In May 2023, we set out on our “Let’s Visit Four National Parks” EV road trip, with Big Bend National Park as one of our most anticipated stops.
Tucked into the remote southwest corner of Texas, Big Bend offers stunning desert landscapes, rugged mountains, and star-filled skies, with not a single public or private EV charger in sight.
EV Road Trip to Big Bend National Park: The Challenge
Our destination was Terlingua, a quiet desert town just outside Big Bend National Park. At the time, EV charging options were nonexistent, so we had to plan carefully.
The goal: spend two full days exploring Big Bend in our EV, then make it north to the Electrify America charger in Fort Stockton via US Highway 385.
The challenge was simple: enjoy the park without creating an expensive towing bill.
We explored the park’s vast beauty, from desert trails to canyon overlooks, and still had enough charge to confidently head north along US 385, rolling into Fort Stockton with battery to spare and a sense of accomplishment that only EV road trippers will truly understand.
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EV Charging at Big Bend National Park: How We Pulled It Off
The lack of private and public chargers required more thought than our usual color-coded dots on an atlas EV road trip planning method.
We needed enough charging capability in Terlingua to spend two days exploring the park and still make the 155-mile trek back to Fort Stockton.
Paisano Village RV Park & Inn, Turlingua, Texas
Our journey began on US Highway 285, rolling south from Cline’s Corner with a quick opportunity charge in Roswell, New Mexico.
After a full top-off in Artesia, the last public EV charging station before Carlsbad Caverns, we pushed onward, knowing the next stretch would test our range and my nerves.
We followed US Highway 62 toward Texas, eventually limping into the Electrify America charging station in Van Horn.
With a full charge and a sigh of relief, we cruised along US Highway 90 through Marfa. Sadly, it was far too sunny to spot the mysterious Marfa Lights. At Alpine, we turned south on Texas State Highway 118 for the final 83-mile stretch to Terlingua.
As our battery dipped to 14%, I began bracing myself for a possible towing bill and that dreaded “You screwed up” look from Cheryl.
Thankfully, salvation came in the form of a reliable RV 14-50, 50 amp plug at Paisano Village RV Park & Inn.
Our hosts saved my ego, our battery, and our budget.
The following morning, fully charged and ready to go, we set off to explore the vast beauty of Big Bend National Park. After a full day of desert scenery, mountain roads, and canyon views, we returned to Terlingua beneath a sky bursting with stars, plugged in, and settled in for the night.
With a 100% charge the next morning, we headed north on US Highway 385, crossing the park, passing the Border Patrol station, and eventually reaching the Electrify America charger in Fort Stockton.
From there, our EV road trip continued toward Oklahoma City.
Thanks to a little planning and some generous hosts, we spent our time sweating over the West Texas heat instead of our battery percentage.
EV Sight Seeing Big Bend National Park: Visual Highlights
To be blunt, Big Bend National Park is one of the most visually stunning places in America I have visited.
There’s something about its isolation that makes the scenery feel even bigger. If you’re willing to venture a little farther from the conveniences of the interstate, the reward is a landscape unlike almost anywhere else.
Our exploration of Big Bend National Park began at the main visitor center at Panther Junction, about 30 miles inside the park.
After picking up our essential “we were there” park magnet, we continued east toward Boquillas Canyon Overlook, passing the port of entry to Boquillas del Carmen. Along the way, a colorful roadside display of handmade souvenirs caught our attention.
The little honor-system market offered an interesting reminder that Mexico was just across the Rio Grande.
Heading west, we turned onto Maxwell Scenic Drive for 22 miles of sweeping desert views on our way toward Castolon. Unfortunately, the last eight miles toward the Rio Grande were underwater, bringing our descent, along with our hopes for riverside views and world peace, to an abrupt end.
So, back uphill we went.
We eventually turned east and took the winding Chisos Basin Road into the mountains.
Our destination was dinner at the Chisos Mountains Lodge, where we enjoyed a feast for both the palate and the eyes. The lodge store also provided a fun collection of souvenirs, including, most importantly, a pair of Big Bend National Park socks.
Because every great national park adventure apparently requires appropriate footwear.
As we headed back toward our cottage in Terlingua, the spectacular Chisos Mountains glowed in shades of purple and green against a fiery orange sky.
It was one of those moments when you stop talking, look around, and simply take it all in.
But our day wasn’t over quite yet.
At 1:00 a.m., we climbed back out of bed for one last adventure and drove toward the park to stargaze.
With very little artificial light around us, the night sky stretched from horizon to horizon.
After a day already filled with desert colors, mountain roads, and sweeping views, standing beneath that enormous West Texas sky was the perfect ending.
Amp’d Advice: Always put safety first when exploring the park’s trails. Register your plans with the park rangers and carry essential gear so you’re prepared for unexpected situations (okay, maybe not alien abduction, but everything else).
EV Driving in Big Bend National Park: What Worked for Us
Planning ahead prevented “the look” and a potentially embarrassing tow to Fort Stockton.
