Big Bend Question

[Aggroman]

Hey folks,

My final plans for our Nov trip have us going to Big Bend. I have it all planned including a trip down Santa Elena Canyon if there's enough water. We're staying in Terligua the first night since we're getting to the area late that night, with the next few days after the river trip, hiking Big Bend. Then as i'm finalizing everything...I hear on the radio about the chili cookoff...and it's on that weekend. They talk of dancing, drinking, and thousands of people that doubles the population of Brewster Co on that weekend. Yeehaw, right?
If any of you have followed our past trips, you'll know solitude is top on the list when searching for locations. The Lower Pecos, Guadalupe Mts, Lincoln National Forest, anywhere there aren't too many people. I yak/fish the same way. If I see one human, it's an odd day. Anyway, to the questions finally...has anyone been there during that time in the past few years? Either there or the Big Bend area that weekend? Is it going to be packed all over the area, or just concentrated in town? I'm already preparing plan B, but thought I would ask before I changed everything.
I should mention I was there for the cookoff 20 years ago and it was an awesome time. But this trip is for me and my son, and that's not the "good time" i'm looking for.

Thanks for any advise or answers.

Your Humble Servant, ( )
Scott

[texnomad]

It is a mess all the way to the basin in my opinion. Go to Big Bend Chat to get more information.

[Aggroman]

It is a mess all the way to the basin in my opinion. Go to Big Bend Chat to get more information.

Thanks Barney, I was afraid of that. I was actually in the middle of emailing you and asking you directly. lol. Figured you might know.

I forgot about Big Bend Chat, I need to go over there and poke around too.

[Firefly49]

Hey, hey!!!! I'll be camping @ Big Bend for a couple weeks from 11/3 !!!! Will be 1st time during the Chili fest (& plans are to check it out for a day) so can't answer your question other than yeah...I've been warned of the 10,000 people & 750 camping sites & motels booked for 150 miles, lol. Hoping the crowd disperses on Sun/Mon!! I'm paddling Marisal Canyon, but I've done Santa Elena Canyon several times --- and you'll absolutely LOVE it!!!

There's a Facebook group that is pretty interesting -- and has a "files" section for local info and activites: "Big Bend, Texas. Terlingua, Lajitas, Study Butte, Alpine, Marfa, Marathon"

Oh...... and if you're driving at night......watch out for the deer & hogs. Just for the heck of it, I drove down to Presidio in June on my way back from NM -- and ended up having to drive most of the way up to Fort Stockton at night. Bet I didn't meet more than a couple dozen cars the whole 150 mi -- but it seemed like I couldn't go a mile without groups of deer alongside the road inmy headlights. Instead of my usual 10 MPH over the limit, lol ..... I was white-knuckle driving it at 45.