Tuff Canyon Overlook in Big Bend barely qualifies as a hike at just 0.5 miles roundtrip. We actually clocked it at around 0.4, but park literature has it at half a mile. This hike, though, is an easy, fun walk to a deep canyon of white volcanic tuff rock. It is very easy and a great place to get the kids out of the car.
The trailhead for the Tuff Canyon Overlook is located on the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive near the Mules Ears. There is a nice parking area, and the trail runs back along the highway. It is almost perfectly flat for a very short distance. There are two different overlooks on this trail, and unfortunately there isn’t a loop, so you have to walk to each one separately.
The reason that you want to do this hike is because you can’t really get a view of the canyon without making this short walk. When you arrive at the edge of the canyon, there is a railing to keep the kids safe, and the canyon runs right at your feet. It is quite deep, but still a rather small canyon, and there are two places that you can get a nice picture. The walls are surprisingly white, due to the tuff, which is actually volcanic foam, which has hardened into rock.
Though we don’t classify Tuff Canyon Overlook in Big Bend as a hike, it is definitely worth the stop and short walk. Plan 20 minutes at this site to check out the unique canyon. For other family-friendly hikes in Big Bend National Park, use this Big Bend Kid Hikes post.
