Big Bend - half a day what would you do.

Santa Elena Canyon is probably the best bet. That area is one of my favorites in any national park. Hike into the canyon a bit.

If you still have time, you could drive into the Chisos Mountains. Lost Mine Trail is a shorter hike that you could probably fit into that timeframe depending on how much you spend at Santa Elena.

If yall want to get after it, Emory Peak is the tallest peak in the park, gives great 360 views, and is a fairly easy peak to climb. The last 50 feet are a scramble but nothing crazy. This trail is about 10 miles so you might need to budget 5-7 hours depending on how in shape yall are. Definitely a prettier trail than Lost Mine but Lost Mine is probably more bang for your buck, especially if the options are Santa Elena + Lost Mine or Emory Peak.

Marfa is cool, especially for the Chinati Museum. Amazing museum! Not sure how much is open right now though. Big Bend is definitely better to spend time at in general IMO.

Big Bend is truly a jewel of the national park system. Very uncrowded and amazing views is a pretty rare combination within the beautiful national parks like Big Bend.

The first 45 minutes of the movie "Paris, TX" are a good primer for the solitude and beauty of that area.

I have been to Big Bend but not as extensively as the members above. I will just say that it’s a beautiful place to visit.

Tigersaint has good recs. What time of year will you be there? It is brutally hot in the summer. Marfa is one if my favorite places in the world but we were there at Thanksgiving and everything is shut down. Some restaurants are open for takeout and one coffee shop that serves beer is open. It's still a really nice drive from the national park to Marfa going west on river road to presidio and then north on 67 to Marfa. For the best enchiladas in the world, stop at The Oasis in Presidio. It was takeout only at Thanksgiving though.

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What time of year will you be there?

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Next month. It's a stop on our way west to GCNP and beyond.

Do you know where you are staying the night before and that night? As some others alluded to, that country is huge so time is a factor in recommendations. Just getting into the park is generally a couple hours from wherever you might be passing through. With only a half day, your best bet might be to just come in from Marathon and drive through towards terlingua. You could do the ross maxwell senic drive to santa elana and then cut back to the main road on whatever that dirt road is called. Stop and look at whatever strikes your fancy. Not sure what the crowds are like now, but when we were there last month the basin was full by around 9 and they were doing one car out/in so plan accordingly if you decide you want to drive up there. If they open the border crossing between now and then, alter your itinerary to allow a full day and go to Boquillas.

Second the recommendation for the drive from Terlingua to Presidio, although the worlds best enchiladas are in Fort Worth. Fight me. There are also some great short dayhikes you can stop and do on this drive. Look up closed canyon and the hoodoos trail in Big Bend Ranch State Park. Do not attempt to drive through BBRSP other than on the highway from Terlingua to Presidio. None of the other roads in the park are paved and google maps will pick up ones that aren't even open to vehicles. Nothing else completely bisects the park.

I'm neutral to meh on Marfa. I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to go through it.

Enchiladas ole. Specifically the hatch chicken but their others are great too.

Uncle Julio’s has some killer food and they’re home to the sangria swirl margarita.

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Mi Cocina > Uncle Julio’s

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Stop trolling.