Enjoying Big Bend

Added: 07/31/2006

Big Bend is one of nature's best kept secrets. No one has tried to keep the park a secret, but people simply don't come because Big Bend isn't the flashiest place around, but it is worth seeing and experiencing at least once. There is nothing else on earth quite like Big Bend as well as the nearby Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Big Bend is one of the largest national parks in the country and is also one of the most beautiful. Despite its size and beauty, Big Bed is also one of the least visited national parks. Perhaps it is because of its location, its lack of proximity to big cities, or just the lack of enthusiasm that has always surrounded this national park. No one really knows why the crowds have never come rolling into Big Bend, but it is one of the nations best kept secrets. The Guadalupe Mountains National Park is much the same way, and that is probably because it is located in the same general area that just doesn't seem to get near the visitors that it deserves.

Big Bend is notable and a lot of fun to visit because at its lowest point it has an elevation of 2,000 feet while in the Chisos Mountains it has an elevation of over 8,000 feet. What this means to visitors is a wide range of plant and animal life to take in on each visit. The plants and animals that are comfortable living in Texas at 2,000 feet are usually different than those that live in Texas at 8,000 feet so the walk from one elevation to another is usually quite interesting.

The Big Bend area is not just arid desert land as some assume that it must be, in fact, the Rio Grande runs along it. While the Rio Grande isn't always a rushing river, it does provide an element of beauty as well as much needed water for the local animal life. In the spring when the snow melts on the mountains and rushes into the river you can get a very peaceful feeling when the quiet dessert is filled with the sounds of rushing water. It is almost as if you are meeting face to face with nature as it overwhelms all the senses.

Those that visit Big Bend and the Guadalupe Mountains National Park will take in many different landscapes. Some of what can be seen are beautiful canyons, grassy hills and treed bluffs, as well as desert lands that look uninhabitable to most but are simply breathtaking. This is an area of the world that will have you questioning why people don't flock to the area to visit and even attempt to develop it because there are some multi million dollar views to behold in Big Bend and the surrounding areas.

Families as well as the young and old will find Big Bend to be a great place to visit. Hiking, camping, climbing, running, playing and being adventuresome are all a part of the Big Bend experience. There are a lot flashier places to visit in the United States, but Big Bend is one of the few places to go that is simply unforgettable. Big Bend is a place that everyone should visit at least once in their life, if not more often to take in the changing landscapes that are worn and changed forever by the weather and the combination of the Texas elements.

Most people will find that Big Bend is a great experience to share with people that they love and care about. Pictures taken in the area will remain in the family photo album and in the minds and hearts of all those that visited for a long time to come. It's a shame that Big Bend is not visited more often, as there really is a lot of great things to see and do here.

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