Big Bend National Park In Texas

Big Bend National Park is famous for its natural resources and spectacular geology. Big Bend was established in 1944 and is over 800,000 acres in size.

Located in the great state of Texas, the Chihuahuan Desert can be a harsh environment, but the Rio Grande River and Chisos Mountains provide for a wide variety of habitat.

How To Get To Big Bend National Park

Big Bend is a long way from the nearest airports. The closest airports are at Midland-Odessa, about 230 miles away. El Paso also has an airport and is 325 miles from Big Bend. From Marathon, Texas, US 385 heads south to the north entrance to Big Bend National Park. Texas 118 from Alpine heads south to the west entrance. Ranch Road 170, from Presidio, joins Texas 118 just before the west entrance.

When To Visit Big Bend National Park

Big Bend is open year-round, but perhaps the best times to visit is autumn and winter due to the brutal summer heat, often over 100 F.

During fall, the foliage turns color in the mountains and the winters are fairly mild. Early spring can provide for a profusion of desert blooms with sufficient rain. If you are interested in bird watching, then March through May are great times to visit Big Bend National Park.

Visiting Big Bend National Park

To best see Big Bend, you should allow several days. Be sure to visit the Chisos Mountains Basin and the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. You will be able to view many of Big Bend's unique geology.

On another day, drive to Rio Grand Village and the Boquillas Canyon Overlook and the views of the Sierra del Carmen.The road between Panther Junction and Persimmon Gap provides great scenery and educational exhibits. If you are able to plan an extended trip, take some of the many hikes, explore the backroads, and plan a float trip down the Rio Grande. View a map of Big Bend National Park.

The park is home to more than 1,200 species of plants (including approximately 60 cacti species), 11 species of amphibians, 56 species of reptiles, 40 species of fish, 75 species of mammals, 450 species of birds, and about 3,600 species of insects. Big Bend National Park boasts more types of birds, bats, and cacti than any other national park in the United States. 

Big Bend National Park also marks the northernmost range of many plants and animals, such as the Mexican long-nosed bat. Ranges of typically eastern and typically western species of plants and animals come together or overlap here.

Here many species are at the extreme limits of their ranges. Latin American species, many from the tropics, range this far north, while northern-nesting species often travel this far south in winter. Contrasting elevations create additional, varied micro-climates that further enhance the diversity of plant and animal life and the park's wealth of natural boundaries.

Big Bend National Park History

While Big Bend National Park is famous for its natural resources and recreational opportunities, the park is also rich in cultural history. Native peoples lived in and/or passed through this area for thousands of years. Their presence is evidenced by pictographs and archaeological sites. In more recent history (the last 500 years) Texas has been claimed by six different nations! 

Big Bend National Park has been a home to people for many centuries, but knowledge of the Rio Grande among non-Indians dates back less than 150 years. Spanish people crossed the Rio Grande in the 16th and 17th centuries searching for gold, silver, and fertile land. Comanche Indians crossed the river in the 19th century, traveling to and from Mexico with their raiding parties. Mexican settlers began farming on both banks of the river's floodplain around 1900. 

Big Bend National Park Lodging

Chisos Mountains Lodge
The Chisos Mountains Lodge, operated by Forever Resorts, Inc., is located in the Chisos Basin at 5,400 feet elevation in Big Bend National Park. The lodge offers a variety of rooms and cottages, plus a gift shop and dining room.