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Big Bend Texas MTB Tour: Highlights

Lizard Head Cycling Guides has found a mountain bike hide away in the far west Texas mountains of Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. Big Bend is the largest, most remote, and least visited National Park in the lower 48 states.The combination of 8,000-foot mountains and Chihuahuan desert together make Big Bend the most biologically diverse landscape in the North America. This region feels as if it is on the edge of the world. The MTB riding itself offers rugged jeep trails, surprisingly good singletrack and wonderfully warm late winter and early spring temperatures.

☛ Must Watch PBS Documentary: Big Bend: The Wild Frontier of Texas

Big Bend Texas MTB Tour: Testimonials

Read what previous guests on our Big Bend Texas MTB tour have been saying…

We had a fantastic trip with DeAnne and Dave!!! They did a terrific job and an awesome trip!!! – Mike

Back home this afternoon and looking forward to my own bed! Both the Big Bend MTB trip and Texas Hill Country trip were equally good and I’m glad I was able to ride back to back. Big Bend is a great MTB trip, the best of the three I’ve done with you. It’s a nice blend of jeep roads and the single track trails are excellent. In fact I’d say the single track is well underrated. The downside is getting there. Hill Country is a solid week of excellent road biking on solitary roads with great places to stay. Anna and Peter are excellent guides, they are keepers. They kept the trip moving on time each morning and offered solid support on the road. I was particularly impressed with their attention to detail on the daily rides. The turn by turn sheets were very complete and accurate. They also spend a good amount of time in the morning and again after lunch on the route. I’ve been on a lot of trips were the guides barely bothered. They also kept things on time at night regarding dinners. I really appreciate keeping things on time and they did a great job. – Karl

Big Bend Texas MTB Tour: Dates

Potential tour dates are listed below and not all tour dates will run. Lock in your preferred tour date early as unopened tour dates will be closed. Please see the Winter/Spring/Autumn Tour Calendar and the Summer Tour Calendar for confirmed departures. Any unopened date can be a Custom Week (9 riders required). Please contact us via email or call 970.728.5891

To easily register for a particular tour, please click the Book Now! link after the tour date listed below. This will select the tour name and the appropriate date on the registration form.

This tour runs from Monday to Friday unless otherwise noted.

2025 Tour Dates

• October 20 to 24, 2025 (Book Now!)
• October 27 to 31, 2025 (Book Now!)

• November 10 to 14, 2025 (Book Now!)

Tour Status Notes: NO STATUS = Date Set, no riders have signed up. TOUR OPENED = Tour Opened, rider minimums not met. TOUR A GO! = Tour is Go, rider minimums met. SOLD OUT = Tour Full, rider maximums met.

Why Should you Sign-Up Now and OPEN a Tour Date?
This is the proverbial chicken and the egg conundrum! We need our cyclists to first commit to the date that works for them so that we can commit to that date.

For starters, when you OPEN a date you get to pick your preferred departure date, and there is no penalty if the tour does not run. Once you pick your tour date, Lizard Head closes nearby dates and funnels all additional riders to your chosen date until the tour meets its 6 rider minimum.

BONUS: As an added bonus, we can also hold a spot for you on another tour date of your choosing. There is no fee to switch to another tour date.

In conclusion, if you want a tour to run, we need you to sign up and not wait for others to do the same! Waiting for others may mean that a tour date takes longer or does not confirm. Just Do It! Once a few riders jump into the proverbial waters, others will follow!

NOTE: In anticipation and encouragement of future tour signups prior to reaching the tour minimum, the Lizard Head Cycling website may be updated to show TOUR A GO prior to actual tour confirmation. So, even if the website says that this tour is a go, please wait for your official Email Confirmation before booking non-refundable travel reservations.

Big Bend Texas MTB Tour: Overview

Tour Length: The Big Bend MTB tour includes includes 5 days of riding. Camping, partial camping and all lodging options are available.

Arrival/Departure Airport: Riders arrive in El Paso, Texas via plane (El Paso International Airport – ELP) or car by 3:00 pm on Day 0 (the day prior to tour start) and then shuttle to the tour meeting hotel in Alpine, Texas. Riders will return to El Paso around 7:00 pm on the final day.

Tour Cost: $1,850 per person.

Tour Discounts: Please see our Reptile Rewards & Tour Discounts page to learn more about Reptile Rewards, Tour Discounts, and Group Discounts. Tour discounts are not stackable with any other discounts or promotions – only the highest valued discount is provided. Please note that for discounts to apply the tour minimum must be met.

Total Miles: 100 to 175 miles, ride more or less depending on your fitness level, additional mileage options available. (Can I keep up on this tour?)

Daily Mileage Range: 15-25 miles

Ability Level: Upper Intermediate (3)  to Advanced (4)

Group Size: 6 to 12

Mountain Bike Rentals

NOTE: The make, model, and specifications of rental bikes may differ from what is described below. Please contact us if you have any specific needs for a rental bike or have any questions about rental bikes.

