1. Big Bend National Park

2. Introduction Where:  located in southwest Texas along the Rio Grande river bordering Mexico Why is it special:  Includes diverse landscapes from deserts to mountains  One of the top 10 best places in the world for stargazing  Archeological sites of pre-historic native peoples from over 10,000 years ago

3. History of the Area After the Mexican-American War (1848), the U.S. Army set up forts in the area that would become Big Bend to help protect migrating settlers from Indian attacks. In the late 19 th and early 20 th century, some of the land was mined or stripped of timber, and the fertile land along the Rio Grande was settled by farmers. The settlements developed during this time were very small and self-reliant. Some tried to use the land for ranching (raising sheep or cattle), but the land wasn’t fertile enough to sustain large herds of livestock.

4. History of the Park By the 1930s, it was clear the land wasn’t very useful for farming, ranching, or other economic uses, but it was a unique and beautiful area of Texas, so many Texans wished to designate the area as a park to keep it safe for future generations to enjoy. In 1933, the Texas Legislature passed a law declaring the area Big Bend State Park. In 1935, the U.S. Congress passed legislation allowing the creation of national parks, and in 1944 the State of Texas deeded the land encompassing Big Bend State Park to the U.S. Government for the creation of Big Bend National Park. Big Bend opened as a National Park on July 1, 1944.

5. Attractions Chisos Mountains Chihuahuan Desert Rio Grande

6. Chisos Mountains Only mountain range wholly within the borders of a national park Southernmost mountain range in the U.S. Ranges from desert at the bottom to forested areas farther up (good example of geographical contrasts) The highest point is Emory Peak – 7,825 feet (2,385 meters) above sea level

7. Chihuahuan Desert Covers parts of Mexico, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona Covers 139,769 square miles 3 rd largest desert in the Western Hemisphere and 2 nd largest in North America

8. Rio Grande River Marks the border between the U.S. and Mexico Popular for river rafting In the past, wading across the river to “visit” Mexico was popular with tourists

9. Visiting the Park If you only have one day to visit the park, you will need your own car since it is so big. The best way to see the park in one day is via the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, which is the main road through the park.

10. Morning Get up before dawn to start the drive. Stop at one of the scenic viewpoints at dawn for the best opportunity to take pictures.

11. Afternoon Stop at some of the pull- outs to hike one or more of the shorter trails through the desert and mountains. Choices include the Mule Ears Viewpoint Trail, Lower Burro Mesa Pour- off Trail, and the Tuff Canyon Trail.

12. Afternoon You can also stop to explore the ruins of Homer Wilson Ranch and Sam Nail Ranch, or the NPS Visitor’s Center at the site of the Castalon Calvary Camp.

13. Evening Enjoy the sunset overlooking beautiful Santa Elena Canyon. If you have time before it gets dark, hike the Santa Elena Canyon trail.

14. Conclusion Big Bend is a long (2 day) car drive from Houston or a short flight + car rental, but it is well worth the trip for its scenic beauty and cultural and historical significance. If you have the chance, it is well worth a trip to West Texas to see this amazing National Park.