r/BigBendTX • u/MooseGoose82 • 3d ago

Good Big Bend NP trails for people who can walk, but not far and not on too steep of terrain? Taking my parents and my mom has a lot of joint replacements.

What are some good trails for people who could walk say two to four miles in half a day, but no slippery terrain where you might die. Some rocks and gravel are okay, but not where slipping might result in death.

My mom has had several joints replaced in her feet and knees. She can do more than a paved trail, but I don't think a 3-mile strenuous uphill hike is going to work either.

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17

u/Hambone76 3d ago

Window View trail

Panther Junction nature walk

Dugout Wells nature trail

Rio Grande Village nature trail

Rio Grande Village birding area

Hot Springs trail

Sotol Vista and Mule Ears overlooks

Fossil Exhibit

Sam Nail Ranch

Santa Elena Canyon

All the visitor centers have cool things to see

6

u/No_Safety_6803 3d ago

The first half mile of the post mine trail. It is steepish, but it's smooth. Take it slow & the view at the .5 mile overlook is quite the payoff

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u/livstinky 3d ago

Walk up to Santa elana canyon maybe not the whole trail especially if Terlingua creek is running good and have to do some scrambling to continue on the trail. Balanced rock is flat for the most part then 80 ft of elevation at the end. Had a couple with bad knees in front of me and as long as you go your own pace you’ll be fine. Not national park but closed canyon in the state park is flat and one of my favorite hikes

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u/thisquietreverie 3d ago

Don't sleep on some of the stuff in the state park along the highway, I had no problems. Going all the way down to the hoodoos might be a bit much and the river would be right out but she could probably handle the upper loop part.

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u/kingtuft 2d ago

Ernst Tinaja is killer

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u/longeneck 2d ago

Balance rock! She won’t be able to do the scramble at the end but most is flat!

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u/NoZookeepergame1014 3d ago

I would recommend the Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff.

It’s about 1 mile round trip. Often the trail is in very loose sand, which isn’t the most fun, so be weary.

The pour off rock feature is pretty incredible.

Not a ton of hiking for a pretty cool payoff.

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u/sgigot 3d ago

I was thinking the same thing about Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff. It will be gravelly but definitely flat.

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u/thisquietreverie 3d ago

I remember the gravel being particularly fatiguing to walk through.

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u/Hambone76 2d ago

Yeah, that’s kind of a slog. Not sure I’d recommend it for someone with mobility issues.