Efficient driving, lower speeds, and regenerative braking also helped us stretch our battery through a roughly 12-hour day exploring the park.
Sunset over the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park
Overnight EV Charging
We had contacted Paisano Village RV Park & Inn the previous spring to reserve a delightfully comfortable cottage. They also allowed us to use our portable EV charger with an RV electrical pedestal located about 20 steps from our cottage door.
This was my first time using our portable charger at an RV park, and I was a little concerned about the electrical connection.
To give myself some peace of mind, I brought a Progressive Industries Portable 50 AMP RV Surge Protector to plug into the pedestal. From there, I connected my Lectron Level 2 40 AMP EV Charger with a 25-foot cable.
The setup worked wonderfully.
After settling into our cottage, I managed to irritate the RV park patrons when our Kia loudly announced:
“Charging started!”
That feature was rapidly disabled.
EV Driving Efficiency in Big Bend
Most of our driving inside the park stayed around 35 mph, a great speed for stretching an EV battery’s range.
A play on the old saying “what goes up must come down” described many of the roads through Big Bend. We set our regenerative braking higher and let the car recapture some energy on the long descents.
Every little bit helped.
One thing I refuse to do, however, is suffer inside a hot car just to squeeze out a little more range.
Forget that.
I’m going to be comfortable, and the air conditioning is staying on.
Fortunately, Big Bend’s lower driving speeds and frequent sightseeing stops helped our overall efficiency enough that running the AC wasn't much of a concern.
It did, however, remain absolutely essential for controlling West Texas heat and armpit odor.
Some EV road trip compromises simply aren’t worth making.
EV Road Trip in the Desert (Over) Heat
Our late-May visit brought daytime temperatures close to 100 degrees. That was hot enough while walking around and even worse inside a parked car.
Whenever we parked, we took the extra 20 seconds to put up our Windshield Sunshade Umbrella.
Outside the car, our sun hats helped protect us from the sun and cut down on the glare.
Water was even more important.
We normally travel with three or four bottles each in our cooler, but for Big Bend we carried around 20 bottles.
That might sound excessive until you consider how remote this part of Texas really is. Things don't always go according to plan, and getting stranded in the desert without enough water wasn't a risk we were willing to take.
What I hadn’t expected was how hot the EV battery would get after a full day of driving.
When we returned to Terlingua, I had to let the car cool down for three to four hours before it would charge without giving us problems.
The day we arrived, temperatures had been milder and charging began immediately. After our second day of desert driving, however, we had to wait until after our late-night stargazing adventure before charging could begin.
It became one more lesson from the road: EV travel through the desert isn't necessarily difficult, but the heat deserves respect.
Plan ahead, carry plenty of water, dress appropriately, and don't be afraid to slow down.
After all, slowing down is one of the reasons we're out here in the first place.
Every EV trip starts with PlugShare to research destinations and charging options
Our mantra is simple: we design our route - because adventure shouldn’t be outsourced to a GPS.
Once we pick a destination, I dive into PlugShare for charger intel while Cheryl brings the magic by charting each stop on our paper atlas, giving us a colorful, big‑picture snapshot of the journey.
That blend of EV tech and old‑school wanderlust keeps our planning smooth, colorful, and unmistakably SightSee EV. Check out the full article to see how this combo keeps our road trips smooth and fun!
Birds Eye Review: Big Bend Is Worth the EV Adventure
West Texas is so much more than Interstate 10 and El Paso.
Turn south into Big Bend Country and push your comfort zone a little. What waits beyond the interstate is a landscape of desert, mountains, canyons, wildlife, and enormous skies that seems to stretch forever.
Terlingua made a wonderful base for our visit, with lodging, places to eat, and even a quirky little grocery store for stocking up before racing the roadrunners across the park.
Big Bend required more EV planning than many of our national park visits, but that became part of the adventure rather than something that took away from it.
And honestly, that's something I've come to appreciate about EV road trips.
They occasionally encourage us to slow down, plan differently, and venture into places we might otherwise drive right past.
Big Bend was one of those places.
We came for the national park. We found sunrises, desert plants, wildlife, winding mountain roads, an unbelievable midnight sky, and enough shades of brown, red, green, purple, and orange to completely change my definition of desert.
And somewhere along the way, we proved to ourselves that an EV could take us farther into West Texas than we might once have believed.
Leave the interstate behind, push your comfort zone just a little, and discover what’s waiting down the road.
Big Bend was another unforgettable stop on our journey along The Great American Electric Highway.
John's mission is to help readers see that electric vehicles are simply cars powered by a different energy source, capable of taking us anywhere we want to go. His favorite way to share that message?
Road-tripping along the Great American Electric Highway, where every mile offers an opportunity to visit family, reconnect with friends, and discover America's scenic beauty.
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After buying an electric car, the most important steps are learning how to charge at home, becoming familiar with public charging stations, understanding how weather affects range, improving driving efficiency, and gradually taking longer trips. These skills help new EV owners build confidence and enjoy their vehicle's full capabilities.