![]() If you are in good shape and not afraid of heights, you will not regret going through the hard work required to get to the top of Mariscal.The drive begins in the Cowboy Capital of the World, Bandera. We did not see another person on the hike (or even on the drive in) so it was one of the most solitary experiences we've had in any National Park. The cliff drops 3,000 feet into the canyon (we couldn't see the bottom) and there are no railings so you have to be mindful of the edge. Once we reached the top, all the misery was forgotten. Thankfully there were many cairns along the way to keep you on the trail, so there wasn't any chance of getting lost. ![]() No trees or even any large boulders to provide shade, so be prepared if it's a warm, sunny day. There is NO shade on the hike-lots of sand, rocks, and cacti. The hike was strenuous-not bad at the start but quite challenging near the end. After the hike we drove out the other direction (east towards Rio Grande Village) on River Road which was a bit shorter (2 hours) and was a little bit smoother than the western end, but not much. This is a difficult hike for a couple of reasons: The drive to get to the trail head is long (we came in from Castolon on the west end and it took us nearly 3 hours in a 4 wheel drive vehicle). This park is well worth a visit, even in the off season. We really enjoyed our outdoor adventure and would love to return in the Spring to see the dogwoods in bloom. Our hike was very quiet except for quite a few birds and the leaves crunching underfoot. The forest is full of hardwoods, junipers, cedars, vines, fallen logs, stumps, grasses and a few rocks and boulders. Trail markers are located along the pathways and there are even a few benches and resting areas. There are many hills and inclines and a couple of great lookout points with views of the valley and Joe Pool Lake in the distance. The trails are unpaved and wind through mostly forested areas. With that being said, my husband and I had a great hike here a couple of weekends ago and only saw 3 other couples the entire time we were on the trail. Great outdoor activity during the pandemic! The entire center is closed at this time and only 10 reservations per hour are admitted and only on limited days and times. When the literature and rangers tell you to avoid slot canyons when there is rain anywhere in the area, listen to them! I can't imagine if families with kids were in the canyon at this time. Come to find out that the creek running through the canyon in a major collector of water from the Chisos Mountain, all of it funneling through this one narrow area. We had seen rain up in the Chisos Mountains while we were in Santa Elena but there was no rain anywhere near Tuff Canyon. Thank goodness that we were not 10 min earlier to the site or we could have been swept up in the flood. On our way from Santa Elena we decided to take a look at Tuff and we were minutes away from entering the canyon when we heard a roaring sound which turned out to be a flash flood. While this canyon is apparently dry most of the time, we saw our first flash flood that was a bit scary. It is a very short hike down into the canyon and all the way to the end. Tuff Canyon is easily accessed from the main park road on the way or back from Santa Elena.
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