Big Bend National Park, Texas

Big Bend National Park is at the southern most tip of Texas, along the Mexican border.  The Rio Grande, winding its way along the border suddenly veers northward in a great horseshoe curve before continuing its journey, giving this national park its name.  The park is rugged and beautiful and as the guidebooks say, it remains remote enough that only the dedicated reach it.  The Chisos Mountains rise up in the centre of the park and the dramatic mesas and rock formations are the result of ancient volcanic activity.  To the east stretches desert habitat.  The diverse geography in the park’s 800,000 acres supports mountain lions and black bears.  

The photo left is entering the Chisos Basin and below is the Chisos campground and below that is another photo in the park.

The roller coaster, curvy drive from Presidio to Lajitas has been labelled one of the most scenic drives in the US as you follow the Rio Grande cutting its way through the Chihuahuan Desert. This was on the way to the Big Bend National Park.  The photo above was our first glimpse of the Rio Grande.  It has been very dry so there is little water in the river. We read that the US takes 95% of the water before it reaches this area and most of the water in the river here comes from the Mexican tributaries.  

Santa Elena Canyon in the park.  One side is Mexico and the other side the US.  The canyon is 8 miles (13 kms) long and there is a drop of 1,500ft (500m) at the highest point on the cliff. In some places the canyon is only 30ft (4m) wide at the bottom.

If you look really hard you see a little black spot that is Nikki, half way up at the rails of the trail path overlooking the canyon.

Tuff Canyon is on a side stream leading down to the Rio Grande.  It is dry at the moment and we walked along the canyon floor.