Unparalleled & Unconventional Natural Beauty

in the bitter edge of Texas country are some of the most breathtaking landscapes and clearest skies around. These vast vistas are only broken by tonal gradients of color cast by the Chisos Mountains that partially outline the border between the United States and Mexico.

Big Bend National Park spans miles of mountains and 800,000 acres of desert terrain making this Texas-sized land conservation the 15th-largest national park. While a solitary road cuts through the park and guides visitors to some of the most colorful desert landscapes in the American Southwest, hopping off the beaten path is recommended.

As soon as a trail leaves the paved road, it is clear to city dwellers how heavy silence can weigh. But listen for a moment. Nature swells in the sound of wind winding through canyons as echoes of laughter reverberate from miles downstream. Birds of prey sail overhead, watchful over the shimmering landscape before coming to roost in cliffside alcoves.

The desert heat shimmers along trails of crushed limestone in diametric contrast to what the landscape once was. Roughly 500 million years ago, Big Bend’s peaks and valleys were hidden by the ocean floor. The only evidence of this is the thousands of bivalves preserved within the layers of limestone that line every turn.

Ascend the peaks that define the park’s topography, and take a break at the various overlooks that dot the park. Look out as far as the eye can see, which in the unpolluted air, is over 16 miles. Spot Emory Peak or Elephant Tusk in the distance, and remember where they are to keep oriented during the long hikes along the South Rim Trail.

Alternatively, break the staggering scale and temperatures of this park by jumping into the Rio Grande. Hiking through Santa Elena Canyon means fording the waterway to reach the opposite bank before trekking up the cliff face past otherworldly cacti and flowering succulents. In only a half-mile, the landscape transports hikers into a shaded oasis defined by the hushed ripple of the river and the occasional splash of swimmers. While the trail eventually ends, ambitious individuals can continue the journey by wading downriver alongside kayakers streaming by, sheltered from the desert sun by the canyon’s ridge, which rises 1,500 feet.

If an easy hike is what is needed, try Window View Trail. Walk the paved path leading to a natural cut in the mountain range that creates a “window” through which the sun sets in a spectacular end to a day parade of pastels. nps.gov/bibe,

1 Panther Junction, Big Bend National Park, TX

Texas Parks With Cool Cabins

• Buescher State Park is one hour east of Austin and offers families a chance to stay in a real log cabin.

• Palo Duro Canyon State Park is known as the Grand Canyon of Texas and is surprisingly the second largest canyon in the United States. This park offers cabins perched on the side of orangecolored mountains for spectacular views from an ancient rock shelter.

• Daingerfield State Park is known for its "Cathedral of Trees" which surround a peaceful lake. The cabins here are nestled into towering oaks and fit right into their natural environment.

• Bastrop State Park is located just 30 minutes east of Austin in the Lost Pines region. Their cabins are modeled after German construction practices with stone walls that meld into their hilly landscape, appearing to grow right out of the ground. The structures also have hand-carved mantels, exposed beams, and handmade furniture.

• Palmetto State Park's single cabin is reminiscent of Lincoln Logs with the added benefit of a wrap-a-around porch. At this park, visitors may feel like they've been transported to a tropical island when they gaze upon the cool crystal waters of the San Marcos River and get lost in numerous dwarf palmettos.