From El Paso to the Gulf of Mexico, the trend of the Rio Grande's course is to the southeast, with major interruption as the river swings northeast before resuming its course. This is the Big Bend of the Rio Grande, hugging the national park that shares its name. Of the several United States national parks in the Chihuahuan Desert, Big Bend is the largest and the most diverse. Over 800,000 acres encompass an elevational range from almost 8,000 feet in the Chisos Mountains to less than 2,000 feet where the Rio Grande leaves the park.
As the Park's web page helpfully informs you, "more than 1200
species of plants (including approximately 60 cacti species), 11 species of amphibians,
56 species of reptiles, 40 species of fish, 75 species of mammals, 450 species of
birds, and about 3600 species of insects" occur within the Park—more kinds of
cacti, birds, and bats than in any other U.S. national park. Visit and enjoy all our
desert parks, but make a special effort to include this gem.
Contributor: Arthur H. Harris, Laboratory for Environmental Biology, Centennial Museum, University of Texas at El Paso.
Desert Diary is a joint production of the Centennial Museum and KTEP National Public Radio at the University of Texas at El Paso.