The Chisos Mountains dominate the middle of Big Bend National Park and were created by sedimentary rocks that eroded to expose the harder volcanic rock beneath. (source)
Nestled in the Chisos Mountains is a giant basin where the Lodge and Visitors Center are located. It’s also the start of many trails including the South Rim Trail, one of the most popular hikes in the park with views of thousands of square miles of desert and mountains.
The Chisos Mountains tower above you as drive into the Chisos Basin.
There was a board in the Visitors Center with recent animal sightings in the Chisos Basin: puma (mountain lion) and black bear.
From the National Park Service: “The recolonization of black bears in Big Bend is a remarkable natural event. Researchers do not know exactly why the bears returned, but it is due in part to the preservation and restoration of habitat in the park.”
“Hey, got any snacks?”
This was the photo from our Christmas card. The long ridge in the background is Sierra Ponce, a sheer 1500-foot cliff above the Rio Grande that represents the northern border of Mexico.
Some wildflowers were still blooming in late October.
Sierra Ponce once again rises in the background. The gash in the cliff line is Santa Elena Canyon. The ridge to the right of the canyon is Mesa de Anguila, which dominates the southwestern section of Big Bend National Park in the United States.
Yet another terrific lunch spot on the edge of a cliff with a spectacular view.
You can see into Mexico on a clear day.
The Sierra Quemada has the faint look of an old volcano.
Want a total rush without the risk of going splat? Lay down on the edge of a 1000-foot cliff, then inch your head over the rim. Feel the updrafts blast through your hair. Try to avoid vertigo as you feel like you’re flying. Not for the faint at heart.
Looking back at our lunch spot along the edge of the South Rim.
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