Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Big Bend National Park, Texas




Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park is located in Texas, USA. In the region of Chihuahuan Desert.
The park exhibits dramatic contrasts and its climate may be characterized as one of extremes. Dry and hot late spring and summer days often exceed 100 °F (38 °C) in the lower elevations. Winters are normally mild but sub-freezing temperatures occasionally occur. Because of the range in altitude from approximately 1,800 feet (550 m) along the river to Emory Peak in the Chisos Mountainsat 7,832 feet (2,387 m) a wide variation in available moisture and temperature exists throughout the park. These variations contribute to an exceptional diversity in plant and animal habitats. Some species in the park, such as the Chisos Oak, are found nowhere else in the United States
.

Sunset from Boquillas Canyon, Big Bend

Despite its harsh desert environment, Big Bend has more than 1200 species of plants (including 60 cactus species), over 600 species of vertebrates, and about 3600 insect species. The variety of life is largely due to the diverse ecology and changes in elevation between the dry, hot desert, the cool mountains, and the fertile river valley.


Most of the animals are not visible in the day, particularly in the desert. The park comes alive at night, with many of the animals foraging for food. About 150 cougar sightings are reported per year, despite the fact that there only two dozen cougars in the park.Other species that inhabit the park include black-tailed jackrabbit , kangaroo rat , greater roadrunner, golden eagle, collared peccary, and coyote. Mexican black bears are also present in the mountain areas.

Javelina at Big Bend

 Hiking trails & Attractions:


Big Bend's primary attraction is its hiking and backpacking trails. Particularly notable among these are the Chimneys Trail, which visits a rock formation in the desert, the Marufo Vega trail, a loop trail that passes through scenic canyons on the way to and from the Rio Grande, and the Outer Mountain Loop trail in the Chisos, which begins in the Chisos Basin, climbs into the high mountains, descends into the desert along the Dodson Trail, and then returns to the Chisos Basin, completing a thirty mile loop. Other notable locations include Santa Elena Canyon, Grapevine Hills, and the Mule Ears, two imposing rock towers in the middle of the desert. Professional backpacking guide services provide trips in the park.



Tip from big bend website: if you're there during/after some rain, be sure to check out Cat Tail Falls and the falls at the end of Pine Canyon Trail.



Pine Canyon Falls. Big Bend 
 

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