Big Bend National Park, Texas

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Where in the World is Big Bend?

by Robert Painter

Out in a little place you’ve never heard of is a resort you won’t believe. Tell me you know about Lajitas and I’ll be amazed. The really big secret here is the Lajitas Resort, which bills itself as The Ultimate Hideout. The name is well deserved. It is a fabulous place and you’ll pay for the privilege. Rooms start at $195 and this is a special preview rate. Lajitas Resort features a championship golf course, a spa, a tennis center, an equestrian center and great dining at the Ocotillo Restaurant -where you’ll want to try the Rattlesnake Cakes. There is a second golf course under construction as well as an extraordinary 30,000 square foot spa. You can get there on one of their Lear jets or drive in on one of the most scenic roads in the country. Either way, you’ll be at the edge of Big Bend National Park. Check it out at www.lajitas.com.

For the rest of us there is Big Bend itself with a number of fine accommodations, including hotels and camp sites. Chisos Mountain Lodge in the very heart of Big Bend National Park offers great views of the Chisos and is an ideal base to use while exploring the park which covers more than 800,000 acres with 118 miles of the Rio Grande at its edge. There are plenty of paved and unpaved roads to get around this vast park which includes stretches of the Chihuahuan Desert and the rugged Chisos Mountains.

So why, you might ask, would someone living on the edge of the Sonoran Desert want to vacation in the Chihuahuan Desert? Good question. And there are some good answers! Probably the best reason is the Rio Grande itself. While it does meander quietly past Las Cruces and El Paso, it picks up a lot of character when it gets down to the Texas/Mexico border in the Big Bend National Park. The Rio Conchos flows into the Rio Grande near Presidio, Texas and it really becomes a river again. River trips can be a big part of your visit.

Beginning with the eleven mile long Colorado Canyon that starts about twenty five miles west of Lajitas you will find a few rapids on a nice day long float trip almost anytime of the year. This stretch of the Rio Grande is found in Big Bend Ranch State Park, adjacent to the National Park.

The most popular river trip in Big Bend is the Santa Elena Canyon run of about 20 miles, making for a great two day trip with some more serious rapids. The deepest canyon is the Mariscal, but it takes a long time to get in and out because of its isolation. It has the best rapids though, in an area aptly named "Tight Squeeze." And then, there’s the more easily reached Boquillas Canyon, which, at 33 miles in length is the longest of the park’s canyons. They all have dramatic, sheer walls in places which may be followed by grassy slopes, ideal for camping, or just stopping for a picnic.

On my most recent trip we rafted and canoed through part of the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area where the Rio Grande is a designated Wild and Scenic River. We camped alongside the river, stopped and viewed ancient petroglyphs and pictographs, marveled at the 20 foot tall river cane bordering the river, took photos of the sheer walls rising out of the water and watched for wildlife in the distance. If you look sharply, you may see peccaries (wild pigs), deer, ringtails, bobcats, a gray fox or two, a turtle sliding off a rock into the water ahead or one of more than 450 species of birds found in the park - a birder’s paradise. We saw hawks on every drive we took.

The Big Bend has yielded numerous fossil records of times long past. From the flying reptile with a 36 foot wingspan known as the Pterosaur to the 25 ft. long Crocodile to the small ammonites the area offers an exciting reminder of earlier eras. Twenty nine species of forest-dwelling mammals have left their remains here, including small horses, rabbits, camel and sheep like mammals, and others, ranging from a tiny mouse to a giant rhinoceros standing 7 feet high at the shoulders.

The animals now living in the park have found their own ways to survive, many becoming nocturnal and escaping the summer heat of the day. Some burrow into the ground or stay in the shade, others bury themselves in the mudflats and only come to life after the rains. The roadrunner and the kangaroo rat don’t even bother to drink water. They get their liquid from their diet - the roadrunner from the lizards and small snakes. The rat from the seeds it consumes - it has no sweat glands and cools itself by breathing. Its nasal passages are cooler than the rest of its body and condenses breath moisture for retention!

When I visit Big Bend I find another special treat here as well. The Night Sky! Sure, you have it everywhere - but you can see it hardly anywhere in the U.S. the way you can see it in the Big Bend of Texas! If you live in the city you may have heard of the Milky Way, but you may not have seen it. I’m not talking about the candy bar. I’m referring to the blaze of stars that reaches across the night sky from horizon to horizon. Until you see it in West Texas you won’t believe it. Of course, you can see it just as well on a windjammer off the coast of Panama, but the Big Bend is a whole lot closer.

