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National Park Story

Welcome to Big Bend National Park!

Park History

Big Bend National Park's history encompasses both the natural and human dimensions of the area, from its ancient past to its establishment as a national park. The park's unique landscape, including the Rio Grande's "Big Bend" and the Chisos Mountains, has been shaped by geological processes and human interactions for millennia.

Ancient Times and Early Inhabitants:
Archeological evidence suggests that humans have inhabited the Big Bend region for at least 10,000 years.

The Paleo-Indian period (10,000 to 6500 B.C.) saw people dependent on large game for survival.

As the climate changed, they adapted to hunting smaller game, and later, trade introduced agriculture.

By the late Archaic period, La Junta people, related to the upper Rio Grande Puebloans, practiced agriculture in the floodplains west of the park.

Spanish and Mexican Influences:
Spanish explorers, like Cabeza de Vaca, passed through the area in the 16th century, marking the beginning of the historic era.

Spaniards enslaved Native Americans, transforming their culture.

In the 1700s, Apaches moved to the Big Bend, resisting Spanish control.

By the early 1800s, Mexican settlers lived in the area, facing Comanche raids.

Ranching, Mining, and the Rise of the National Park:
In the 1880s, ranchers moved into the area, overgrazing the land.

Mercury mining replaced ranching as the main economic force in the late 1890s. In the 1930s, West Texans, including Amon Carter, spearheaded efforts to establish the Big Bend area as a park.

The area was initially designated as Texas Canyons State Park in 1933, later renamed Big Bend State Park.

In 1944, Big Bend National Park was officially established, a result of years of effort by area citizens.

Modern Era and Preservation:
The park was established to protect its unique natural and cultural resources, including the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem and archaeological sites.

In 1976, it was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, recognizing its biodiversity.

Big Bend has been designated a Gold Tier International Dark Sky Park due to its dark skies and minimal light pollution. The park continues to evolve, balancing preservation with visitor enjoyment and scientific research.



Santa Elena Canyon
St Elena Canyon Big Bend Dec 2018
Date Taken: 2022-01-20 Map
Santa Elena Canyon is one of my favorite places inside Big Bend National Park. There is a trail you can take that will take you into the canyon. The trail takes you up step stairs before gradually taking you into the canyon. After heavy rains or when the Rio Grande levels are high, you may not be able to get to the trail.


Santa Elena Canyon
St Elena Canyon Big Bend Dec 2018
Date Taken: 2018-12-14 Map
This photo was taken from the trail inside of Santa Elena Canyon.


Santa Elena Canyon
St Elena Canyon Big Bend Dec 2020
Date Taken: 2020-12-31 Map
This photo was taken at the highest point of the Santa Elena Canyon Trail looking southeast towards the Castolon Visitor Center.


Horses
Mexican Horses in Big Bend NP 2022
Date Taken: 2023-05-23 Map
These are actually domestic horses, primarily belonging to vaqueros living on the other side of the Rio Grande in Mexico. The horses often herded across the border and graze within the park, though this is a violation of U.S. law and can cause damage to the park`s natural and cultural resources.


Dorgan Sublett Trail
Big Bend May 2023
Date Taken: 2023-12-31 Map
James Sublett, a farmer, and Albert Dorgan, an architect, played a key role in establishing Grand Canyon Farms, one of the first large-scale farming operations along the Rio Grande within Big Bend National Park.


Dorgan Sublett Trail
Big Bend May 2023
Date Taken: 2023-12-31 Map
This is another photo of one of the abandoned buildings found on the Dorgan Sublett Trail.


Water Pump Equipment
Big Bend National Park March 4, 2017
Date Taken: 2017-03-08 Map
During the early nineteen hundreds cotton, tobacco and other crops were grown in the Castolon Rio Grande valley.


Castolon Visitor Center
Big Bend National Park Dec 2020
Date Taken: 2020-12-15 Map
I took this photo at the Castolon Visitor Center. There were many artifacts left behind from when the area was used for farming


Cerro Castellan
Big Bend Castolon Area Dec 2018
Date Taken: 2018-12-14 Map
Castolon Area of the park has several geological features that remind me of the Roadrunner cartoons. You can see Cerro Castellan from the Tuff Canyon overlooking


Cerro Castellan
Big Bend National Park Dec 2020
Date Taken: 2020-12-30 Map
This is a different angle of Cerro Castellan.


Mule Ears
Big Bend NP Mar 2023
Date Taken: 2024-01-01 Map
As you are driving from the Castolon Visitor Center towards the West Entrance Road, you will pass Mule Ears. This photo was taken from the Mule Ears Overlook near sunset. There was a storm brewing behind Mule Ears.