The Rio Grande follows the southern edge of the park for 118 miles, and extends another 127 miles downstream as a designated Wild and Scenic River. The river offers mostly calm float trips, but it does have a few sections of rough white water during high-water times. It can usually be run in a raft, canoe, or kayak. You can either bring your own equipment, or rent equipment near the park (none is available in the park), but for novices it's safest to take a trip with one of several river guides approved by the National Park Service.
Those planning trips on their own must obtain $10 permits at a park visitor center, in person only and no more than 24 hours before the trip. Permits for the lower canyons of the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River are available at the Persimmon Gap Visitor Center, and a self-serve permit station located there when the visitor center itself is closed. Permits for the section of river through Santa Elena Canyon can also be obtained at the Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center, 1 mile east of the community of Lajitas, Texas, about 20 miles from the park's west entrance. Park rangers, however, strongly advise that everyone planning a river trip check with them beforehand to get the latest river conditions. A river-running booklet with additional information is available at park visitor centers and from the Big Bend Natural History Association.
Rafts, inflatable kayaks, and canoes can be rented from Desert Sports (tel. 888/989-6900 or 432/371-2727; www.desertsportstx.com). Rafts cost $25 per person per day (three-person minimum) with discounts for trips longer than 4 days; inflatable kayaks cost $35 per day for one person and $45 per day for two people; and canoes cost $45 per day, with discounts for multiday rentals. The company also provides shuttle services and offers guided 1-day and multiday canoe and raft trips, where you can either grab a paddle and take an active role, or sit back and let your boatman and the river do the work. Typical prices are $280 per person for 2 days on the river through Santa Elena Canyon; and $475 per person for 3 days on the river through Marsical Canyon, considered the most remote canyon in the national park. Desert Sports also offers trips that combine a float trip with hiking or mountain biking. Also see "Mountain Biking," above.
Another company that provides guided trips on the Rio Grande is Big Bend River Tours (tel. 800/545-4240 or 432/371-3033; www.bigbendrivertours.com), which has daily raft trips year-round. Trips range from a delightful half-day float for about $65 per person to 10-day excursions for over $1,500 per person. Among the company's most popular trips is the 21-mile float through beautiful Santa Elena Canyon, which offers spectacular scenery and wonderful serenity, plus the excitement of a challenging section of rapids called the Rockslide. There are also often opportunities to see wildlife. The canyon can be explored on a day trip (about $130 per person), a 2-day trip (about $285 per person), or a 3-day trip (about $425 per person), with varying rates based on the number of people making the trip. The longer trips include a stop in a side canyon with waterfalls and peaceful swimming holes. Big Bend River Tours also offers guided canoe and inflatable kayak trips, provides a shuttle service, and rents equipment.
The third outfitter on the Rio Grande in the Terlingua/Study Butte area is Far Flung Outdoor Center (tel. 800/839-7238 or 432/371-2633; www.ffoc.net), offering raft and canoe trips for $63 per person for a half-day, and about twice that for a full day canyon float. The company also offers jeep and ATV tours of the region.
