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Wild spring

Langford Hot Springs (Big Bend Hot Springs)

  • Free
  • 105°F
  • 8 hr 7 min from San Antonio
  • 0.25 mi hike

A 105F spring in the stone foundation of J.O. Langford's early-1900s bathhouse on the bank of the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park. It is a short walk from the Hot Springs historic district at the end of a 2-mile gravel road. NPS allows soaking only, with no soap, alcohol or glass, and the spring can be buried by river floods.

NPS (Nov 3, 2026): Hot Springs Road closed past the overflow lot until further notice (weather); walk about 1 mi extra round trip.

Rio Grande flowing past the riverside hot spring ledge at Langford Hot Springs (Big Bend Hot Springs), Rio Grande Village (Big Bend National Park), Texas
Photo: GregsTexas (facebook.com/GregsTexas), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Price
Free
Water
105°F
Nearest town
Rio Grande Village (Big Bend National Park)
From San Antonio
8 hr 7 min
Hike (one way)
0.25 mi

Plan your visit

Hours & season

Season
  • Open year-round
  • Rio Grande floods can submerge the spring and leave mud and rocks
  • It may need digging out afterward

Tickets & booking

Price
  • No soaking fee
  • Big Bend entrance fee $30 per vehicle or $15 per person, valid 7 days ($55 park annual pass)
AccessFree public access
Booking
  • No reservations
  • Day use only

Rules

DogsNo

On site

Pools1
Camping nearbyYes
Land managerNPS

Not stated by the land manager: swimwear, ages.

Soak responsibly

  • Pack out everything, including food scraps and toilet paper. Use WAG bags where required.
  • No soap, shampoo or sunscreen in the pools; rinse away from the water.
  • Check permits and closures with NPS before you go.
  • Keep groups small and give others space. Respect posted dog and camping rules.

Water temperature

Soaking-pool temperatures as published by the venue or land agency; they vary with season and flow.

The pools

PoolTemp
Bathhouse foundation poolSpring-fed pool in the old bathhouse foundation beside the Rio Grande.105°F

As published by the venue. Temperatures shift with the seasons and the weather.

What's here

  • 105F spring in the foundation of J.O. Langford's old bathhouse
  • beside the Rio Grande
  • historic post office and motel ruins
  • day use only
  • pictographs on the loop trail

Getting there

  • From San Antonio8 hr 7 min455 mi
  • From Alpine2 hr 38 min116 mi
  • From Midland (MAF)5 hr 7 min241 mi

Typical driving time without traffic or snow, to the closest road point; add the hike.

Elevation1,838 ft
Road
  • Gravel road, passable by cars
  • Hot Springs Road: 2 mi of gravel through a rough, narrow wash
  • No motorhomes or oversize vehicles on one-way sections
Hike0.25 mi one way
Trail
  • 0.5 mi round trip to the spring
  • The full Hot Springs Historic Trail is a 1-mile loop with about 200 ft of elevation change
Parking
  • Small dirt lot for high-clearance vehicles
  • RVs, trailers and low-clearance cars park farther up the road (about 1 mi extra round trip)

Things to do near Rio Grande Village (Big Bend National Park)

trail

Rio Grande Village Nature Trail

Easy 0.75-mi loop with a wetland boardwalk and a river overlook popular at sunset

trail

Boquillas Canyon Trail

About 1.4 mi round trip to the mouth of Boquillas Canyon on the Rio Grande; can be very hot

attraction

Boquillas Port of Entry

Crossing to Boquillas del Carmen, Mexico, with a passport; open Thu-Sun 9am-4pm

Nearby springs

Chinati Hot Springs: 113 mi · Blackstone Hotsprings: 371 mi · Charles Motel & Hotsprings: 371 mi

Sources (8)

· checked November 2026

Prices, hours and rules are checked against the official site and land-agency pages. Spot something out of date? Let us know.

  1. Official site: Soakinthesprings
  2. Official site: Hotsprings
  3. Official site: Hot springs canyon trailhead hot springs
  4. Official site: Conditions
  5. Official site: Fees
  6. home.nps.gov: Faqs
  7. Official site: Rio grande village nature trail
  8. Official site: River hikes