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The Daytripper Goes to Big Bend National Park

The Daytripper Goes to Big Bend National Park

There is a place out west where the phrase “Everything’s Bigger in Texas” comes into its full meaning.
Spectacular views of ponderosa pines, a formation called Laura’s Rock, and Mount Livermore (the tallest peak in the Davis Mountains) abound at The Nature Conservancy’s Davis Mountains Preserve. To get there, take Texas 118 about 25 miles northwest from Fort Davis, turn south onto the preserve’s Madera Canyon Road, and follow it for about five miles. Open to the public only on specific days, the 33,000-acre preserve is part of a sky island in the Chihuahuan Desert created by the cooler and wetter landscape of the Davis Mountains.

Scenic Route: High Road

Expansive views of Big Bend National Park and northern Mexico reward South Rim Trail hikers. This strenuous trek of more than 12 miles (round trip) begins at the Basin Trailhead and ascends about 2,000 feet, using the Pinnacles (steeper) or Laguna Meadows trails (more gradual). To enjoy the night sky, backpackers should plan to camp overnight; a permit is required. The cooler months of November to April provide the best weather for the hike. Part of the trail is closed during peregrine falcon nesting season (February to May).

Scenic Route: Star Park

While the Big Bend area’s natural beauty needs no enhancement, photographer E. Dan Klepper temporarily lit the Chisos Mountains foothills for an interpretive holiday scene submitted for the Lightscapes photo feature in this issue. Big Bend National Park is located on the Texas-Mexico border, south of Marathon off US 385 and south of Alpine off Texas 118. The park features more than 150 miles of trails and some of the darkest night skies in the continental United States.

Scenic Route: Chisos Mountains Foothills

Devil’s Hall Trail in Guadalupe Mountains National Park presents a spectacular hike in the fall when the bigtooth maples change colors. The 4.2-mile, round-trip trek begins at a trailhead near the Pine Springs Campground, heads into Pine Springs Canyon, and climbs up natural rock steps. The trail gets its name from a narrow canyon at the end of the route where hikers turn around to head back. You’ll also find fall color displays at McKittrick Canyon, on the northeastern edge of the park.

Scenic Route: Devil's Hall Trail

An oasis in West Texas, Independence Creek Preserve protects the spring-fed creek and about 20,000 acres between Dryden and Sheffield. On specific days, the preserve opens to visitors for access to the pristine waters of Independence Creek (pictured) and hiking through the hillside juniper woodlands and Chihuahuan Desert scrub landscape. Travelers along Interstate 10 turn south onto Texas 349 and drive about 22 miles south of Sheffield to reach the pre-serve entrance.

Scenic Route: Independence Creek Preserve

Snow in the Chisos Mountains highlights an already magical view, blanketing the trees and adding a new dimension to formations. Reach the Chisos Basin area from both entrances of Big Bend National Park by taking Panther Junction Road to Chisos Basin Road. Enjoy the various views of the mountains as the road climbs and winds for six miles through the landscape, arriving at a 5,400-foot elevation at the basin campground.

Scenic Route: Chisos Mountains

Scenic Route: Feb. 2014

Scenic Route: Feb. 2014

The main entrance roads to Big Bend National Park offer about 50 meandering miles of glorious scenery.
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