This United States national park is home to more than 1,200 species of plants, more than 450 species of birds, 75 species of mammals and 56 species of reptiles. Big Bend is named after a stretch of 118 or so miles of Rio Grande river, one part of which forms a large bend in the river at the Texas-Mexico border. The park, which covers over 801,000 acres, is the site of a variety of Cretaceous and Cenozoic fossils, many estimated to be 9,000 years old.
Big Bend National Park is the location of a variety of outdoor activities for the outdoor enthusiasts, including backpacking, river trips, horseback riding, mountain biking, and more. Over 150 miles of trails gives visitors the opportunity to venture out on a day hike on your own or participate in a ranger-led program with a ranger as your guide, teaching you about the science, history, nature and culture of Big Bend National Park. There is a little bit of everything for those visiting this unique part of the world.
For more information about this unique park, see its page on the National Park Service website at http://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm.
Susan has started a blog about the trip. Go to http://www.travelpod.com/members/susana50 to follow along on the journey. Subscribe to get email notifications of new posts (look around on the page for the form to subscribe) so you don't miss any of the adventures and be sure to leave a comment so Susan knows we're reading!
