![]() "It is one of the park's greatest success stories," said Tom VandenBerg, chief of Interpretation & Visitor Services at Big Bend National Park and Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River. Yes, black bears can be seen in the Chisos Mountains. Are there bears at Big Bend National Park? The park is also home to "more types of birds, bats, butterflies, ants, and scorpions than any other national park in the United States," including "11 species of amphibians, 56 species of reptiles, 40 species of fish, 75 species of mammals, more than 450 species of birds, and about 3,600 species of insects" according to its website. The Chihuahuan Desert is the largest desert on the continent, and Big Bend National Park protects the largest portion of that desert within the U.S. The mountains are considered sky islands, providing a completely different habitat for flora and fauna than the surrounding desert below. national park with an entire mountain range inside its borders, the Chisos Mountains. Why is Arches National Park so famous? What to know about the popular Utah destination What is Big Bend known for?īig Bend is the only U.S. However, "rocks often appear to be completely displaced and do not 'fit' within the areas in which they are found," making it hard to nail down the exact series of events over time. "The park preserves a largely intact 130 million-year slice of geologic time, including the dinosaur extinction event," the park notes. What is unusual about Big Bend?īig Bend has been called both a “ geologist’s paradise" and a "geologist’s nightmare," according to the park, which boasts one of the most diverse fossil records within the National Park Service.įossils of ancient seashells, dinosaurs and early mammals have all been preserved in the rocks. Good to be bad: What to know about Badlands National Park Why is Big Bend named Big Bend?īig Bend gets its name from the way the Rio Grande curves dramatically within its borders. To set something aside for future generations with the fate of the present generation still uncertain was an act of optimism in an uncertain world." Roosevelt) would shift his focus from a world in turmoil to the wilderness of southwest Texas?" the National Park Service asks on Big Bend's website. "What made Big Bend so important that a President (Franklin D. 'A big crazy adventure': Teen who biked from Alaska to Argentina is backpacking his way home When did Big Bend become a national park?īig Bend officially became a national park on June 12, 1944, less than a week after the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day during WWII. Visitors can cross into Mexico through the Boquillas Crossing Port of Entry within the park, which is jointly operated by the National Park Service and U.S. Is Big Bend in Texas or Mexico?īig Bend is entirely located within Texas, but it does share 118 miles of border with Mexico. El Paso International Airport is nearly 300 miles from the park. Midland International Air and Space Port is just under 200 miles from Big Bend, according to Google Maps. The remote park is not near any major cities but in Brewster County, which has a population of under 9,400, according to the U.S. Reservations required: See which national parks require timed entry this summer What part of Texas has Big Bend?īig Bend National Park is located in West Texas, along the U.S.-Mexico border. Here's what nature lovers who hate crowds should know about Big Bend National Park, the latest in USA TODAY's yearlong national park series: Big Bend is home to a wide array of wildlife, including many species one might not expect in a park with such large swaths of Chihuahuan Desert. And with just 514,107 visitors last year compared to the millions at parks like Acadia and Zion, visitors can feel like they have Big Bend all to themselves.īut they won't really be alone. Staring into its towering canyons or up at the dazzling dark sky, it's easy to feel very, very small. Spanning 801,163 acres, it's the 15th largest national park in America and known as "Texas' gift to the nation." They say everything is bigger in Texas, and Big Bend National Park sure lives up to it.
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