4 years ago
Slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island and...
Slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island and located in the Chihuahuan Desert, Big Bend National Park is remote, rugged and breathtaking. The park is almost like a snapshot of the American Southwest and includes a range of habitats from desert scrubland, rocky hills, forested mountains, and riverside oases. Common flora include prickly pear and other cacti, agaves, ocotillo, creosote bushes, mesquite, euphorbia, desert willow, and mixed conifer and deciduous forest at higher elevations. One can also see jackrabbits and cottontails, javelinas, rattlesnakes, millipedes, spiders, vultures, and rarely sighted golden eagles, coyotes, black bears, and mountain lions. Several tropical species of birds reach the northern limit of their ranges here. Some of the highlights of my visit were driving the back roads of the park in a Jeep Wrangler, hiking the Telephone Canyon, Lost Mine, and Santa Elena Canyon trails, visiting the Fossil Discovery exhibit, the Rio Grande hot springs, the abandoned Mariscal cinnabar mine, and camping in the middle of the desert with only the wind and stars for company. Many areas of the park are only accessible by unimproved dirt roads, so to really experience all that Big Bend has to offer, I strongly recommend that you visit in a vehicle with high clearance and 4x4 drive. Also be aware that the remote and wild nature of Big Bend presents some risks. Temperatures over 100F/40C are common and carrying adequate water is essential. Fuel supplies are limited and cell service is virtually non-existent. Many of the plants are covered in vicious thorns and spines. Assassin bugs can transmit Chagas disease. Venomous snakes are widespread and mountain lions lurk throughout the park. Animal encounters are especially common in the evening, at night, or in the early morning hours. My friend found a large rattlesnake coiled up not 15 feet from his tent, and I saw mountain lion tracks near the Rio Grande hot springs and our second campsite at Paint Gap. Big Bend is definitely worth the visit despite its dangers. The busiest season is in spring and fall due to high summer temperatures. We visited in mid May and while the afternoons can get uncomfortably hot, we had a great time and we had the place mostly to ourselves. I would recommend that you take at least 3-4 days to explore the park. If you need a break from the wilderness, visit the Starlight Theatre in Terlingua for good food, drinks, live music, and some local color.