I have visited Big Bend many times since my first visit in 1988. I have spent many weeks in the park and have still not seen all there is to see.  I have traversed dozens of trails covering hundreds of miles.  The remoteness of the park serves to remove one from the daily rush of a working man's life and civilization as we know it.  It takes you back in time to the days of the Old West when Cowboys and Indians roamed the land and, even further yet, to the beginning of time when this area was just forming from the violent volcanic eruptions of prehistory.  Out there in Big Bend, the only real issue is nature, experiencing it for what it is, not for what one can make it.  But please don't get me wrong, I am by far no 'Naturalist'; athough I do believe one must remove oneself once and awhile from 'real life' as such and cleanse the spirit of the mind.  Visiting Big Bend is how I do that.

     I have made many trips to the park, both with friends and alone.  During those visits, I have seen the curve of the Rio Grande River as it flows through Hot Springs Canyon, the water shimmering gold, like glitter, in the afternoon sun.  I have watched turkey vultures soaring high overhead gliding on gust of wind down into Boquillas Canyon.  I have hiked through Red Rock Canyon with its magnificent array of reddish-orange hoodoos.  I have watched a bear grazing in the sloping grasslands along the Lost Mine Trail, as the grand Juniper Canyon vied for my attention.  I have stood on the South Rim gazing deep into Mexico while at my feet the mountains abruptly end, only to drop several hundred feet straight down to the desert below.  And I have seen Surreal Sunsets and Starry, Starry Nights that are like nowhere else in the world.

     In Big Bend, one can experience desert life up close and virtually untamed, although mankind has made his mark upon this land.  Prehistoric Indians settled here thousands of years ago.  Since then, the land was occupied by a number of different factions through the years: Spaniards came looking for gold, Apaches and Comanches came because they were driven from their homeland, and Anglo-Americans came to claim a piece of frontier as their own.  Still the park remains wild.  The National Park Service has worked diligently to bring this unique park back to its natural state so that visitors can continue to enjoy its primitive beauty for many years to come.

     The best time to visit Big Bend National Park depends greatly on what part of the park one intends to frequent, how much solitude one desires, and one's comfort level in varying temperature ranges.  During the summer, the desert temperatures can be brutal and most visitors keep to the Chisos Mountains.  The fall and spring are mild throughout the park, making it a great time to explore the desert; however, park visitation is at its peak in the spring and at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Winter nights are quite cool, sometimes reaching below freezing, but the days can warm up nicely.  My rule of thumb for what to wear during any season is to prepare for extremes in both directions.

     Accommodations in the park range from motel lodging to campgrounds to backcountry roadside campsites.  There are convenience stores at the three campgrounds, two gas stations (one near park headquarters and one at Rio Grande Village which also has showers and a laundry).  There is a full service restaurant and motel lodging in the Chisos Basin area.  River rafting, horseback riding, guided tours, nature programs, bird watching and wildlife viewing are just a few of the activities one can experience in this beautiful area.  But the best way to see the Big Bend is on its hiking and backpacking trails.

     If you get the opportunity to visit Big Bend, you will surely want to return.  There are many sources for gathering information prior to making the trip there.  Be sure and check out my links at the top of this page or check out keywords "Big Bend Texas" on the internet, or go to any major book store.  For anyone interested in a more detailed account of the many activities and places of interest in the Big Bend Area, or if you have comments about this page, please send me an email at kwilliams@kchisos.com.