Big Bend National Park and Old Ore Road

[Ovrlnd Rd]

Resurrecting this thread.

I am headed to BBNP on Oct 30. I am trying to figure out where to camp with my rugged subie and a rooftop tent. I am not unwilling to do some rugged stuff, but I am trying to figure out if Old Ore Road is a good bet. I love the campsites that are out there, but I am solo, so I don't want to get my subie stuck.

Anyone know anything about Old Maverick road and the campsite along there or Grapevine Hills or any of the other rugged roads.

Long rugged dirt roads with some washouts are really fine for me. When you get to bowling-ball-sized boulders and 6' shelves, that's when I start to get nervous with the Subie.

As for official campgrounds, Chisos Campground seems more remote with fewer facilities, but it is a reliable location.

You need another vehicle along? I was scheduled to go from 10/29 - 11/05 but the other 2 vehicles bailed on me and the wife didn't want me out on the primitive roads without a support vehicle in case I got stuck (like that would ever happen). We did about half of the River Road last year but came in from the west so didn't get as far as Black Gap. The part of the River Road we did was easily passable by your Subaru and lots of primitive camp sites (some with and some without bear boxes even). If you're looking for a more improved campground Cottonwood is decent. It's on the river toward the SW corner of the park.

 

[Ovrlnd Rd]

Anyone know anything about Old Maverick road and the campsite along there or Grapevine Hills or any of the other rugged roads.

I passed a Buick Le Sabre on Old Maverick Road last year so you shouldn't have any trouble. Terlingua Abajo 1-3 and Ocotillo Grove are both very flat camp sites. Closer to the Basin - Croton Springs and all of the Paint Gap spots are good too although the last couple of Paint Gap are a bit rougher road. I think there's enough clearance for you but you'd want to go in during day light to pick your line through some rutted areas. This, again, was from being there last year. If there were any heavy rains since last Oct anything could have changed.