Places > United States > Texas > Big Bend National Park Natural Feature
Santa Elena Canyon
Photo Credit: NPS/Eric Leonard
Did you know that as an Xploritall member, you can create your own custom Travel Guide? Just register for your FREE account, add places to your wishlist, and the Trip Planner will organize all of your saved places into a Travel Guide for you.
The first 13 meandering miles from the put-in at Lajitas give you a good look at the contrast between the riparian and desert ecosystem. The river becomes more technical in the last seven miles when you have entered the actual canyon. Two miles into the canyon, the largest rapid, the Rock Slide is classified as a Class IV rapid at certain water levels.
An enjoyable day trip consists of paddling upstream, from the Santa Elena Canyon Trailhead, a few miles into the canyon, and then returning back downstream (also known as a "boomerang" trip). If the water level is low, you do not have to fight the current much going upstream, making this trip quite leisurely. It is an ideal trip if you only have one vehicle, or if you do not want to pay for a shuttle back to your starting point. A good destination is Fern Canyon, a beautiful side canyon approximately two miles upstream, which has ferns growing where water is seeping out of the canyon walls. A backcountry use permit is required for all river trips; no fee is charged for day-use trips
Your Friends With This Interest (0)
None of your friends have added this place to their Wishlist.
Members With This Interest (0)
None of your friends have added this place to their Wishlist.
Members With This Interest (0)
Your Friends That Visited Here (0)
None of your friends have visited here.
Members Who Visited (0)
None of your friends have visited here.
Members Who Visited (0)
Resources Powered by Barnes & Noble and Maps.com