zebkedic

We did a little bikepacking trip down at Big Bend Ranch and I made a little video for anyone interested:

DropBarFan

Nice! Pretty badass to ride w/o suspension forks though some parts look fairly smooth.

zebkedic

Yeah it was pretty rough in some places and some areas were really pretty smooth. Overall great experience though and I would recommend it if you have interest in some off road style terrain. Beautiful country in it's own unique way

Bassmanbob

I had to look it up; I didn't realize it was part of Big Bend State Park instead of the National Park. My wife and I did a nice four day trip to BBNP in 2018 during spring break. We drove around and did a number of day hikes. I'd love to do what you did though. Looks like you had fun. Thanks for sharing!

zebkedic

Yeah Ranch is a little different than Big Bend National in that you can do more back country camping without having to have a camping location. Getting reservations for spots in Big Bend National Park is sometimes a quite a waiting list, but in Big Bend Ranch, you can just get a back country permit and camp pretty much anywhere.

Bassmanbob

There was an episode dedicated to BB State Park on the show: I Shouldn't Be Alive. This couple got lost hiking in the State Park, but fortunately the husband made it back and helped find his wife. It made me glad I went to the National Park.

zebkedic

Big Bend Ranch State Park is no joke. Two weeks before we were there, a man came of the bike on a rugged down hill, broke his femur, and the park rangers took 3 days to get in by horseback, and get him out to an area he could be air lifted for surgery. It's rugged, remote, and should be taken seriously. In fact, more seriously than we took it because we just had not idea it could be as challenging as it turned out to be. That being said, there are areas that are easily navigated and easy to ride, so just take the info from park rangers seriously when you check in and plan your route with them.

JaccoW

I hiked the Outer Mountain Loop trail two years ago with my girlfriend in April. Beautiful area though carrying 3-4 gallons of water each for the first two days was quite a lot. But we certainly needed it. On the first day when we descended into the desert area it was just past noon and it was so hot we decided to just set up our tarp and relax in the shade for a few hours until the temperature went down.

I can imagine it being a really cool place to ride though.

zebkedic

Yes you get a real quick appreciation for water and really need to plan accordingly. We thought we were pretty well stocked, but you'll be amazed how much you consume in that dry air. Even when the temps weren't crazy hot, you lose a lot of hydration. Lips easily chap and skin quickly becomes dry, etc.