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Texas/New Mexico

Hiking at Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains & Carlsbad Caverns

Program No. 23329RJ

Come south this winter to explore diverse ecosystems, geologic formations and human cultures, while hiking in three of our nation’s national parks.

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Itinerary

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Duration

8 days

7 nights

What's Included

20 meals ( 7B, 6L, 7D )

5 expert-led lectures

19 expert-led field trips

1 hands-on experience

1 performance

An experienced Group Leader

7 nights of accommodations

Taxes and customary gratuity

Road Scholar Assurance Plan

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Day

Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation

Location: El Paso, Texas

Meals: D

Stay: Hampton Inn & Suites El Paso-Airport

Activity Note

Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m. The activity level for this program is "Outdoor: Spirited". Participants must be able to hike several miles daily over varied terrain in order to visit most locations on this program. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).

Afternoon:

Program Registration & Orientation: 5:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the program theme, the up-to-date daily schedule and any changes, discuss safety guidelines, emergency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and answer any questions you may have. Transportation for program-related activities will be via minibus. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/ conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. This is a Road Scholar On The Road (OTR) program. This unique itinerary takes you through breathtaking landscapes and vibrant cultures, with ample time spent on comfortable coaches that allow you to soak in the scenery. As we traverse long distances, you'll enjoy curated onboard experiences, including educational stories and cultural presentations, making the journey as enriching as the destinations themselves. Each coach ride becomes an opportunity to connect with fellow travelers and share stories, ensuring that every mile brings you closer to unforgettable memories. Please read the Daily Activity Notes for more information regarding the time & distance traveled daily.

Dinner:

At the hotel.

Evening:

At leisure. Take the rest of the evening to continue getting to know your fellow participants, relax, and get a good night’s sleep for the full day ahead. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

Day

Chihuahuan Desert, Fort Davis National Historic Site

Location: Terlingua, Texas

Meals: B,L,D

Stay: Longhorn Ranch Motel

Activity Note

This is a long travel day with lots of great breaks. Getting on/off a minibus; driving 300 miles over the course of the day, approximately 5.5 hours riding time. There is no reserved seating; participants must be willing to rotate seats throughout the program. Several short hikes totaling approximately 3.2 miles are included.

Breakfast:

At the hotel.

Morning:

We will pack up and check out of the hotel this morning. This is one of our longest transfer days, during which we will journey to the remote region of the Big Bend. We will also begin the discussion of cultural history, starting with the Jumanos, our earliest inhabitants. A portion of this drive follows the Texas Mountain Trails scenic highways.

Lunch:

At Fort Davis National Historic Site.

Afternoon:

After lunch, we will begin our first hike in the Chihuahuan Desert. The Hospital Canyon Trail climbs steadily for 0.7 miles through oak groves to the North Ridge Trail. Once on the North Ridge Trail, we follow the contour of the edge of the mesa for 0.3 miles to the Tall Grass Loop Trail. Stunning views of Fort Davis and the surrounding mountains fill the skyline. The Tall Grass Loop is 0.8 miles through dense grass lands, home to our jack rabbits, mule deer, and javelina. Finally, we will descend back to the fort and walk 0.6 miles back to the visitor’s center. After completing our loop hike, we will explore Fort Davis, which was occupied from 1854-1891. We will see evidence of the early settlers: Mescalero Apaches and Buffalo Soldiers. The lieutenants’ quarters, commanding officer’s quarters, officers’ kitchens and servants’ quarters, and the enlisted men’s barracks are all furnished in period commodities and are open for exploration. To view the entire fort is an easy 3/4-mile walk. Following our exploration of the fort, we will depart for our hotel in Terlingua.

Dinner:

After we settle into the Longhorn Ranch Motel, we will enjoy dinner at its Mexican restaurant, Tivo's Place.

Evening:

Following dinner, we will enjoy an evening of stargazing (weather permitting). Terlingua was awarded the “Dark Night Skies Award” and claims to have the darkest night skies in the lower 48. See the Milky Way and shooting stars. Find your favorite constellations and be enamored in the fact that there are more stars visible in it than you remember.

Day

Big Bend National Park, Santa Elena Canyon, Sotol Vista

Location: Terlingua, Texas

Meals: B,L,D

Stay: Longhorn Ranch Motel

Activity Note

Getting on/off a minibus; driving 120 miles over the course of the day, approximately 3 hours. We explore the West Side of Big Bend with three separate hikes totaling approximately 5.2 miles over varied terrain.

