Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park

State: Texas

Established: 1935

Area: 1250 sq. mi.

Big Bend National Park is in south-western Texas, on the frontier with Mexico, round the great bend in the Rio Grande from which it takes its name. Lying at altitudes of between 1870 ft and 7875 ft, it is made up of three different zones: the valley of the Rio Grande, the desolate landscape of the Chihuan Desert and the Chisos Mountains. Thanks to its great extent and to its range of altitudes it is home to over 400 species of birds, including the golden eagle and the roadrunner, and over 1100 species of plants - a paradise for nature lovers. The park is open throughout the year. The best months for a visit are March and April. In summer it is often extremely hot. Visitors should fill up with gas before driving to Big Bend: there are only two filling stations in the park, both closing at 5 p.m. There are only 74 hotel rooms in the park and these are often fully booked a year in advance, so prior reservation is essential. Better accommodation is available in Terlingua, Alpine and Ford Stockton, and camp sites can be found in Chisos Basin and Rio Grande Village. The main car park is at Panther Junction (junction of the U.S. 385 and TX 118).

Altogether the park has some 240 mi. of hiking trails. Among the shorter routes are the Lost Mine Trail, a 5 mi. nature trail affording beautiful views, the Window Trail and 17 mi. of other waymarked trails in the Chisos Mountains. There are a number of longer trails into the desert, allowing hikes of several days. On these trails it is essential to take enough drinking water - at least 7 pints per person per day.

Apart from the flora and fauna the great attractions of Big Bend National Park are the three canyons on the Rio Grande, the Mariscal, Boquillas and Santa Elena Canyons, with rock faces rising almost 1650 ft above the river, and the Chisos Mountains, with Emory Peak (7835 ft), once a refuge of the Comanche Indians, a region of wild gorges, precipitous rock faces and gentle valleys.

Boat trips through the breathtaking canyons on the Rio Grande can be booked in the Park headquarters.