Big Bend National Park is one of the most remote parks in the United States — it can be a challenge to get to since it's not really near anything which is really half of the adventure.
By Public Transportation
There is no public transportation into the park, so you'll need to provide your own.
Farther Out
From San Antonio, you have two options. The fastest route is to take I-10 west to Fort Stockton then take US-385 south to Marathon; around 440 mi 708 km total. The other option is technically shorter, less traveled, and much more scenic, but has lower speed limits — take US-90 west through Del Rio then continue to Marathon; a total of about 397 mi 639 km. On the latter route there are no services after Del Rio until you reach tiny Sanderson; a distance of about 120 mi 193 km.
From Austin, take US-290 west until you reach I-10, then continue west until Fort Stockton as on the San Antonio route; about 465 mi 748 km total.
From Dallas/Fort Worth, take I-20 west to Midland-Odessa then take TX-18 south to Fort Stockton; from there it's the same as the San Antonio route for a total trip of around 570 mi 917 km.
By plane
There are no landing strips in the park. The largest commercial airport is at El Paso; the rest are smaller, local gateways. Once you've arrived, you'll need to drive the rest of the way to the park. The nearest commercial airports are:
Del Rio International Airport (DRT)
(http://www.cityofdelrio.c...) at Del Rio. From Del Rio simply take US-90 west to Marathon; a total trip of about 240 mi 386 km.El Paso International Airport (ELP)
(http://www.elpasointernat...) at El Paso, this is also the nearest large city. From El Paso, take I-10 east to Van Horn, then take US-90 southeast through Marfa then to Alpine — it will turn into US-67 en route. The total distance is about 330 mi 531 km.Midland International Airport (MAF)
(http://www.midlandinterna...) at Midland, considered the gateway to the Big Bend region. From Midland-Odessa, take I-20 west then TX-18 south to Fort Stockton. From there take US-385 south to Marathon for a total of about 230 mi 370 km.San Angelo Regional Airport (SJT)
(http://www.mathisfield.com/) at San Angelo. From San Angelo take US-67 south to I-10, then head west until Fort Stockton and take US-385 south to Marathon. The total distance is about 300 mi 483 km.There is also a small airport at Lajitas but it does not appear to be open to the public yet.
By car
Services between towns range from limited-to-nonexistent and distances are vast, so stock up on gas, water, and other essentials beforehand and re-stock whenever possible. However, roads are in good condition and points of interest are well-marked qualities generally shared throughout the Texas highway system. Although the roads here can be extremely lonely, don't get lulled into thinking it's safe to speed — the area is regularly patrolled by cops. The roads are also scenic and sometimes quite curvy, so it pays to take it slow.
All major roads into the park now have Border Patrol checkpoints, although they are not always manned. If there is a flashing light posted outside, you'll have to stop and you may get asked a few questions or inspected. It's generally not a hassle if you've got nothing to hide.
There are two entrances to the park and three main routes to reach them:
US-385
south from Marathon. This is the fastest route when approaching from points east. This route leads to the north entrance of the park at Persimmon Gap after about 40 mi 64 km, then another 30 mi 48 km south to park headquarters.TX-118
south from Alpine. This is the quickest route from the west. There is a bit more development along this stretch compared to the Marathon route but they are equally scenic. The small communities of Study Butte-Terlingua lie near the end of the route. Shortly afterward, the west entrance to the park is reached at Maverick Junction — about 75 mi 121 km to this point, then another 25 mi 40 km east to park headquarters.Ranch Road 170
east from Presidio. This is the quickest route to Big Bend if coming from Mexico or Presidio and arguably the most scenic route; from anywhere else it's the slowest route. Ranch Road 170 follows the Rio Grande River, hemmed in by foreboding mountains. In sections it's akin to a roller coaster ride and can get very steep; it's not for the faint of heart or those driving RVs or other long vehicles. Towards the end you'll pass Lajitas and then join up with Tex. 118 near Study Butte-Terlingua, for a distance of about 65 mi 105 km to that junction, then another 30 mi 48 km or so to park headquarters.