Dave Parsons Feature Story: Big Bend

Colorful clouds silhouette yuccas and agaves at the start the day at Big Bend's Panther Junction.

Feature Story

Big Bend National Park: Our First Encounter

With wild, glowing eyes nervously darting in and out of the darkness, we slowly wound our way towards the Chisos mountains straining to see beyond the high beams to avoid any close calls. Our Destination: a remote national park not widely known - Big Bend in west Texas. We pulled over after seeing a herd of eyes gathered at the edge of road and cut the engine. We heard the squeek of teeth pulling aqainst grass and a quiet shuffle of shrubbery. I pulled out a flashlight and raised the beam to see a heard of javelinas disappear into the night.

After a chilly night of coyote calls and shooting stars at Big Bend's Panther Junction, my wife Anna and I rolled out of our sleeping bags to a wonderful panaoramic sunrise as it gradually lit up the sky up with all the colors in the spectrum. Soon after silhouetted yuccas, ocotillos, and agaves gave way to a warm red glow over the rocky Chihuahuan desert.

Native americans that once lived on this arid and rugged landscape said: "that after making earth, the Great Spirit simply dumped all the left over rocks on the Big Bend." Located along the Rio Grande, Big Bend has been home to many people, despite the view of Spanish Explorers who dubbed this area "the unihabited land." The parks desolate bueaty has been home to farmers, miners, and cattlemen.

Big Bend National Park offers a great variety of wildlife, history, and natural beauty. Almost eighty species of mammals and over four hunderd kinds of birds living there or passing through can be spotted amongst the rolling hills, mountains, desert, and river valleys inside the park. Photographers will find dramatic mountain vistas, deep river cut canyons, jutting volcanic outcroppings, star filled evenings, and some of the best displays of flora and fauna to be found anywhere.

Santa Elena Pic

Just across the Rio Grande river lies the sleepy Mexican border town of Santa Elena. The red mesa Cerro Castellan rises in the distance.
Overall, Big Bend in west Texas offered so many different opportunities including warm days and cool nights compared to Colorado's snow bound winter season. The opportunities for photographs were endless. Anna and I backpacked the 13-mile South Rim loop trail in the Chisos Mountains. We flagged down a boatman on the Rio Grande on our visit to the Mexican border town of Santa Elena and camped in the remote site of Ernst Tinaja, miles away from any other campers. We watched the sun rise from the Hot Springs and neighboring ancient petroglyphs on the Rio Grande, four-wheeled through rough "no maintenance desert roads" and even helped a cold tarantula off the Laguna Meadow hiking trail!

Volcanic spires, flowering cactus, old buildings and ruins of past settlements; mining ruins from the turn of the century, birds and other wildlife provided so many photographic opportunities.

Big Bend is an amazing place to visit and photograph; however, it is one of the least visited parks in the national parks system.

Overall, Big Bend in west Texas offers a different and unique opportunity for exploration, recreation, and photography.

Offers a great variety of recreation and photographic opportunities, especially in the winter

Backpacking in Big Bend

The South Rim trail leads the way to spectacular views of Big Bend.

backpacking
white water rafting, kayaking
four-wheeling
hiking and bicycling
bird and wildlife viewing
camping in remote wilderness locations and group campsites

Fun in exploring/photographing historical, natural, and geological interests

turn of the century mines
old ranches
1920's deserted Hot Springs resort on the Rio Grande
scattered grave yards
dramatic volcanic spires and mesas
deep river cut canyons like Santa Elena Canyon and Ernst Tinaja
wonderful plant life including flowering cactuses
panoramic views of mountains and desert scenes

Offers different photographic opportunities within an ever-changing desert environment

excellent macro photography of plants, interesting insects and arachnids like stick bugs, praying mantises, huge millipedes and tarantulas
wonderful morning and evening light
huge human sized cactuses
small Mexican border towns
desolate Chihuahuan desert beauty

Big Bend offers a welcome break from the norm and is a wonderful winter destination. Springtime also offers a unique time for photography with an explosion of flowering plants.

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