Santa Elena Canyon
Rio Grande • CO, NM, TX
Length
20.0 mi
Difficulty
Class II-IV
Shuttle
13 mi / 25 min
🪪 Permit required
— Big Bend National Park (NPS)
— Apply ↗
Big Bend's signature canyon — 1,500-foot sheer limestone walls and the
famous Rock Slide, a Class IV boulder jumble that's the crux of the run.
Typically a 1-2 day trip from Lajitas to the Santa Elena trailhead. A
Big Bend NP river permit is required.
✓ Real river route loaded