Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK
Everyone knows Texas is huge. But you can't really appreciate just how big it is until you
visit this
national park
(
www.nps.gov/bibe
; 7-day pass per vehicle $20)
, which is almost the same size as
Rhode Island. When you're traversing Big Bend's 1252 sq miles, you come to appreciate
what 'big' really means. It's a land of incredible diversity, vast enough to allow a lifetime
of discovery, yet laced with enough well-placed roads and trails to permit short-term visit-
ors to see a lot in two to three days.
Like many popular US parks, Big Bend has one area - the Chisos Basin - that absorbs
the overwhelming crunch of traffic. The Chisos Mountains are beautiful, and no trip here
would be complete without an excursion into the high country. But any visit to Big Bend
should also include time in the Chihuahuan Desert, home to curious creatures and adapt-
able plants, and the Rio Grande, providing a watery border between the US and Mexico.
