Big Bend's rustic aspects are what appeal to me most. Its seclusion is seductive. If "roughing it" is your thing, rafting the river or backpacking in this area would be a satisfying endeavor. If you are just into day hikes, and want a soft bed at night, this might be arranged in advance; or if you go in the off season, as I prefer doing, there are usually plenty of rooms available. I didn't feel like roughing it on my last trip, so I stayed at the Badlands Hotel in Lajitas for two nights at reduced summer rates. Lajitas is in between both parks. It is a restored frontier town right on the river, complete with a free-roaming donkey that wanders the roads unafraid of the occasional traffic. I drove from Lajitas to the State Park for the day hike through Closed Canyon; the next day I drove to the National Park and Terlingua to take pictures. Then I stayed at the Chisos Basin Lodge, at the base of the South Rim trail, so that I could get up early, do the 15 mile hike around the South Rim, and crash immediately upon return. It's always a good idea to check ahead of time, if you want accommodations other than camping. Camping is on a first come, first serve basis. The visitor centers offer information on the volcanic origins of the Chisos Mountain Range that juts up dramatically out of the plains. You can also gather all of the necessary info on the plant and animal wildlife there, and there is definitely information that you should be aware of. I had the wonderful opportunity of running into a black bear-- almost literally. I was struggling up the trail to the South Rim, head down, looking at the trail map. When I looked up, there he was-- this large black thing lumbering from side to side swinging his head and sniffing around. He was only about 20 or 30 feet away. I started sidestepping off of the tail to give him plenty of space to pass. Then I decided to try for the ultimate hiking photo. When I started adjusting my camera, he heard the unnatural sounds and stood up on his hind legs-- the most perfect pose that I could have asked for. But, alas, the perfect shot is not what I got. He took one look at me and turned tail and ran. I got a blurry picture of his backside. My auto focus camera would have been a blessing that time. The black bears are not considered dangerous, but can be bothersome, because they raid campsites for food. The mountain lions, on the other hand, have been known to be aggressive. The visitor centers warn you about hiking alone, but sometimes "we gotta do what we gotta do" or not do at all.
