#15: Big Bend National Park
I got up early one morning to make the two-hour drive from Marfa to Big Bend NP. The drive was incredible. It was a gorgeous sunny day and as a creature of the weather, I was feeling it. The landscape is just so vast and open, with plateaus just popping up along the flatness of the high desert.
Some quick fun facts on this area: The Big Bend area of Texas is located in the Chihuahuan Desert - the most biologically diverse desert in the Western Hemisphere, and the largest desert in North America. The name, “Big Bend,” stems from the 90-degree angle of the Rio Grande. Big Bend is an entire region of Texas, not just the name of the park.
Upon entering the park, I reached the Panther Junction Visitor Center. I stopped in to speak to the ranger, get a map, watch the park movie and of course, show my annual NP pass for admission (I’m always so proud to show my annual pass). Having a full day to explore the park, I left the visitor center with a plan of action. I needed to stick to drivable roads given I had Addie with me. As I’ve mentioned previously with national parks, hiking trails that allow dogs are few and far between, but I was prepared for that. Even though I was limited, I didn’t feel it much given all the beauty I saw and all the ground I covered.
We ventured out with Santa Elena Canyon as our destination, knowing that we would stop along the way anywhere we wanted. We ended up on the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to take us down to the canyon. The drive was stunning. We took our time and made it to Santa Elena Canyon a few hours later. There weren’t many stops or pull-offs that I didn’t want to explore. Finally getting down to the canyon, I saw kayaks getting loaded in an out of the Rio Grande. I made a mental note to come back and kayak the canyon when the weather is warmer. It’s crazy to think that just across that river is Mexico!
I could have spent a week in this park - exploring, relaxing, learning and simply just taking it all in. An important lesson I’m learning on this journey is that I can’t do EVERYTHING. I may have mentioned that before. I am also learning that I need to go with the flow and adapt to what happens around me (goes back to my tried and true saying, “10% is what happens to me and 90% is how I react to it”). I had the day to explore the park and if I wanted to go back the next day, I could absolutely do that.
On the way back one of the areas that stood out was Sotol Vista. You take a windy road to get up there but you feel like you’re on top of the park once you get all the way up. I sat up there for a while. Just sat.
The next time I go to Big Bend NP (because there WILL be a next time), I will plan to camp there or at least stay there for an extended amount of time. By the time I made the drive back to Marfa, I was exhausted and felt like I covered as much ground as I could with having Addie with me.
Until the next time, Big Bend…