I visited Big Bend the first week in November and it looked like Spring. Everyone was marveling at the recent rains - about double the normal amount and it really showed. The Ocotillo were in full leaf with red flowers on the tips. The yellow flowers were everywhere. I can’t give you the name - I was told that there are over 30 different types of yellow flowers in the park. The fields were covered with yellow, the grasses were green and the creosote bushes were everywhere. It wasn’t the right season for the cactus blooms, but when they do they can be spectacular with reds, yellows, pinks, oranges and more.

One of the most interesting plants you’ll see here is the lechuguilla - it grows nowhere else! It’s a spined agave with sharp needle points that blooms only once in its 10 to 15 year lifetime, sending a stalk as high as 15 feet straight up. It seems to die a little at a time, with the pointed blades at the base turning brown while the stalk may still be green. In time the whole plant dies and the stalk hardens and becomes strong enough to make a fine walking stick for local hikers.

But what else is there to do in the Big Bend? Well what do you want to do? I’ve already mentioned the over 450 species of birds documented in the Park, so take your binoculars and cameras if this is your interest. There is a Bird Checklist available. If you’re looking for something smaller, there’s also a Butterfly Checklist with well over 150 listed.

How about horseback riding? Big Bend Stables is a good place to start. Well cared for animals and great guides. Find them at http://www.stoneplanters.com/bbstables.htm 1-800-887-4331

Jeep trips - get on the backcountry roads and see the fabulous views of the Chisos Mountains. A good bet here is Texas Jeep Expeditions with knowledgeable guides who can fill you in on the history, geology, fauna and flora of the area. They’re online at www.texasriver.com/jeep or call 1-800-839-7238.

For river trips try Far Flung Adventures at www.farflung.com or call 1-800- 359-4138. Or Desert Sports and Texas River Expeditions - they’re all good!

And hiking. There are nine Self-guiding trails, about twenty developed trails and another seventeen or so Primitive Routes listed in the Hiker’s Guide to trails of Big Bend National Park. A lot of these trails are strenuous and have no water. Your best bet is to consult a ranger before venturing out on a primitive trail. Find out how much water you need to take and let them know you’re out there in case you have any problems. You can see everything in the park on these trails including mountain vistas, meadows, mountain lions, birds, hot springs, desert plant live and, of course, the river.

Biking - the traffic is light and the views are spectacular. Just remember you’re in a desert and if you can bring along a sag wagon, all the better!

Motorcycling - no better place. The Gage Hotel in Marathon had a plaque on the wall which I believe listed it as one of the top 15 hotels in the country for bikers! Check them out.

Terlingua - If you like chili this must be the place. But if you like beer, it’s really the place. The locals tell me that even during the chili cookoffs, chili might be hard to find but the beer is flowing nonstop.

Surrounding areas: McDonald Observatory - on the highest public road in Texas. A scenic drive south of I-10. Check their website at http//vc.as.utexas.edu or call toll free at 1-877-984-7827 for complete information.

Lake Amistad - if you’re a boater and want to visit Big Bend on the way, Lake Amistad at Del Rio is the place for you. Take your own boat or rent a houseboat for a family vacation.

If you decide to drive into Big Bend through Marathon, you may want to spend the night at the Historic Gage Hotel. For around $150 a night you’ll find yourself in a wonderful room filled with historic Western treasures, a deep, comfortable mattress and maybe a corner fireplace with a stack of wood outside your door. Don’t miss it! But, if that price is a bit too steep for you, just drive east a few hundred yards and check into the Marathon Motel. Not as visually impressive, but very nice and available for about a third the price. But no matter which place you stay, and there are other options, including a number of really nice bed and breakfasts be sure and have lunch at Johnny B’s, next door to the Gage. Get a "real" old fashioned hamburger and the best milkshake you’ll find anywhere! And it’s all only about a five hour drive from El Paso.

For more information and much more detail, including maps and alternatives for lodging, meals and activities visit this website: Visitbigbend.com

For specific Park information: www.nps.gov/bibe or call 1 (915) 477-2251.

