Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park protects 801,163 acres of the Chihuahuan Desert along 118 miles of the Rio Grande in far west Texas. The park encompasses the entire Chisos Mountain range and large swaths of the Chihuahuan Desert, containing more species of birds, bats, and cacti than any other national park. The Rio Grande, forming the international boundary between the United States and Mexico, has carved three magnificent canyons through the park. The park's diverse habitats from desert to mountains support extraordinary biodiversity with over 1,200 plant species, 450 bird species, and 75 mammal species. The Chisos Mountains create a sky island of cooler habitat supporting species like Carmen Mountain white-tailed deer found nowhere else in the United States. The park provides critical habitat for species including mountain lions, black bears, and numerous bat species. Big Bend implements binational conservation strategies with Mexico and dark sky preservation programs. The park manages 500,000 annual visitors while maintaining vast wilderness areas and some of the darkest night skies in the lower 48 states. Research programs focus on biodiversity documentation, climate adaptation, and border ecology while restoration efforts target riparian areas and desert springs.

Water Features

Rio Grande, Hot springs, Desert springs

Ecosystem

This destination features a desert ecosystem.