Mountain Bike Rentals

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is proud to rent the Scott Spark 930, a truly fantastic way to go up or down a mountain. We have been riding mountain bikes for a very long time here at Lizard Head, but we can easily say our rentals are the most fun mountain bikes we have ever ridden. The Spark 930 blends the featherweight lineage of its race focused cousin with the single track chops of a 120mm travel ripper - this bike is up for anything.

The Spark 930 features: Spark Carbon HMF-Alloy Frame, FOX 34 Float Performance 130mm Fork, FOX Nude EVOL/120mm/TwinLoc rear shock, Shimano XT-SLX 12 Speed Drivetrain, Shimano Deore Disc Brakes, Syncros X-25 TR Rims, Maxxis Rekon Folding Tires, plus Syncros Dropper Post. Approx. Weight: 28.88 lbs / 13.10 kg (without pedals)

Mountain E-Bike Rentals

The Strike eRIDE 920 offers SCOTT’s latest technologies together with the newest Bosch motor. Versatile, reliable, and accessible, the Strike puts the accent on the comfort with 150mm of travel, slicker tires, thicker grips and saddle to give you a solid choice for any outing.

☛ Learn more about our Mountain Bike & E-Bike Rentals and Equipment

If you have any further questions, please read more on our Rental Bikes FAQ page. You can also email us at info@lizardheadcyclingguides.com or call us at 970.728.5891

Rental Tent, Ground Pad and Sleeping Bag $85: Lizard Head Cycling offers late model camping gear rentals. The rental tent is a 3-person Sierra Design tent (sleeps 2 comfortably). The ground pads are 1.5 inches thick and our synthetic sleeping bags are rated for 20 degrees (so you’ll feel warm & comfy in the Texas Wilderness). **Al la Carte tent rental is $55-.

Tour Includes: 5 days of guide service, 4-nights of camping, all meals, park service fees, energy food, liquid refreshments, shuttles and mechanical support. Alcoholic beverages and massage are additional.

☛ Also read Things To Do In El Paso either before or after your tour.

Meals On Tour

Lizard Head Cycling Guides provides most meals on all tours (unless otherwise noted) including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guides will prepare a daily lunch en route for nearly every tour, both road and off-road, as well as provide nutritious snacks at periodic aid stations during the day.

Most of our road tours utilize local restaurants for all meals and occasionally guides may prepare a dinner or two during a tour. Due to the nature of being "off the grid", most of our off-road tours feature guide prepared meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. FUN NOTE: When guides prepare a meal in camp and the guests sit around and watch, this is called "Guide TV".

We also pride ourselves on being able to cater to specific dietary requests and needs, so rest assured that you will be able to get the nutrition that works best for you during your tour. Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, or a someone who loves it all – we will keep you well fed during the tour!

Lunches: Lizard Head Cycling Guides prepares healthy lunches to keep you going. We will serve you fresh organic fruits and veggies, salads, hummus, sandwich fixings, nuts, gourmet cheeses and, of course, plenty of salty/sweet snacks such as chips and cookies.

Dinners: On our road tours, Lizard Head Cycling sources our favorite restaurants in each town that we visit. Our guides focus on establishments that offer fresh and local ingredients and guests choose whatever they desire to eat off the menu including: appetizer, salad, entrée, and of course, dessert... yum! Also, while on tour if a guest wants to dine early before the group and go to bed, this is fine. We understand that on some days sleep is the most important post-ride element.

☛ MUST READ: Training for Your First MTB Tour: 5 Best Tips to Improve Your Pedaling Technique

Big Bend Texas MTB Tour: Itinerary*

*PLEASE NOTE: Tour itineraries are subject to change and modification based on the group, available accommodations, road construction, road closures, and other unforeseen circumstances including weather, wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, landslides and/or other acts of nature. Also, the distances and elevation profiles shown below may not reflect the actual distances and elevations while on tour as these are provided here to give an idea as to the anticipated mileage and terrain. Please view this itinerary, the distances, and elevation profiles as a general outline as to what to expect while on this tour.

Day 0: Arrival in Texas and shuttle to Alpine, Texas

Guests fly to El Paso International Airport (ELP) no later than 3:00 P.M. on Day 0 (the day before the tour starts). We meet guests in El Paso and shuttle to the meeting hotel in Alpine, Texas. The lodging or camping in Alpine, Texas is not included in the cost of the tour and guests make their own reservations. Lodging and camping options in Alpine, Texas will be provided in the tour confirmation documentation.

NOTE: If guests prefer to drive, they can meet us in Alpine, Texas on Day 1. Cars can be left in Alpine for the duration of the tour.