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	Free E-zine of Travel Adventures Flag of Texas Send this Page to a Friend Peace for Everyone Where in the World is Big Bend? by Robert Painter Out in a little place you’ve never heard of is a resort you won’t believe. Tell me you know about Lajitas and I’ll be amazed. The really big secret here is the Lajitas Resort, which bills itself as The Ultimate Hideout. The name is well deserved. It is a fabulous place and you’ll pay for the privilege. Rooms start at $195 and this is a special preview rate. Lajitas Resort features a championship golf course, a spa, a tennis center, an equestrian center and great dining at the Ocotillo Restaurant -where you’ll want to try the Rattlesnake Cakes. There is a second golf course under construction as well as an extraordinary 30,000 square foot spa. You can get there on one of their Lear jets or drive in on one of the most scenic roads in the country. Either way, you’ll be at the edge of Big Bend National Park. Check it out at www.lajitas.com. For the rest of us there is Big Bend itself with a number of fine accommodations, including hotels and camp sites. Chisos Mountain Lodge in the very heart of Big Bend National Park offers great views of the Chisos and is an ideal base to use while exploring the park which covers more than 800,000 acres with 118 miles of the Rio Grande at its edge. There are plenty of paved and unpaved roads to get around this vast park which includes stretches of the Chihuahuan Desert and the rugged Chisos Mountains. So why, you might ask, would someone living on the edge of the Sonoran Desert want to vacation in the Chihuahuan Desert? Good question. And there are some good answers! Probably the best reason is the Rio Grande itself. While it does meander quietly past Las Cruces and El Paso, it picks up a lot of character when it gets down to the Texas/Mexico border in the Big Bend National Park. The Rio Conchos flows into the Rio Grande near Presidio, Texas and it really becomes a river again. River trips can be a big part of your visit. Beginning with the eleven mile long Colorado Canyon that starts about twenty five miles west of Lajitas you will find a few rapids on a nice day long float trip almost anytime of the year. This stretch of the Rio Grande is found in Big Bend Ranch State Park, adjacent to the National Park. The most popular river trip in Big Bend is the Santa Elena Canyon run of about 20 miles, making for a great two day trip with some more serious rapids. The deepest canyon is the Mariscal, but it takes a long time to get in and out because of its isolation. It has the best rapids though, in an area aptly named "Tight Squeeze." And then, there’s the more easily reached Boquillas Canyon, which, at 33 miles in length is the longest of the park’s canyons. They all have dramatic, sheer walls in places which may be followed by grassy slopes, ideal for camping, or just stopping for a picnic. On my most recent trip we rafted and canoed through part of the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area where the Rio Grande is a designated Wild and Scenic River. We camped alongside the river, stopped and viewed ancient petroglyphs and pictographs, marveled at the 20 foot tall river cane bordering the river, took photos of the sheer walls rising out of the water and watched for wildlife in the distance. If you look sharply, you may see peccaries (wild pigs), deer, ringtails, bobcats, a gray fox or two, a turtle sliding off a rock into the water ahead or one of more than 450 species of birds found in the park - a birder’s paradise. We saw hawks on every drive we took. The Big Bend has yielded numerous fossil records of times long past. From the flying reptile with a 36 foot wingspan known as the Pterosaur to the 25 ft. long Crocodile to the small ammonites the area offers an exciting reminder of earlier eras. Twenty nine species of forest-dwelling mammals have left their remains here, including small horses, rabbits, camel and sheep like mammals, and others, ranging from a tiny mouse to a giant rhinoceros standing 7 feet high at the shoulders. The animals now living in the park have found their own ways to survive, many becoming nocturnal and escaping the summer heat of the day. Some burrow into the ground or stay in the shade, others bury themselves in the mudflats and only come to life after the rains. The roadrunner and the kangaroo rat don’t even bother to drink water. They get their liquid from their diet - the roadrunner from the lizards and small snakes. The rat from the seeds it consumes - it has no sweat glands and cools itself by breathing. Its nasal passages are cooler than the rest of its body and condenses breath moisture for retention! When I visit Big Bend I find another special treat here as well. The Night Sky! Sure, you have it everywhere - but you can see it hardly anywhere in the U.S. the way you can see it in the Big Bend of Texas! If you live in the city you may have heard of the Milky Way, but you may not have seen it. I’m not talking about the candy bar. I’m referring to the blaze of stars that