Breakfast:

At Tivo's Place at the Longhorn Ranch Motel.

Morning:

We will start our morning with a hike on the Mule Ear Springs Trail: 4 miles (2,815’. moderate, 410 foot elevation gain). This trail travels along the flank of Trap Mountain, walking towards Mule Ear Peaks. Walk across volcanic ash tuff to a historic corral and a small spring set amid an oasis of cottonwoods, willows, ferns and cattails.

Lunch:

At Cottonwood Campground.

Afternoon:

After lunch, we will visit the very photogenic Santa Elena Canyon. Limestone rock cliff walls standing 1,200 feet tower above this iconic Big Bend trail while Canyon Wrens sing overhead. Next, we will hike the Lower Burro Mesa Pour-off Trail: 1 miles (3,303’, easy, 120 foot elevation change). This trail follows a gravel wash that is bounded by volcanic hills with layers of yellow and orange ash-flow tufts and lava. Walk amongst Texas persimmon, Mexican buckeye, and desert hackberry trees intermixed between large conglomerate boulders. The trail ends at a staggering rock wall pouroff- a 100 foot tall vertical channel carved into rock that funnels water from the above mesa. Next, atop Sotol Vista, we will take a short pit stop to witness the expansive views for which Big Bend is so famous.

Dinner:

At a local restaurant.

Evening:

At leisure.

Day

Big Bend National Park, Lost Mine Tr, Terlingua Ghost Town

Location: Terlingua, Texas

Meals: B,L,D

Stay: Longhorn Ranch Motel

Activity Note

Getting on/off a minibus; driving 90 miles over the course of the day, approximately 2 hours riding time. Today we will explore the heart of Big Bend National Park, hiking approximately 6 miles. You’ll need to carry all the drinking water that you will need for the day; we recommend 3 liters. We also explore historic sites by foot.

Breakfast:

At Tivo's Place at the Longhorn Ranch Motel.

Morning:

The Lost Mine Trail: 4.8 miles (challenging, 1,300 foot elevation gain). We walk amongst oaks, maples, pines, junipers, and madrones in the high mountain desert ecosystem. This trail climbs steadily with amazing views of the Chisos Basin, the Window, and Pine Canyon. In this sky island of the Chisos Mountains, we see a different variety of wildlife to include the Mexican jay, red tail fox, javelina, and antelope squirrel. The trail bed is rocky, but well graded with lots of switchbacks.

Lunch:

We will pack a sack lunch along with trail snacks. Today we will enjoy lunch on the trail, in the quiet shade of the trees.

Afternoon:

Rounding out a day filled with great history, we will head to the cultural center of Terlingua for a Ghost Town Tour and an amazing sunset.

Dinner:

At the historic Starlight Theatre, built during the boom and bust era of mercury mining.

Evening:

We will head next door to the Terlingua Trading Company, a gift and collectible shop housed in what was once the company store of the Chisos Mining Company.

Day

Boquillas Canyon, Boquillas-Mexico, Panther Junction

Location: Terlingua, Texas

Meals: B,L,D

Stay: Longhorn Ranch Motel

Activity Note

Getting on/off a minibus; driving 125 miles over the course of the day, approximately 3 hours riding time. Today we will travel to Boquillas, Mexico; you will need your passport or other approved documentation. Also, you may want to bring a little cash as there are several shops with items for sale. We will be on our feet a lot today and will hike approximately 4 miles.

Breakfast:

At Tivo's Place at the Longhorn Ranch Motel.

Morning:

This morning, we will travel to the east side of Big Bend National Park. Our first hike is to Boquillas Canyon, 1.4 miles (moderate). The canyon towers 1,500 feet overhead with its sheer vertical rock cliff walls. The trail winds through the riparian zone (a hot spot for birding), passing many metates, and ending at a pebble beach on the Rio Grande. After this, we will go through the American Port of Entry, the only "Class B" Port of Entry on the Mexican border, on our way to Boquillas, Mexico. Once at the river, we will ride a small ferry boat across the Rio Grande. Next, we will hike into the little village of Boquillas, 2.4 miles (easy), where the main mode of transportation is the burro, most people use wood fired cook stoves, and the families live in one room houses that are painted brightly every color of the rainbow. Once in Boquillas, we will go through the Mexican Port of Entry.

