National Park Service Big Bend National Park U.S. Department of the Interior Texas Big Bend National Park Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River Visitor Guide The Paisano Volume 38 Number 11 20202020 J. JURADO Picture from the Window View Trail. Free Park Movie More Inside... Welcome to Big Bend The park's 24-minute film "Life on the Edge" is played every thirty minutes at the Panther Activities and Scenic Drives...............2, 6-7 Welcome to Big Bend National Park and the remaining wild corners of the United States. Junction Visitor Center. First showing: 9:00AM; Fossil Discovery Exhibit ............................ 2 Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River! Over This diverse place is home to 1,500 types of last showing: 4:00PM. Safety .................................................... 3 800,000 acres await your exploration and plants that thrive in the park and support Visiting Mexico ....................................... 3 enjoyment. ecosystems full of pollinators, herbivores, Feature Articles ....................................4-5 Junior Ranger and other wildlife. Day Hikes ............................................... 7 From an elevation of less than 1,800 feet Birds and Bird Watching ......................... 8 Program Park Partners .......................................... 9 along the Rio Grande to nearly 8,000 feet in Take a drive along one of Big Bend's roads, Camping and River Use ......................... 10 Free Big Bend Junior Ranger the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend includes or hike a scenic trail, and discover just Wildlife ................................................. 11 books are available at any massive canyons, vast desert expanses, how much diversity and life there is in this Information and Services ....................... 12 visitor center. Learn about the park forested mountains, and an ever-changing amazing desert! and complete activities to earn a badge! river. Here you can explore one of the last What can I see if I only have... One Day: Three Days: A Week: Big Bend is too big to see in a single day, With three days to spend in the park, With a week or more to spend in Big but a great one-day trip might include you can explore the major roads more Bend, endless possibilities are open to trying to see the mountains, desert, and thoroughly and still have time for hiking. you. You’ll have plenty of time to explore river with the following itinerary: Check the latest schedule and join a park the roads mentioned in the previous ranger for a guided walk, talk, or evening sections, and will also have time to hike 1) The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive program to learn more about your park. or to drive some of the “unimproved” will give you fantastic views of the dirt roads. For these, you’ll need a high Chihuahuan Desert landscape and will Consider spending a day in each of the clearance or four-wheel drive vehicle; lead you to the Rio Grande. three major areas of the park: don’t forget to check at the visitor centers for current road conditions. The River There are scenic overlooks and exhibits 1) Visit the Chisos Basin and consider Road, Glenn Springs Road, Old Ore along the way that are well worth a hiking the Window Trail (6 miles round Road, and Old Maverick Road are some stop. Short walks to Sam Nail Ranch trip) or the Lost Mine Trail (5 miles of the more popular back country routes. and Homer Wilson Ranch as well as the round trip). Consult page 7 for trail A visit to the pool of water at Ernst Castolon Historic District will give you a descriptions of these and other popular Tinaja near the south end of the Old Ore glimpse into Big Bend’s past. trails in the park that you might fit into Road is a Big Bend highlight. ™ your trip. Try to experience Big Bend's At the end of the road is a highlight of wilderness as much as possible. If you don’t have high clearance or four- the trip: a short walk into Santa Elena wheel drive, improved dirt roads such Canyon—one of Big Bend’s most scenic 2) See the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive as Dagger Flat and Grapevine Hills spots and an easy 1.4 mile round-trip hike. including a short hike into Santa Elena will get you “off the beaten path.” Hike Canyon (see suggestions for “one day”). the Chimneys Trail, Mule Ears Trail, or 2) Visit the forested Chisos Mountains Grapevine Hills Trail for a closer look at and walk the 0.3-mile Window View Trail 3) Drive to Rio Grande Village, stopping the desert en vironment. To: To: to get a feel for the mountain scenery. If at Dugout Wells along the way to walk the time allows you might consider hiking short Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail. If you’d like to explore the Chisos the Window Trail or Lost Mine Trail for The Rio Grande Village Visitor Center Mountains, trails to Boot Ca nyon, a closer look at Big Bend's