Devil’s Den is a narrow chasm in the southern end of the Santiago Mountains.  It sits in the northeast corner of Big Bend National Park, just south of the Persimmon Gap Entrance to the park.

From the road, the Devil’s Den canyon appears as a Harry Potter scar in the foothills.  The canyon is about 3 miles away in this photo.

 

 

 

 

 

The Peregrine Falcon is a bird of prey.  It can be described as a large, crow-sized falcon, with a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and “moustache.”  It can reach speeds over 200 mph (320 km/h) in a stoop, making it the fastest animal on the planet.  (wiki)

 

 

 

 

Time eventually takes back everything.

 

 

 

 

Is this rock staircase natural or human-made?  (Answer: natural white limestone outcroppings)

 

 

 

 

Theresa slogs through an arroyo, which is a dry creek bed or gulch that temporarily fills with water seasonally or after a heavy rain.  (wiki)  Although hiking through an arroyo is much faster than navigating the prickly, dense surface, it tends to get boring because you usually cannot see more than a few feet to either side.

 

 

 

 

Occasionally the arroyo opens up to reveal the Devil’s Den gash, so we know we are heading in the right direction.

 

 

 

 

The soil is dry as a bone here.  We could feel the dry climate on our skin, lips and eyes.

 

 

 

 

It was on this hike that we quickly learned the desert is a prickly painful place.

 

 

 

 

Case in point.  Talk about a formidable defense!

 

 

 

 

Timm stands above the start of Devil’s Den canyon.

 

 

 

 

A view of Devil’s Den canyon, looking west toward the Santiago Mountains.

 

 

 

 

We walk along the canyon edge.

 

 

 

 

What a terrific view from this lunch spot!

 

 

 

 

Many of the plants in the Chihuahuan Desert look alien.  For example, the ocotillo can grow 30 feet tall and looks like a dead spiny bush for most of the year.  But a good rainfall will cause tiny green leaves to bloom on this “coachwhip,” “Jacob’s staff,” or “vine cactus” (though it is not a true cactus).

 

 

 

 

Speaking of aliens… here is a Horse Lubber grasshopper.  The males make a clacking sound with their wings.

 

 

 

 

 

Theresa enjoys a pretty view of the Santiago Mountains and Dog Canyon.

Next: Boquillas Canyon >>