From the ghost town of Terlingua the beautiful landscape draws visitors from all over the world — just be careful of what may be lurking in the area and beyond.
BIG BEND, Texas — In West Texas, there is vast, empty, unlit land dotted with small towns and massive natural formations.
This is Big Bend National Park. The 800,000-acre park is located along the Rio Grande on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Santa Elena Canyon just be careful of what may be lurking in the area and beyond.
The park is home to more than 1,200 species of animals and has many diverse ecosystems throughout its forests, deserts, mountains and rivers.
Visitors must be prepared for the intense heat near the Rio Grande. The area around the Santa Elena Canyon has a year-round dry and hot climate. One side of the canyon is in Mexico and the other is in the U.S. Kayakers can navigate through the canyon and be in two countries at once.
Up in the Chisos Mountains, there is a massive temperature difference. The average temperature is typically 15- to 20-degrees cooler than the Rio Grande area, creating a climate that allows for a forest to surround the mountains.
In the Chisos, one may encounter some of nature’s most fierce predators. The area is home to mountain lions and Mexican black bears.
However, it is also an area of beautiful hiking trails. The absence of light pollution makes some of the most beautiful night skies in the world visible.
If one is looking for beauty in the rough, Big Bend is the place to visit.
The rugged landscape of the Big Bend National Park allows visitors to experience nature in its purest form, even the hotels look like they are retreating into the landscape.
The birds, watch on unfazed.