Big Bend National Park visitor centers · Visitor centers in Big Bend National Park
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Visitor centers in Big Bend National Park
Visitor centers in Big Bend National Park
The park visitor centers are a great place to start your visit at the park, providing such essentials as maps, permits, park news, and advice. They're also a great place to learn more about the park; they all provide exhibits on aspects such as park history, geology, and wildlife (some also have movies); each center also has a bookstore.
All visitor centers provide public access to restrooms, water, and pay phones.
Castolon Visitor Center, (Located near the end of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, at Castolon). Nov-Apr 10AM-5PM daily, May-Oct closed. Provides exhibits on the rich history of the surrounding buildings and area known as the Castolon district. Although the visitor center is seasonally closed, the nearby store is open year-round. �
Chisos Basin Visitor Center, (Located in the Chisos Basin developed area). Nov-Mar 8AM-3:30PM daily, Apr-Oct 9AM-4:30PM daily. Nestled amidst the well-developed Chisos Mountain Basin area, this popular visitor center has detailed exhibits on the mountain wildlife you may encounter in the Chisos. Many trail-heads and other facilities are nearby. �
Panther Junction Visitor Center, (Located at Panther Junction; the crossroads of TX-118 and US-385), ☎ +1 432 477-2251 (fax: +1 432 477-1175). 8AM-6PM daily. Located roughly at the center of the park, this is considered to be the "main" visitor center ? the park headquarters are also located nearby. Recently renovated, the center showcases many neat exhibits, including a 33ft (10m) long replica of the first-ever intact Quetzalcoatlus specimen (a pterosaur fossil which was discovered in the park in 1971). Also nearby is a post office and the Panther Path trail. �
Persimmon Gap Visitor Center, (On US-385 at the park's north entrance). 9AM-4:30PM daily. Provides nice exhibits on the various activities Big Bend National Park has to offer, as well as how to stay safe. Possibly your first encounter with a restroom after a long drive! �
Rio Grande Village Visitor Center, (Located in the Rio Grande Village developed area). Nov-Apr 8:30AM-4PM daily, May-Oct closed. Houses exhibits on wildlife found in the nearby Riparian (river) environment inside; outside is a pleasant desert garden. Although the visitor center is seasonally closed, the nearby store is open year-round. �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Big Bend National Park
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Big Bend National Park Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.