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'. Though 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 visits with friends and alone. I carry the necessary camping gear with me to the park; make camp at one of the many remote, backcountry sites or at one of the three more convenient campgrounds; then plan the hikes I intend to cover over the next few days. 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 the Starry, Starry Nights like nowhere else in the world.

Experience desert life up close and virtually untamed, although mankind has made his mark upon this land. Pre-historic 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. For a year round weather chart provided by the NPS click here.

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, one at Rio Grande Village campgrounds along with showers and a laundry). There is a full service restaurant and motel lodging in the Chisos Mountains Basin area. Horseback riding, river rafting, guided tours, nature programs, bird watching, wildlife viewing, and a visit across the Rio Grande to one of the Mexican border villages 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. There are several books available on the trails of Big Bend, but one of the best is "Hiking Big Bend National Park" by Lawrence Parent.

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 keyword "Big Bend" 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 an email to Kchisos at kwilliams@kchisos.com.