Cattail Canyon
verified
ACA 4B
High flood risk
Terlingua, TX
Big Bend's signature technical descent. Eleven plus miles of approach, descent, and exit with a 425 ft free rappel down Bryan's Falls.
The Chisos Basin to Oak Spring shuttle is roughly 30 minutes of driving each way; plan logistics carefully. NPS pages note that rescue capacity here is effectively zero and the rangers actively discourage attempts. Bring serious cold-water layers even in cool season; the pools stay cold year round in the deep shaded basalt walls.
Logistics
| Manager | NPS Big Bend National Park |
|---|---|
| Permit | No canyoneering permit required. Park entrance fee $30/vehicle, 7 day. NPS actively discourages descents and emphasizes the lack of rescue capability in this part of the park. |
| Distance | 11.4 RT |
| Elevation | ~1,500 ft gain on approach, ~2,400 ft loss on descent, ~540 ft loss on exit |
| Time | 11-16 hr |
| Technical | Grade 4B IV (v4a2 VI). 9 rappels, longest is Bryan's Falls at 425 ft. Basalt walls. Mandatory swims through cold pools. Multiple committing sections with limited escape. Poison ivy and poison oak at the base of R5 and R6. Most remote and most technically difficult descent in Big Bend. |
| Season | Oct, Nov, Feb, Mar |
| Flood risk | Moderate to high. Long committed canyon with no escape from a flood event once below R3. Cancel on any forecast of rain in the Chisos drainage. |
| Vehicle access | 2WD |
| Crowd | Solitude likely |
| Coordinates | 29.2684, -103.3022 |