mountain offers park information and interpretive Emory Peak and the South Rim offer landscapes, or lunch at the only restaurant exhibits. Walk the Rio Grande Village good views of the park and take you into within the park. Nature Trail. The bluff overlooking the another world which seems far removed Rio Grande at the end of the nature trail is from the desert. There are plenty of 3) The Fossil Discovery Exhibit located 8 a particular ly beautiful spot at sunset. opportunities for overnight backpacking Big Bend National Park PO Box 129 Big Bend National Park, TX 79834 miles north of Panther Junction is another along these trails. A backcountry use highlight that could easily fit into a one- At the end of the road is the Bo quillas permit is required to backpack. For more day visit. Canyon Trail, which takes you to the information see page 10. EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA entrance of this spec tacular canyon. National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Big Bend National Park RecentRecent EventsEvents Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River The National Park Service was established on August 25, 1916, "... to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife... and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave M. JURADO them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” Authorized by Congress in 1935 and established in June 1944, Big Bend The Castolon Fire National Park preserves the most representative example of the Chihuahuan A tragic loss that quick action and hard work kept from being far worse. Desert ecosystem in the United States. The Castolon Fire artifacts, as well as vital utilities and the A temporary building now houses the La Park Mailing Address nearby Cottonwood Campground. Harmonia store, where visitors can purchase Big Bend National Park On May 22, 2019, a fire that started in About 950 acres on both side of the river refreshments and park souvenirs. PO Box 129 Mexico the day before jumped across the Rio burned before the fire was fully contained 13 Big Bend National Park, TX 79834 Grande. With strong winds, extremely high temperatures around 110°F, and very low days later. Fortunately, there were no injuries A visitor contact station has opened in the Phone humidity, the fire spread rapidly. associated with this tragic loss. Officer's Quarters building. Long term plans 432-477-2251 include renovating the historic Garlick An abrupt change in wind direction with Recovery Efforts House (to the north, behind the Magdalena Park Websites House) as a permanent new location for a strong gusts showered embers across the In the days after the fire, cultural specialists www.nps.gov/bibe visitor center for Castolon. Castolon Historic District, igniting the latrine sifted the debris to save many historic items, www.nps.gov/rigr building and barracks (which housed the including cast iron stoves, post office box The Big Bend Conservancy (www. La Harmonia Store and Visitor Center) and doors, keys, and the iconic La Harmonia sign On matters relating to the Paisano: bigbendconservancy.org) has established a threatening the other buildings. that hung above the door. National Park Service Castolon Recovery Fund and will assist the Editor, The Big Bend Paisano park in designing a plan for the future of this PO Box 129 The shade structure served as a wick drawing What is Next? flames into the attic. Despite valiant efforts, historic site. To donate, text "Castolon" to Big Bend National Park, TX Although damaged, Castolon remains a rich structural and wildland fire crews were 432-223-0102. 79834 part of Big Bend’s pioneer and military past. [email protected] unable to safely extinguish the fire before both buildings suffered widespread damage. Stay tuned as we move forward in a way that Plans are underway for the next chapters The National Park Service cares for the continues to honor and share the rich history in Castolon’s history. The National Park special places saved by the American However, through their extensive efforts in of this area. Service is consulting with adobe experts, people so that all may experience our extremely difficult conditions, firefighters heritage. historic architects, and structural engineers from the park and Terlingua Fire & EMS to determine how much of these structures saved the many other historic buildings and EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA™ may be salvaged and rehabilitated. Looking for this? New Exhibits and Updates Visitor Centers and buildings across the park have had great new changes! Visitor Centers and exhibits are updated House in Castolon. Old exhibits from the tuned for even more great improvements to periodically to ensure that information that Magdalena House were repurposed to use in come! we pass along to the public is relevant, useful, the temporary contact station that was set up and in good repair.