.

Betty from Fredonia, WI Number of programs attended: 4
Date attended: 11/11/12 - 11/16/12
This ws our fourth Road Scholar program and the BEST. It was so much fun. Erica and Tim, our leaders, were wonderful. We stayed In the casitas at Far Flung and they were really comfortable. There is not one single negative thing I could bring up. You experience a lot more of Big Bend in this program than if you did it by yourself. We walk 3 miles a day on flat land at home, and we managed very well with the six miles on rocks and hills. Everyone in our group of 12 did every hike. My husband and I absolutely loved this program. Big Bend is wonderful part of the country to see. We used hiking poles, and thought they really helped. Hiking Big Bend was much better than driving through it. We learned so much history and geology and plant life from Erica and Tim. Soaking in the hot springs and then wading and sitting in the Rio Grande was fantastic. Don't miss this Road Scholar program.

Stan from Dallas, TX Number of programs attended: 3
Date attended: 02/19/12 - 02/24/12
My wife and I have lived in Dallas for 40 years and had long thought about visiting Big Bend National Park. This program was an excellent way to do that. There is so much to see and so much that is new in Big Bend, it is difficult to accomplish much on your own. This program consists of four days of hiking, averaging 6 miles per day and covering six different hiking trails. The 6 trails are among the most important in the park and give a complete view of the park, including its flora, its geology, and its history. Our accommodations were in the Basin in the heart of the park, the food was excellent, and our guides were knowledgeable and available. Our class had 22 other participants from around the country and included one couple from Nova Scotia. We went at the end of February and had pleasant weather and no crowds. We highly recommend this program for persons interested in experiencing the desert southwest in an active program.

Barrie from Arlington, TX Number of programs attended: 1
Date attended: 01/29/12 - 02/03/12
You know how you come back from a trip and say "It was nice - BUT ..."? That's not going to happen here. All the hikers in our small group were congenial. The accommodations were great. The very friendly staff was knowledgeable, organized, and caring. The food was tasty. The scenery was spectacular. Even the weather was perfect! We hiked in the desert and in the mountains. I can now identify lechuguilla, sotol, cholla, creosote bush and at least two kinds of prickly pear. I highly recommend going "where the river is kept in a box and rainbows wait for rain."


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"Group of hikers in Big Bend" Uploaded By: Glen
"Group of hikers in Big Bend" Uploaded By: Glen

"Lost Mine Trail in Chisos Basin" Uploaded By: Sheila

Uploaded By: Glen

"Hot Springs Canyon 2012" Uploaded By: Jonathan

"December 2012 Group at the Lost Mine Trainhead" Uploaded By: Jonathan

"Lost Mine Trailhead 12-6-2012" Uploaded By: Jonathan

"Hiking into Santa Elena Canyon 12-4-2012" Uploaded By: Jonathan

"Hiking into Santa Elena Canyon 12-4-2012" Uploaded By: Jonathan

"Desert Marigolds in Grapevine Hills" Uploaded By: Esther

"The Balanced Rock, from the "other" side." Uploaded By: Esther

"Blooming rock cactus on the Hot Springs trail." Uploaded By: Esther

"Hiking, Big Bend National Park" Uploaded By: Ronald Attended: 01/17/11 - 01/22/11

"The Window, Big Bend National Park" Uploaded By: Ronald Attended: 01/17/11 - 01/22/11

"Rio Grande River as seen from Santa Elena Canyon" Uploaded By: Ronald Attended: 01/17/11 - 01/22/11

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Our Value Promise To You

You won't find a better value.

Included
at no additional cost on this date ...
5 nights of accommodations
14 meals: 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 5 dinners
3 Expert-led lectures
7 Hands-on experiences
1 Performances

Ratings

4.8
Ratings are determined by participant evaluations.

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