Captain Pablo said:

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This is going to be terrible for business

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nai06 said:

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This is so unnecessary. That area has never been a hotspot for illegal border crossings (unless you count the random cows and horses that wander back and forth).

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jja79 said:

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nai06 said:

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This is so unnecessary. That area has never been a hotspot for illegal border crossings (unless you count the random cows and horses that wander back and forth).

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I grew up north of Big Bend and don't agree. I thought seeing Border Patrol helicopters and trucks chasing people was just normal life.

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No Spin Ag said:

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I went before it became a haven to the neuvo-bougie who love them Terlingua and Marfa, and once since.

And as with all things, the privileged and entitled do, they ruined everything that made that part of Texas unique and special.

Trump can build a twenty-foot wall around that entire part of Texas for all I care now.

That area used to be a real gem to this state. Used to.

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jja79 said:

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I grew up out there and now live in Arizona. Harsh terrain and difficult conditions don't seem to be an obstacle.

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TRD-Ferguson said:

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No, it is not. I've hiked, backtracked and driven the roads there for over 30 years. I rarely hike/backpack marked trails. I've camped in very remote places. I've see one "illegal". He was riding his horse back to Mexico after having purchased groceries at the Rio Grande Village store.

There is nothing south of there and it's a long way north to any "civilization". Yes, there are and have been illegal crossings. Here's what happens. The coyote gets them to the river south of Terlingua. They're almost dead. He points to the Terlingua lights and says "there's Midland" and leaves them. They never make Midland or anywhere else north of Terlingua.

The eminent domain of forcing landowners off their property to build the national park was to preserve it. What they are doing now is irresponsible and breaks that original promise.

If you haven't been there and spent time there and walked the land you can't possibly understand the potential damage this will do.

You mentioned you're an ultra runner. There is a guy on the Health & Fitness board who is too. I helped support his canyon to canyon run at Big Bend a few years ago. I was out there at 3am, alone, along the river waiting for him and his partner to arrive and refuel. I felt totally safe and would do it again. Do your run!

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Sweep4-2 said:

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jja79 said:

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I grew up out there and now live in Arizona. Harsh terrain and difficult conditions don't seem to be an obstacle.

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Good to know. I was planning on running an ultra-distance trail race there early next year, but sounds like I may need to do a bit more research on whether that's a good idea.

There's a ton of other fantastic places to race, so if Big Bend isn't a great option, I'll just replace it with something a bit further north.

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nai06 said:

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jja79 said:

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nai06 said:

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This is so unnecessary. That area has never been a hotspot for illegal border crossings (unless you count the random cows and horses that wander back and forth).

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I grew up north of Big Bend and don't agree. I thought seeing Border Patrol helicopters and trucks chasing people was just normal life.

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Specifically within the park its pretty minimal. Within the entire Big Bend sector there were about 3100 apprehensions in 2025 (down 74% since 2023).


And keep in mind the Big Bend Sector is massive. It covers 165K square miles including all of Oklahoma


Even if they stick to their "Smart Wall" idea, bulldozing new roads all across the park just isn't necessary.

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