Ocotillo Sundown
We stand in the desert staring at the Chisos Mountains reddening in silence, each little rocky crag and slit given emphasis with nearby prickly pears brilliantly lit, but perhaps the most striking thing proves to be the way the setting sun illuminates spiked ocotillo plants with tiny red buds appearing to be spirits emerging from thorny shells silhouetted by such ghostly mountains.
Sincerely,
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park features broad expanses of Chihuahuan Desert shrubland and grassland interspersed with smaller areas of high-elevation woodland in the Chisos Mountains. Rugged rocks and deep canyons along the Rio Grande are among the park's most striking features; wetlands and springs add to the park's biological diversity. Visitors can explore the rugged trails, seek out the colorful array of birds and wildflowers, and spread out on a blanket after dark enjoying some of the darkest night skies in the country.
State(s): Texas
Established: 1935
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Greetings from Big Bend National Park
Visited this park last month… life changing quite literally. This land is truly enchanting and feels sacred. Thank you all for the work you do here.
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Greetings from Big Bend National Park
My parents introduced me to travel at a young age. Finances didn’t always allow our family of six to fly or stay in hotels, but camping provided us access to affordable adventure. Twice we went on “Wild West” campaign trips where we would drive two days westward from Ohio and…
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Greetings from Big Bend National Park
I recently turned 50. Back when I knew everything (about 19) I joined the US Air Force, and after training was stationed in Del Rio, Texas. For four years, I lived there, never looking to the west. Fast forward almost 30 years, and I had a chance to visit Texas…
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