Big Bend Exploring and Hiking

Location!

The hiking, people and guides were all amazing. I really enjoyed the additional excursions to the fossil exhibit and the many visitor centers.

The sampler of what Big Bend offers was great. Every hike offered something different and the canoe day was a treat.

What made this trip special was to me was canoeing on the Rio Grande with new friends.

Loved our guides and the hikes. The meals they made were delicious.

The spectacular scenery and the wonderful group of women I travelled with.

diversity of experiences and hikes from desert to mountains to kayaking in river Jen the guide was awesome --- helpful and attentive.

The guides were awesome, my fellow travelers meshed together very well and the park is beautiful. Only wish the weather wasn’t so foggy and rainy, as I missed out on the dark skies and star gazing!

Very well organized, Very nice accommodations. Good variety of hikes.

The beautiful scenery, the lovely ladies, and the two great guides

Great women and guides. Beautiful place

The guides worked very hard to make it all go well. The group of people on this trip were wonderful.

These AGC trips are always great! Very well planned and organized. FABULOUS guides!!

It was great being with other women who like to do the same things I do.

I got to experience the desert and came away appreciating the uniqueness of the varying terrain and all that thrive there. I also had the opportunity to kayak for the first time and on the Rio Grande of all places. Wow, how memorable is that!

I got to check off another national park.

I had never visited Big Bend National Park before. Kayaking on the Rio Grande was the highlight of the trip for me.

I loved seeing this remote part o the country. I would not have gone here on my own. What a pleasure to see it with a terrific group of women.

Big Bend is a truly spectacular place. Our guides were competent and caring and as always, getting to know my fellow travelers was a treat. Seeing the Rio Grande from above and then kayaking on it was a lot of fun. Experiencing a totally different landscape than the Midwest made the trip extra special. Things I learned: it is DRY in the high desert, heavy-duty lip balm is a must. There is minimal shade on most trails so a wide-brimmed hat helps with the intense sunshine. Much of the trails have lots of loose rocks on them. Some of the trails involve steep climbs--altitude varies from around 2,000 to 5,500 feet most of the time. Be sure you're in shape!

met my expectations and then some!

Fun, easygoing and caring guides! Great hikes, good accommodations overall. Food was great. The people on this trip made it very special.

Seeing a new area of the country. Meeting and hiking with interesting women.

Seeing a part of the country I knew nothing about

The group wasn't too large and got along well. The guides were flexible and offered alternative hikes when possible.

Great guides, great group of women, beautiful area to explore! This was my first experience on a trip with AGC, and I loved it!!!

Experiencing a beautiful, remote part of the Southwest.

Fabulous group of women - no exceptions. Great views. Outstanding guides.

We had a very cohesive group of women. I enjoyed all of them. And it was fun to break in a new guide!

The people on the trip, the guides and places it took me

The guides and my fellow travelers were the absolute best part. As for activities, the hiking in Big Bend NP was spectacular. I also really enjoyed our Casitas in Terlingua.

Variety in hikes; dark skies; great group of women and guides

Hiking in such an exotic place, wonderful guides and a great group of women participants.

Perfectly planned itinerary to an unusual destination. I enjoyed every minute!

The location

The people on the trip.

Enjoyed the guides and all of the other hikers. I think for me, I would have liked to spend more time in the National park and less time in the State park.

Each day our guides had a mini meeting with everyone to discuss the day and what was expected for the upcoming hike.

I wanted to walk far and we did!

Since this was a 1st run trip, there were a few hiccups. But I thought our guides worked thru them very well. The town of Terlingua was really fun and unique. I really enjoyed the hike of the Mesa de Anguilla. The kayaking day was my favorite. The river was low, so it was just a float. The views of the canyon walls were just amazing. We had lunch on the bank of the river. It was a humorous and lovely day. There is substantial van time on this trip. This is a big NP and remote. So, it is part of the deal. The road from the Chisos Lodge to Marathon had amazing views of the park and was very enjoyable. Our group was fun. We laughed a lot.

Hiking in extraordinary Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park (especially the South Rim) and kayaking the Rio Grande in Santa Elena Canyon with the usual great group of participants and guides were definitely the highlights, though I didn’t consider it a “true” level 4 trip.

Enjoyed all of the hikes and the kayaking. The lodge and hotel were great. The tipis were interesting; the only downside was the trek to the washroom during the cold and windy nights. The guides were great!

The activities were terrific, accommodations were 2 out of 3 great, guides were fantastic. I was disappointed that there was not much socializing during our downtimes, and would have preferred less driving. Low light of the trip was the border crossing/hot springs--would have preferred another day of hiking or kayaking

I loved seeing the variety of the area but I was not expecting so much driving - albeit inevitable!

Worthwhile; varied; good mix of exertion and rest days. Beautiful place. I’m so glad I went. 12 mile hike in Chisos was the BEST. Kayaking in the canyon second.