Priscilla Aguirre Nov. 9, 2021
After a 20-month closure, the largest national park in Texas will soon reopen an entry point that provides access to a village in Mexico. Last week, Big Bend National Park announced in a news release it will allow pedestrians to access the Boquillas Port of Entry starting Wednesday, November 17. The entrance allows access to the village of Boquillas, Coahuila, Mexico, as well as the Maderas del Carmen and Ocampo protected areas.
The Boquillas crossing has remained closed since March 2020 as part of the nationwide U.S. Department of Homeland Security closure of the border to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus, according to Big Bend.
Visitors will be able to cross into Mexico by foot (during low water) or by rowboat ferry (for a fee) during business hours only. This port of entry does not accommodate vehicle crossings or commercial importation of products. There is no other legal access to Mexico within Big Bend National Park.
Proper documentation is required to cross. U.S. and Canadian citizens can cross with a valid passport. Travelers should also have their COVID-19 vaccination status available. For complete information on other accepted travel documents, contact U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Presidio at 432-229-3349.
The national park sprawls over 801,100 acres in West Texas near Alpine. Big Bend is a hiker’s paradise with more than 150 miles of desert and mountains trails to explore. There are also four developed campgrounds as well as primitive backcountry camping.
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