Lunch:

On a shaded deck that overlooks the Rio Grande.

Afternoon:

After lunch, we will walk around this three-block town, stop off at the Park Bar, and do a little exploring. We will also explore the church, school, clinic, and their new solar field. We will wrap up the afternoon by heading back across the border into the U.S. Before dinner we will stop and explore the Panther Junction Visitor Center at Big Bend National Park.

Dinner:

At a local restaurant.

Evening:

At leisure. Prepare for check out in the morning.

Day

Marfa-TX, Guadalupe Mountains NP, Carlsbad Caverns NP

Location: Carlsbad, New Mexico

Meals: B,L,D

Stay: Hampton Inn & Suites Carlsbad

Activity Note

Getting on/off a minibus; driving 290 miles over the course of the day, approximately 5.25 hours riding time. This is a travel day with lots of great stops and activities along the way. This afternoon, we will hike down into Carlsbad Caverns, approximately 3 miles.

Breakfast:

At Tivo's Place at the Longhorn Ranch Motel.

Morning:

We will pack up and check out of the hotel this morning, then drive through Alpine, Marfa, and Van Horn en route to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We will take a mid-morning break in Marfa to stretch our legs and explore an art installation. Once in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, we will stop at the Frijole Ranch Historic Site, which dates back to 1876. The seven buildings are now a walk through exhibit.

Lunch:

At a picnic pavilion on the Frijole Ranch, which was named because frijoles were a staple food in the region.

Afternoon:

After lunch, we will travel the short distance to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and explore the visitor’s center upon arrival. Next we will hike the Natural Entrance Trail down into the deepest caverns, 1.25 miles (moderate, 750-foot descent). Our night sensors awaken as we descend and our wildlife talks shift to that of bats. We will build on our cultural history to understand the caverns chronology of human habitation. The caverns' microbiology adds to the geologic discussion. Once we reach the bottom, we will hike the Big Room Trail passing many stunning formations, 1.5 miles (easy). Finally, we will ride the elevator to the top. Time permitting, we will browse through the Visitor Center Museum.

Dinner:

At a local restaurant.

Evening:

After dinner, we'll travel a short distance to our hotel, check in, and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure.

Day

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, McKittrick Canyon

Location: El Paso, Texas

Meals: B,L,D

Stay: Hampton Inn & Suites El Paso-Airport

Activity Note

Getting on/off a minibus; driving 160 miles over the course of the day, approximately 3 hours riding time. We will explore Guadalupe Mountains National Park with a hike of almost 7 miles. You'll need to carry all the drinking water that you will need for the day; we recommend 3 liters.

Breakfast:

At the hotel.

Morning:

We will pack up and check out of the hotel this morning. Then we begin our hike on the McKittrick Canyon Trail, 6.8 miles (moderate). This trail walks below the Capitan Reef which is one of the best preserved fossil reefs in the world. This hike follows a small spring fed creek through the desert and transitions into a canyon woodlands ecosystem. At the Historic Pratt Cabin (1936), we can relax on the front porch rocking chairs as we lament how this rock cabin has seen so much change in its lifetime. From here, we continue to the Grotto and the Hunter’s Cabin.

Lunch:

We'll enjoy a picnic lunch along the trail.

Afternoon:

After lunch, we will continue our hike on the McKittrick Canyon Trail. After completing our hike, we will explore the Guadalupe Mountains National Park Visitor Center before departing for El Paso.

Dinner:

At Los Bandidos de Carlos and Mickey’s, which has been serving up fine Mexican food since the 1950s in an eclectic memorabilia-filled venue. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening:

We’ll enjoy live music at Los Bandidos de Carlos and Mickey’s before returning to the hotel. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Day

Program Concludes

Location: El Paso, Texas

Meals: B

Activity Note

Hotel check-out by 12:00 Noon.

Breakfast:

At the hotel. This concludes our program.

Morning:

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!

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Please Note: This program has itinerary variations on certain dates.

Oct 5 - Oct 12, 2025 Itinerary Differences: Due to seasonal schedules and closures, this departure will follow a reverse itinerary, visiting Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns before traveling to Big Bend National Park.

Hiking at Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains & Carlsbad Caverns

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