Heavy equipment is inside the park, and two access points are closed
Federal contractors moved heavy equipment into Big Bend National Park on August 4. Clearing was documented August 6 to 8 by Texas Monthly, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Big Bend Sentinel. On August 12 the Park Service closed Old Maverick Road and part of the Santa Elena boat launch, citing public safety.
The work is a border access road and vehicle barriers near Santa Elena Canyon, under a $1.7 billion Customs and Border Protection contract. It is possible because the Department of Homeland Security waived the environmental and preservation laws that normally govern building in a park.
What is actually being built
The contractor is Southwest Valley Constructors Co., a Kiewit Corp. unit, on a task order issued in May 2026 that ENR values at $1.72 billion. Per ENR, National Parks Traveler and the Immigration Policy Tracking Project, the scope is about 17 miles of noncontiguous low-profile vehicle barriers, steel posts and rails at alternating 4-foot and 6-foot heights, plus roughly 205 miles of patrol road improvement, roads as wide as 24 feet.
The mileage figures describe different geographies and should not be added up. The 17 miles of barrier and 205 miles of road sit in and next to the park. NPR separately reports up to 175 miles of steel fencing on private land outside it, and the Texas Tribune describes 2 miles of 30-foot wall at Big Bend Ranch State Park, a separate property.
The waiver that made it possible
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin signed a waiver on June 8, 2026, published in the Federal Register the next day. It set aside the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the NPS Organic Act and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, among others, plus federal procurement competition rules.
The Center for Biological Diversity and National Parks Traveler both note this is the first time such protections have been waived inside a national park.
What is closed, and how to plan around it
Old Maverick Road, the 14-mile dirt road from Maverick Junction to Santa Elena Canyon, is closed to all vehicles under an order effective August 12. The eastern edge of the Santa Elena boat launch lot and the riverbank down to the Rio Grande high water mark are closed too, “until construction no longer poses a public danger.” No reopening date has been announced.
Santa Elena Canyon is still reachable, but only by Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, about 30 paved miles, the long way around. The trail into the canyon is not named in the order, though AllTrails lists it closed, so check nps.gov/bibe alerts before you drive out. The rest of the park, including Chisos Basin and Rio Grande Village, is not reported closed.
Is it a wall? Both answers are defensible
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott denies a 30-foot wall is going up here. CBP is “building one new access road, improving existing roads, installing detection technology, and placing vehicle barriers in limited, strategic locations,” he said, adding, “We will not leave Big Bend as an opening for cartels.” CBP also says there is no stadium lighting in the park.
Opponents do not dispute the height. They argue that 4-foot to 6-foot barriers, roads up to 24 feet wide and surveillance towers function as a barrier system whatever the parts are called. Both sides are accurate to their own definitions.
Survey work or clearing? The descriptions do not match
CBP has characterized the visible activity as survey and design work. Photographers and the National Parks Conservation Association documented cleared vegetation and graded ground in the same window.
CBP has also said construction sits in areas less frequently visited by guests, yet the closures landed on Old Maverick Road and the Santa Elena boat launch. Santa Elena is among the best known destinations in a park drawing more than 500,000 visitors a year.
Local opposition crosses party lines
Sen. John Cornyn has said, “My constituents believe that the 1,000-foot riverbank cliffs and remote Big Bend terrain offers its own source of deterrence.” Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland, a Republican, asked, “What security problem are we trying to solve?” and said, “We’ve got a God-made barrier.” Brewster County Judge Greg Henington said, “The terrain itself is a wall.” Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson, a Democrat, said, “It’ll ruin this county.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office is supportive, with press secretary Andrew Mahaleris describing the park as offering great opportunities to deploy technology. The crossing data is its own argument: the sector encounters fewer than 6 migrants a day, had the lowest crossing numbers on the Texas border in FY2025, and NBC News counts 734 encounters in FY2026, under 3 percent of the border total.
Three lawsuits, and a protest at the canyon
The Center for Biological Diversity sued in April 2026, challenging the waivers as unconstitutional. A Presidio economic development group sued in June over flooding risk. On August 14, People of La Junta for Preservation, a Lipan Apache nonprofit, joined by Far Flung Outdoor Center of Terlingua and two individuals, sued DHS in U.S. District Court in San Antonio, claiming religious freedom and archaeological site violations and seeking an injunction covering the barriers, roads, lighting, cameras and sensors. A federal judge declined to block construction in June.
About 150 people protested at Santa Elena Canyon on August 14. Advocacy groups are blunt: Laiken Jordahl of the Center for Biological Diversity calls it “the most heinous attack on an American national park in generations.” Those are their words, not ours. For lighter reading, our Big Brother 28 week 6 HOH nominations recap is here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Big Bend National Park still open?
Yes. Only Old Maverick Road, the eastern edge of the Santa Elena boat launch lot and the adjacent riverbank are closed. Chisos Basin, Rio Grande Village and the rest of the park are not reported closed.
How do I reach Santa Elena Canyon now?
Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, about 30 paved miles, is the only remaining approach. Old Maverick Road, the 14-mile dirt shortcut, is closed with no reopening date announced.
Is the Santa Elena Canyon Trail closed?
The closure order does not name the trail, but AllTrails currently shows it closed. Check the nps.gov/bibe alerts page or call the park before you go.
Who is doing the construction and what does it cost?
Southwest Valley Constructors Co., a Kiewit Corp. unit, under a CBP contract valued at $1.7 billion. ENR reports $1.72 billion, on a task order issued in May 2026.
Is a 30-foot border wall going up inside the national park?
CBP says no, describing barriers of 4 and 6 feet, one new access road, road improvements and detection technology. Opponents argue those pieces together function as a barrier system. The answer depends on the definition used.
How many border crossings does the Big Bend sector see?
Fewer than 6 migrants a day are encountered across the sector, which had the lowest crossing numbers on the Texas border in FY2025. NBC News reports 734 encounters there in FY2026, under 3 percent of the border total.
