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Few US parks are as remote as Big Bend - the two main northern entrances are both over an hours drive from any mainstream town, and the nearest city is El Paso, 300 miles to the west. Despite the isolation, visitation has been steadily increasing in recent years as more people learn about the fantastic mixture of desert, mountain and canyon scenery within and around the park.
The dominant feature of Big Bend National Park is the Rio Grande River, the course of which runs generally northwest from the Gulf of Mexico but takes a long diversion south of several mountain ranges before turning back north towards New Mexico; the national park sits in the lower part of this 'big bend', adjacent to the international border. Three major canyons fall within the park boundary; Santa Elena, Marsical and Boquillas, between which the river flows through desert land that is wild and mostly unreachable.
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North of the Rio Grande the park is mostly arid and rocky with only limited access by paved roads, a part of the great Chihuahuan Desert that extends across much of north Mexico into Texas. Plant life is particularly varied and plentiful, with over 60 species of cacti plus other spiky plants. Landscape features include narrow canyons, colorful eroded badlands, sand dunes and desert oases.
One prominent exception, and for some people the main reason to visit Big Bend National Park, are the Chisos Mountains, a huge, angular range of cliffs and rocky peaks rising to 7,825 feet in the centre of the park. In these tree-covered slopes the hot desert is far away and many trails give access to a cool, sheltered world, inhabitants of which include black bears and mountain lions.
Fees at Big Bend increased on Jan 1st 2007, from $15 to $20 per vehicle, and to $10 per person. |
The Southeast - a region of empty desert, with two large canyons along the Rio Grande
The Southwest - colorful badlands, desert plains and the most scenic river canyon
Park Map - map and aerial photography of Big Bend National Park
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Chisos Mountains - dramatic mountain range at the centre of the park
Surroundings - approach roads, distances and places of interest in the vicinity
Hotels in the Big Bend region are few and far between. Small places like Presidio, Alpine and Marathon have a few motels, but better standard chain hotels are found only in towns further away: Van Horn (177 miles), Pecos (170 miles) and Fort Stockton (127 miles). | |
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