Big Bend was established in 1944. At that time about 155 people were living there. The region has a long history of an open border with Mexican villages on the southern side of the Rio Grande, but all that changed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In the future the park will get a border crossing. For now, the isolation has nearly destroyed the economy in the neighboring villages.
We entered the park from the west, spending one night in Terlingua. Terlingua is a living ghost town. Once abandoned, it is now a tiny village with a great restaurant and bar, the Starlight Theater. It's called the starlight because at one time it had no roof after a collapse, but people continued to use it as a gathering place for BBQs and live music. Today the tradition continues, however the roof has been replaced.
Big Bend has it all- Chisos Mountains, the Chihuahuan Desert and the Rio Grande. You can explore over 801,000 acres either by boat, on foot, driving paved or dirt roads and biking. It's perfect for road biking because it is one of the least visited national parks. We biked both dirt and paved roads, much preferring the paved to the wash board dirt. After spending one night in the Rio Grande Village campgrounds we discovered the remote car camping designated sites. Many of these sites are accessible without a four wheel drive or high clearance vehicle.
We biked and then hiked to the often photographed Balanced Rock.
Many of the roads were recently repaved...thank you stimulus dollars!
The view from Chisos Mountain Lodge.
The Rio Grande emerging from Santa Elena Canyon.
The park has a wide variety of flora and fauna including black bears, mountain lions and the much feared tarantulas. The busiest time is March spring break. If you can, make the time to visit some day. It's well worth the effort.
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