Day 1: The Old Ore Road & Landford Hot Springs 
MTB Ride: 17 miles with up to 475 feet of climbing
EFI (Every Freaking Inch) option: Additional 10-miles 

Day 1 of the Big Bend MTB tour starts with a jeep road ride on the Old Ore Road.  Our destination and the popular feature of the Ore Road is Ernst Tinaja. This is limestone canyon noted for three things: vibrant orange swirling striations in the rocks, fossils of giant oysters, and the Ernst Tinaja itself – a 13-foot natural rock pool. The word tinaja (pronounced “tin-AH-ha”) is Spanish for “large earthen jar”. In Big Bend National Park a tinaja refers to natural water holes, usually formed by erosion.

Langford Hot Springs

After the Old Ore Road we ride down to the Rio Grande itself. At the river, Mexico is just 30 feet away and cyclists have enjoyed jumping in the Langford hot springs and even swimming across to Old Mexico!  After the springs, we ride back to our camp at Rio Grande Village.  Anyway you have it, Day 1 is a keeper.

 

Day 2: Rio Grande Village to Pine Canyon Camp
18-miles with up to 1,440 feet of climbing
EFI options of 10 to 18 additional miles

Today’s ride is a remote jeep road through the backcountry of Big Bend National Park.  After breakfast, we pack lunches and set out on the Glenn Springs Road towards Pine Canyon camp. This ride showcases the wildly diverse flora of Big Bend National Park.

Our camp in Pine canyon sits below the beauty of the Chisos Mountains.

An EFI option today is a 18 mile option to ride to the Mariscal Mines. Abandoned since the 1940s and isolated by its remote location in the middle of Big Bend National Park, the Mariscal Mine is a preserved mercury mining site in the state of Texas, and is a listed historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Day 3: Pine Canyon to Chisos Basin
15-miles with up to 2,140 feet of climbing
EFI options of 10 to 18 additional miles

From our Pine Canyon Camp we set out on dirt roads towards the Chisos Basin. Along the way we stop at Panther Junction Visitor Center for fascinating insight on the park’s biology.

The final 6-miles of this day is a 6-mile and 1,500-foot paved ascent into the Chisos Mountains. Our campground tonight is in the Chisos Basin surrounded by the 8,000-foot Chisos Mountains. This is the center piece of Big Bend National Park. Residing several thousand feet above the northern reaches of the Chihuahuan Desert, this basin is a reason why Big Bend National Park is considered one of the most varied and diverse landscapes in North America. The mountains and desert together attract birds from the entire hemisphere from Patagonia to the Arctic, while the wildlife in the basin ranges from snakes to puma and even black bear.

 

Day 4: Chisos Basin Exploration & Lajitas Trails
10-15 miles options on the smooth Lajitas Trails

In the morning before leaving our hideaway in the Chisos Mountains, we’ll head out on a hike of 5 to 8-miles. The Chisos Basins’ trails flora and fauna are world class attracting ornithologists from all over the world.

After shuttling out of the Chisos Mountains we spend the afternoon on the smooth and flowy Lajitas Trails just outside the National Park.

 

Day 5: The Contrabando Trails! 
15 to 25 miles of singletrack & dual track trail

Welcome to the Other Side of Nowhere!

Today we’ll head out into the backcountry of  Big Bend Ranch State Park – perhaps one of the most remote areas in all the continental US.  The route begins with a mix of singletrack and dual track dirt roads.  At around the 10-mile point in the ride, we will have an option to add about 8-9 miles to the ride by circumnavigating Contrabando Dome. After the Dome, we circle back towards the trailhead.

We then load the bikes and shuttle back to Alpine, Texas (3pm) and then El Paso, Texas  (7:00 pm local time).

 

Video of mountain biking within Big Bend Ranch State Park:

 

Big Bend Texas MTB Tour: Logistics & FAQs

Bike Shipping

Lizard Head Cycling recommends shipping with BikeFlights.com. Bikes can be shipped either to our partner bike shop in each meeting town for professional assembly or directly to the meeting hotel for self-assembly. Bike boxes can generally be left at the meeting hotel during the tour. Bikes shipped across the continental US should be shipped 8 days prior to your tour.

General Tour & Cancellation Policies

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with all of our tour and cancellation policies, which can be found by clicking here.

Travel Insurance

If you have not already, now would be a great time to consider adding travel insurance to your tour. You are welcome to use any travel insurance company you would like. We recommend Generali/Trip Mate.

American Guests - use this link: http://www.generalitravelinsurance.com/get-a-quote.html?partner=LIZA0855

• The Premium Plan is the only plan which offers Pre-Existing coverage so long as the plan is purchased prior to Final Payment.
• The Premium Plan is the only plan that offers an optional Cancel For Any Reason - the policy must be purchased within 24 hours of initial trip deposit, the full trip cost must be insured, and if they cancel for Any Reason, it must be 48 hours prior to departure, and the reimbursement for an Any Reason claim is 60% of pre-paid, insured, non-refundable trip cost.
• Customer Service can be reached at 1-800-874-2442 for coverage questions and policy modifications or to purchase by phone. Agency Code: LIZA0855

Canadian Guests - use this link: https://tripmate.catravelins.ca/?utm_source=lizardhead