Big Bend National Park, Texas

If you go west in Texas almost as far as you can go, and a little bit south you come to a big bend in the Rio Grande River which defines part of the border between the U.S. and Mexico.  It also defines Big Bend National Park.Big Bend is one of the least visited parks in the National Park System, and yet it contains such a myriad of interesting features that we all should see it.  It's a long trip across a big state that is sometimes full of nothing, but not so at Big Bend.

Wildlife living at Big Bend include the delightful Road Runners which are just a ball to watch, scooting about rapidly to catch bugs and lizards (and presumably to avoid hungry coyotes).

Pyrrhuloxia(a close relative of the red cardinal), Mockingbirds, Vultures, Mexican Jays, and Canyon Wrens are in abundance. 

Here in late March many of the cacti are blooming.  In the background you see the Chisos Mountains which rise above 7,000 feet in the center of the park.  We decided to camp in the small campground which is nestled in Chisos Basin, right in the middle of those mountains. 

That's us, right there in the middle.  The campground is at 5,100 feet, making it about 20 degrees cooler than the river campgrounds - 75℉ instead of 95℉.  We spent our first day catching up on photography and will do a couple of hikes in the days to come.

Claret Cup Cactus

Stawberry Pitaya

 Cactus Garden along the Trail to the visitor center.

Ocatillos at sunset.

These plants are dangerous.  Those  spines are like needles.

View of Casa Grande Peak from the campground.

After a day of acclimatization to the altitude we will do some hiking, hopefully to Emory Peak, the hghest point in the park at 7,825 feet.