Brewster County's violent crime rate of 416 per 100,000 residents is the sharpest concern here — running notably above the national average and covering the remote, spread-out region surrounding Big Bend. With cell service nearly nonexistent across much of the park and the nearest hospital hours away, any security incident becomes significantly harder to manage than it would be closer to an urban area. Flash floods and hail round out the risk picture, so weather awareness matters too.
Before you head out, share a detailed itinerary with someone off-site and check in at a ranger station on arrival so staff know your plans. Keep a satellite communicator like a Garmin inReach or SPOT device in your pack — it's your lifeline if trouble finds you on a backcountry trail. For flash flood risk, avoid canyon campsites when afternoon thunderstorms are forecast and move to higher ground immediately if you hear rushing water upstream.
Top recorded hazards in Brewster County
County dataFrom NOAA Storm Events (2024). Counts of recorded incidents — not all occurred at this park.
- Hail 5
- Thunderstorm Wind 3
- Flash Flood 2
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About Big Bend National Park
There is a place in Far West Texas where night skies are dark as coal and rivers carve temple-like canyons in ancient limestone. Here, at the end of the road, hundreds of bird species take refuge in a solitary mountain range surrounded by weather-beaten desert. Tenacious cactus bloom in sublime southwestern sun, and species diversity is the best in the country. This magical place is Big Bend...
Weather
Big Bend is in the Chihuahuan Desert. Sunshine is abundant year-round. Spring (March) is typically warm and pleasant and is the park's busiest season. Summer heat begins in May. It is extremely HOT. Temperatures vary greatly between the desert which is usually well above 100 degrees F by late morning, and the Chisos Mountains, which can be 10-15 degrees cooler. May - August are the hottest months. Fall and Winter (Nov-Feb) are mild and pleasant, but some freezing does occur. Snow is rare.