hot springs historic district

Was cool to visit. Short walk from parking. Kids sat with feet in and enjoyed the hot water. To many people soaking in the water for us to get fully in however nice place to visit.

We spent two hours walking around in the Hot Springs area. Plenty to see and do. We enjoyed sitting in the warm springs on the Rio Grande. Bring a towel.

The ruins of the former resort gave a gray adobe humanity to the are by the parking area and the walk to the rock paintings reminded us of how long man has been using this area. The silt is very sticky as you try to avoid the softest part of the trail.

The drive in was pretty cool... once there you see some of the old buildings and pretty rock formations. But, overall, the view is pretty much what you've been seeing all along the drive to the Rio Grande Village. There are prettier parts to the park than this.

Wander the trails, peek into the old structures of this historic resort and end your visit with a soak. Only the base of this historic spa building remains so you can look out on the river as you soak. Bring a towel and non slip shoes the stones are slick.

This is a collection of ruins from the early 1900s for the most part of a small hot springs-resort/ healing center. The hot springs (two on the American side and three on the Mexican side) function but they are nothing more than what is left of the century-old U.S. facility developed by the Langford (and Natividad) family. As such, the hot springs are modest beyond belief and aresomewhat of an embarrassment to the NPS. Why not spend some money and make this little historic area into a major tourist attraction within the greater Big Bend National Park? It could still be "green" but would be producing revenues of a significant size as well. If Uncle Sam can't afford to upgrade the site, give it to a concessionaire who can.

The ruins are indeed not much. they are not worth the trip. What is worth it is the soak in the hot springs and the drive there down the dirt road. The road can take any car but it is rutted and bumpy. There is a section where only one care can go at a time and if you drive off the road you fall into a dry creekbed, but it's totally not a problem. Might be scary. Bring a towel and bathing suit and walk the short walk to the spring. It can be muddy after a rain and it is not sanitary or clean in the sense of a chlorinated pool. It's more of a spot on the river you just sit in. but it's still fun and a once in a lifetime experience. Glad i went.

You can reach the hot spring (but there is very little left of it) from the parking lot or via the trail. We chose the trail and walk the +/_ 6.5 miles mid September 2014 (get a map from the visitor center for details). It was very warm without any clouds. As mentioned on the information sheet, there is no shade (but we found some at mid distance behind a rock at lunchtime) and you should be very careful because its really very warm out there at noon. My wife had many difficulties to come back (she was exhausted by the heat) and, if we repeat this, we will sure be more careful. Take plenty of water and avoid the warmest hours of the day. You will sure enjoy it.

I don't know what I was expecting but this was certainly not it! We were told from the beginning to not expect much, but I am an optimist. The gravelly road to get to the parking lot was hot and scary on its own. One car was leaving as we pulled in. No one was here....why? Pick up a trail guide at the trailhead for a good history lesson. Along the trail are the ruins of an old home, a post office, and a motor court. All of these date to the 1920's. The post office and motor court's doors have wires across them but peep inside at the painted murals. Along the steep rocks are pictographs from prehistoric people.But where were the hot springs? Finally it dawned on us that we were looking at them. The springs are in the foundation of the old bathhouse that is about 8' by 8'. It was all silty and nasty looking so i didn't go in.The trail is located in the desert next to the Rio Grande and was very hot. Glad I went though to see the ruins, the Rio Grande and the pictographs. Still an optimist!

We loved soaking in the natural hot springs. If it gets too hot, just jump into the Rio Grande to cool off. We also enjoyed the petroglyphs as well. The geology of the area was very interesting. We highly recommend it.

OK, I'll admit I am a hot spring junkie...have traveled the world and been to many. This was hands down THE WORST hot spring I've ever been to EVER! BEWARE!!! It is right beside the Rio Grande River that reeked of sewage. There were what appeared to be pollution/ detergent-looking bubbles in the water and around the banks. The historic hot pool, encased in cement was full of muck and mud and the water was filthy. The only clear spot was where the hot spring came up from the ground. I made the mistake of stepping into the pool and my sandal got stuck in the muck and broke so I had to limp back to the car with burned feet on a 92 degree day! Thinking: what a fool I was for not realizing how dangerous these polluted waters were BEFORE I stuck my fricking foot in! Keep in mind that 3rd world Mexico is right on the other side of the river and God knows what they are throwing in there! I think you can use your imagination to figure this one out. This is a WARNING: if you have a cut, a low immune system, or children with you, please be advised that soaking in this hot spring by the Rio Grande may lead to your demise. Just smell the stench in the air and you will know what I am talking about. I didn't feel particularly safe in this park and would NEVER consider camping out here. This was a long drive for a very disappointing day. I couldn't get out of there fast enough!

The Hot Springs buildings are abandoned and lacking doors and windows. The fact that they are constructed of stone probably explains why they are still standing. The trail along the river is pretty, but the Hot Springs are just a concrete tub about 20' x 20' square. A number of people were soaking in the springs, but others had opted to swim in the Rio Grande itself.

I went here as part of my big bend canoe trip. We halted here for lunch. I did not take change of clothes and so did not enter the hot spring but there were a lot of people soaking themselves in. I might not have soaked myself even if I had change of clothes. The water is supposed to be containing a lot of minerals and good for the body. I am not sure how one reaches here by road. There is ONE rest room (for both men and women and you can see a loooooong queue outside the room). There are some petroglyphs on the wall around this place. I also saw some handicrafts being sold by Mexicans. Not sure if they came in from the neighboring vilage.

The hot springs is my last destination in Big Bend National Park. The driving road to hot spring is very narrow and is a big challenge to your driving skill. The hot spring is not so big as I thought and the water is not clean enough. If you don't have enough time, hot spring should be your last optional destination in Big Bend.

here are the remains of a one time resort along the banks of the rio grande river. palm trees, motel rooms, general store and what remains of the hot springs bath house, which was destroyed by a flood, are worth the short walk. people still use the remains of the foundation of the hot springs to soak and relax.