Summer heat and hiking Big Bend is a poor idea
I posted this as a response to someone asking about hiking and I feel like it deserves its own post.
This is a frank warning about this area from a long time local. We don't want you to die here. It happens to often
You tourists are insane hiking here in the afternoon of summer. Seriously.
Every single summer tourists die from the heat, with MANY needing to be rescued. About 2 years ago we lost a father from East Texas, his son, and his other son has burns down into the muscle from sitting on a rock with his deceased brother. Son got heat stroke, Dad got it trying to get help and drove off a cliff from disorientation.
A few months ago a "very fit" 65 yo male tourist died of a heart attack biking with his group. There is NO MEDICAL CARE HERE. The closest real hospital is Odessa or El paso. Big bend will TRY to stabilize you and then fly you out.
I'm very fit and live here and just tending to the animals on my ranch gets me close to heat exhaustion after 2 hours.
And just know, there is ONE ambulance in Terlingua and the park doesn't have ALS providers for their ONE ambulance. So keep in mind that when they have to spend HOURS trying to save you (it's well over an hour from the fire station to the most accessable areas in the park) because you thought July/August in one of the most unforgiving climates and terrain was a great idea, you have now taken out of service the ONLY ambulance for the entire south county. One ambulance is responsible from the checkpoint south. So think about how you will feel if someone else dies because of your poor decision.
Plus you are putting well over a dozen first responders at risk. It takes 8 responders to carry you out, and 8 to relieve them. Plus the initial crew that fast hikes (think almost runs - in that heat) to your location to assess you. Plus the ambulance crew.
A rolled ankle warrants the same response, and can also turn deadly from the heat. You didn't plan to have to have an additional 2-3 hours worth of water to wait for responders.
The trailheads have cameras so they can see who didn't come back out because it happens so often.
Please take a realistic look at your health and fitness level. Walking around parks in central/East Texas is NOTHING like big bend in the summer. If you workout, hard, outside, several days a week, maybe.
Enjoy hiking here. Bring a satellite phone to call for a rescue.