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Big Bend Main Park Road, Big Bend National Park, Texas
Photo: Idawriter · CC BY-SA 3.0 · cropped

Drives Texas Big Bend and West Texas

Big Bend Main Park Road

Rio Grande Village Drive, US 385 · Persimmon Gap → Rio Grande Village turnoff

Leisurely43 mi1 hr 15 min1,500 ft climbHigh point ≈ 3,700 ftOne way
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The drive

This is the main road through Big Bend National Park, starting at Persimmon Gap on the north side and running south through Chihuahuan Desert to Panther Junction, the park headquarters. A travel guide puts the run from the Persimmon Gap visitor center to Panther Junction at 28 miles. From there the drive turns east toward Rio Grande Village. The full route is 42.6 miles and takes about 1 hr 17 min.

The grades are long and the views open, with desert stretching away to mountains on the horizon. The visitor centers at Persimmon Gap and Panther Junction are the places to get maps and current information before you go deeper into the park.

The Chisos Basin and Ross Maxwell roads leave this route and are separate drives.

Along the way

  1. Persimmon Gap
  2. Panther Junction
  3. Rio Grande Village turnoff
Elevation
1,500 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 3,700 ft
Persimmon GapRio Grande Village turnoff
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
Persimmon GapRio Grande Village turnoff
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Every vehicle pays a park entrance fee, valid for 7 days. The park takes credit or debit cards only, and no reservations are needed.
  • The park's rough dirt roads need high clearance and four-wheel drive. The paved main road does not.
  • Road closures follow weather and flooding, so check the park's alerts page before you go.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check NPS Big Bend alerts and conditions.

Questions about this drive

How long is the Big Bend Main Park Road drive?

From Persimmon Gap to the Rio Grande Village turnoff is 42.6 miles and takes about 1 hr 17 min.

Is there an entrance fee for Big Bend National Park?

Yes. Every vehicle pays an entrance fee, and a vehicle pass is valid for 7 days. The park accepts cards only.

Do you need a reservation to drive Big Bend's main park road?

No. The NPS says no reservations are needed to enter the park.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Big Bend Main Park Road, from Persimmon Gap to Rio Grande Village turnoff