Cattail Falls
Cattail Falls is an elusive waterfall in the canyon-filled desert of West Texas. In order to hike it, you definitely need to follow a few guidelines. The falls are a hike in from the road to Castalon. You must walk down the winding terrain of the dry land that slopes up from the base of the mountains around which the Cattail Falls are located in Big Bend National Park.
Instructions
Find the Cattail Falls
1. Go to Big Bend National Park. Cattail falls is off of highway 385 within Big Bend National Park. Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive is the closest surface road to the geologic feature. Follow Ross Maxwell Road southward; as you approach a ranch on the right hand side of the road a few miles in, you will also see on the left side of the road a passage that goes out into the wilderness and toward the mountain range. Follow this worn path down into the desert to a parking area, where there is a naturally occurring water source.
2. As you look toward the tree that crosses the water, go to the right of the basin; you will see here the start of the Cattail Falls Trail. From where you park you have about a two-mile hike. The beginning of the trail follows sharply downward, but then the trail goes gently up and down as you walk through the low desert.
3. Continue through the desert as the terrain shifts, trending upward. You will encounter steep rock walls as you approach the end of the trail. Persevere here, as the final reward is an unexpected waterfall and chilly pool in the middle of the desert. As you get closer to the Cattail Falls, you will start to hear them shower against the rocks.
Tags: Cattail Falls, Bend National, Bend National Park, National Park, Cattail Falls, Ross Maxwell, side road
