Canoeing Mariscal Canyon

June 9, 2025

Larger Image > Facebook | Flickr

Scenic view of canoers experiencing the Big Bend Mariscal Canyon ... the narrowest and deepest of the Rio Grande Canyons along with being the most remote ... It is also the shortest canyon in the park, 10 miles long, with varied scenery and stunning limestone cliffs rising up to 1,400 feet with a total trip length of 10 miles. Its Rockpile and Tight Squeeze (bottom left) rapids require careful navigation at high or low water levels.

Moreover, the need for a high clearance vehicle to reach Mariscal Canyon, should makes it a wonderful remote day or overnight river memorable trip.

Mariscal can be floated in a day at Rio Grande River water levels above 300 CFS. A few Class II-III rapids (depending water levels) give this excursion some excitement. At water levels above 1000 CFS open boats should use caution.

From an elevation of less than 1,800 feet along the Rio Grande to nearly 8,000 feet in the Chisos Mountains, the Big Bend National Park (located in Southwest Texas) includes massive canyons, vast desert expanses, forested mountains, and the ever-changing Rio Grande River. Visitors enjoy scenic vistas, diverse wildlife, outdoor adventure, historic sites, dark skies, and border culture.

Image created by USA Patriotism! from U.S. National Park Service photo by Jennette Jurado.

More U.S. National Parks Photos | U.S. National Park Service