reaches across the night sky from horizon to horizon. Until you see it in West Texas you won’t believe it. Of course, you can see it just as well on a windjammer off the coast of Panama, but the Big Bend is a whole lot closer. I visited Big Bend the first week in November and it looked like Spring. Everyone was marveling at the recent rains - about double the normal amount and it really showed. The Ocotillo were in full leaf with red flowers on the tips. The yellow flowers were everywhere. I can’t give you the name - I was told that there are over 30 different types of yellow flowers in the park. The fields were covered with yellow, the grasses were green and the creosote bushes were everywhere. It wasn’t the right season for the cactus blooms, but when they do they can be spectacular with reds, yellows, pinks, oranges and more. One of the most interesting plants you’ll see here is the lechuguilla - it grows nowhere else! It’s a spined agave with sharp needle points that blooms only once in its 10 to 15 year lifetime, sending a stalk as high as 15 feet straight up. It seems to die a little at a time, with the pointed blades at the base turning brown while the stalk may still be green. In time the whole plant dies and the stalk hardens and becomes strong enough to make a fine walking stick for local hikers. But what else is there to do in the Big Bend? Well what do you want to do? I’ve already mentioned the over 450 species of birds documented in the Park, so take your binoculars and cameras if this is your interest. There is a Bird Checklist available. If you’re looking for something smaller, there’s also a Butterfly Checklist with well over 150 listed. How about horseback riding? Big Bend Stables is a good place to start. Well cared for animals and great guides. Find them at http://www.stoneplanters.com/bbstables.htm 1-800-887-4331 Jeep trips - get on the backcountry roads and see the fabulous views of the Chisos Mountains. A good bet here is Texas Jeep Expeditions with knowledgeable guides who can fill you in on the history, geology, fauna and flora of the area. They’re online at www.texasriver.com/jeep or call 1-800-839-7238. For river trips try Far Flung Adventures at www.farflung.com or call 1-800- 359-4138. Or Desert Sports and Texas River Expeditions - they’re all good! And hiking. There are nine Self-guiding trails, about twenty developed trails and another seventeen or so Primitive Routes listed in the Hiker’s Guide to trails of Big Bend National Park. A lot of these trails are strenuous and have no water. Your best bet is to consult a ranger before venturing out on a primitive trail. Find out how much water you need to take and let them know you’re out there in case you have any problems. You can see everything in the park on these trails including mountain vistas, meadows, mountain lions, birds, hot springs, desert plant live and, of course, the river. Biking - the traffic is light and the views are spectacular. Just remember you’re in a desert and if you can bring along a sag wagon, all the better! Motorcycling - no better place. The Gage Hotel in Marathon had a plaque on the wall which I believe listed it as one of the top 15 hotels in the country for bikers! Check them out. Terlingua - If you like chili this must be the place. But if you like beer, it’s really the place. The locals tell me that even during the chili cookoffs, chili might be hard to find but the beer is flowing nonstop. Surrounding areas: McDonald Observatory - on the highest public road in Texas. A scenic drive south of I-10. Check their website at http//vc.as.utexas.edu or call toll free at 1-877-984-7827 for complete information. Lake Amistad - if you’re a boater and want to visit Big Bend on the way, Lake Amistad at Del Rio is the place for you. Take your own boat or rent a houseboat for a family vacation. If you decide to drive into Big Bend through Marathon, you may want to spend the night at the Historic Gage Hotel. For around $150 a night you’ll find yourself in a wonderful room filled with historic Western treasures, a deep, comfortable mattress and maybe a corner fireplace with a stack of wood outside your door. Don’t miss it! But, if that price is a bit too steep for you, just drive east a few hundred yards and check into the Marathon Motel. Not as visually impressive, but very nice and available for about a third the price. But no matter which place you stay, and there are other options, including a number of really nice bed and breakfasts be sure and have lunch at Johnny B’s, next door to the Gage. Get a "real" old fashioned hamburger and the best milkshake you’ll find anywhere! And it’s all only about a five hour drive from El Paso. For more information and much more detail, including maps and alternatives for lodging, meals and activities visit this website: Visitbigbend.com For specific Park information: www.nps.gov/bibe or call 1 (915) 477-2251. Subscribe Real Travel Adventures Web Magazine Thanks for visiting us! Add to Bookmarks \ _____________________ Home Previous Page Next Page ________________________ If any links don't work PLEASE NOTIFY US.