The Boquillas Port of Entry connecting Big Bend National Park with Boquillas del Carmen, Mexico, has reopened after a three-week closure caused by high water along the Rio Grande and hazardous conditions on the trail leading to the river.
The National Park Service now lists the crossing as open Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., restoring access to a remote Mexican village that depends heavily on tourism from visitors to Big Bend National Park.
The reopening follows weeks of uncertainty for residents and businesses in Boquillas del Carmen, where restaurants, guides, boat operators and artisans rely on visitors crossing the international boundary.
The crossing had been closed since at least mid-October after rising water made passage across the Rio Grande unsafe. An Oct. 19 National Park Service report confirmed that the port would remain closed until river levels receded and officials determined that crossing conditions were safe.
Although river levels subsequently dropped, thick mud along the trail to the riverbank continued to prevent the crossing from reopening.
As recently as Thursday, Nov. 5, park officials reported that approximately 100 feet of trail remained covered in extremely slippery mud, with no safe alternative route available. Officials kept the crossing closed Thursday and Friday and scheduled another inspection for Friday evening to determine whether it could reopen Saturday, Nov. 7.
The extended closure placed considerable economic pressure on Boquillas del Carmen, a community of approximately 200 residents across the Rio Grande from the national park.
During the shutdown, residents attempted to improve conditions themselves.
Boquillas Outfitters shared photographs on social media showing a man and a young girl identified as Camila using shovels to clear mud from the trail.
“Please reopen our crossing. We are really hurting,” the business wrote, illustrating the financial consequences of losing access to American tourists.
Visitors typically cross the Rio Grande by rowboat before traveling into the village, where they can eat at local restaurants, purchase handmade crafts, hire guides and explore the surrounding desert.
The Boquillas Port of Entry reopened in April 2013 after being closed for more than a decade following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Its restoration helped revive tourism and economic activity in the isolated border community.
The National Park Service identifies tourism as a principal reason for maintaining the crossing, which also supports cooperation between American and Mexican authorities on environmental protection and scientific research.
The reopening comes as the crossing enters its winter operating schedule. Visitors planning to travel to Boquillas must carry valid passports and comply with immigration requirements on both sides of the border.
The port is currently listed as open Thursday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., although operations remain subject to weather, river conditions and safety restrictions.
