Dugout Wells in Big Bend National Park is a historic desert oasis and picnic area with a short hike on the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail. It is a short dirt road to the parking area here.
This area was a cultural center of Big Bend in the early 1900s. At its height, there were a half dozen buildings including a schoolhouse.
Dugout Wells
There is a single windmill remaining that uses the wind to siphon water from the lowlands to create this oasis. There is a picnic table in the area here.
Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail
This nature trail is a .5 mile loop trail in Big Bend National Park. It is an easy desert stroll with natural and cultural history located at the Dugout Wells Picnic Area, six miles southeast of Panther Junction on the road to Rio Grande Village.
It is a popular area for hiking and birding. The wells typically create a year-round wet spot visited by migrants and birds of the desert.