It is 24 miles from Panther Junction near the main Big Bend National Park visitor center to Boquillas Canyon in the southeast. The road crosses the eastern foothills of the Chisos Mountains then follows a sandy wash to the river, descending steadily. Most of the land is rather featureless; there is a picnic spot and several side tracks to primitive campsites but no notable landmarks, although out of sight in the wide basin to the east is Ernst Tinaja, natural circular waterhole in a short eroded canyon that features often in Big Bend photograph books. This may only be reached by driving on a rough 4WD track.
Rio Grande Village: Near the river is Rio Grande Village, including a campground, RV site, gas station and general store. Three side roads are of interest: a gravel track to Hot Springs Village, an abandoned settlement by the river; the Boquillas Canyon Overlook which has fine views over the Rio Grande into Mexico, and a road leading to an unofficial border crossing. Opposite, on the far side of the river is the village of Boquillas del Carmen - this has a pretty setting with a few hundred white houses scattered over a hillside beneath imposing cliffs. Hiking paths in this area include the Hot Springs and the Boquillas Canyon Trails, plus there are several longer routes into a region of mountain wilderness to the northeast.
Along the River: Because of trees and bushes sustained by the nearby waters, the land around the Rio Grande is good for wildlife, including semi-tame roadrunners and herds of javelinas that wander through the campsite. Upstream, the water supports a narrow band of greenery as it flows through quite empty land with only limited access by a few rough tracks. 25 miles from Rio Grande Village and at the southernmost tip of the Big Bend, the river emerges from Marsical Canyon, the middle of the three large ravines in the park. It is inaccessible and isolated, and is usually only visited during rafting excursions down river. In the other direction from the village, the Rio Grande disappears into Boquillas Canyon, the longest in the park - the cliffs do not fully subside until the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area to the west; a boat trip through here lasts 3 days.
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