The Valley of Death

Disclaimer:
1. This is not a horror fiction. Just a travel review of Death Valley National Park.
2. Photos subject to copyright.
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Which national park in the world has the scariest name? The first answer that comes to mind is Death Valley. Despite its creepy name, Death Valley National Park is one of the most strikingly beautiful places on the earth. From the second lowest point in the Western Hemisphere to the hottest point on earth; from 282 ft below sea level to 11,000 ft above sea level; from salt flats to sand dunes; from vibrant canyons to gigantic volcanic craters, this national park is rich with unique geological features. Located between the Great Basin and Mojave Desert, it is the largest national park (area 13,650 sq km) in the mainland US.

We were introduced to the name of Death Valley at a very young age through geography lessons and popular Bengali science fiction. So when the time finally came to visit the Sin City, we gave our best shot towards a daylong tour to DVNP. We started pretty early in the morning, and chose the easiest route, that is the Hwy 95 N route via Indian Springs. After driving 90 miles on Hwy 95 N from Vegas to Lathrop Wells, we switched to Hwy 373, which meets the NV-CA State Line Road at Death Valley Junction after a 25 miles drive. The whole drive of 115 miles through a desolate region felt like a never-ending one.

The distance from Death Valley Junction to Dante’s View Turnoff is 18 miles on Hwy 190. We took a detour on the Dante’s View Road which leads to Dante’s View, arguably the most spectacular viewpoint in the park. This overlook stands at 5475 ft above sea level. The 360° panoramic view from the summit portrays mountain ranges in all directions, which include the Sierra Nevada Mountains (NW), the Grapevine Mountains (N), Mount Charleston (E), and the mountains around Los Angeles (SW). Furthermore, a sweeping view from the floor of Death Valley to the summit of Telescope Peak can be experienced from here.

From -282 ft to +11000 ft, a sweeping vista from Dante's View

Turning back to Hwy 190, another 10 miles drive took us to Furnace Creek Visitor Center. Did the name Furnace Creek ring a bell? Yes, it did. Our textbook knowledge of Death Valley hammered us with the fact that this place had been credited for highest temperature ever recorded (56.7 °C, in 1913) on earth. That justifies the “furnace” in its name. However, in the month of November, the surroundings were pretty cool. The junction of Hwy 190 and Badwater Road is exactly at sea level. From there, one can only go downhill on the Badwater Road and feel the ensuing pressure drop.

The first important stop on the Badwater Road is the Golden Canyon Trailhead. Though our feet were not completely healed from previous month’s Grand Canyon experience, still we opted for this trail, which extends till Zabriskie Point (2.5 miles one way). However, we chose to explore until Red Cathedral (1.5 mile from trailhead) only. This is a moderate trail with elevation gain upto 320 ft. From the start to the end, the trail greeted us with swirls of color, including gray, red, brown, yellow and orange. Golden Canyon conserves geographical legends of the entire DVNP like a virtual wikipedia. The rocks and canyon walls shout out the untold tales of the ancient lakes and showcase the effect of flash floods in a parched land.

Red Cathedral at Golden Canyon Trail

The next stop was the Devil’s Golf Course, which is an immense area of rock salt eroded by wind and rain into jagged spires. Once swathed by a lake, the water evaporated a couple of centuries ago, and left behind large infernal stalagmites and spiky mounds of salt and minerals. A one mile dirt road leads to the parking area, which immediately lures the visitors to step inside the salt pinnacles. But believe me, they are very sharp and makes it very tricky to walk, let alone playing golf. That reminded us of a Bengali proverb about sprinkling salt to an injury. We did not hesitate to salute the person who named this place for his/her uncanny sense of humor.

Devil's Golf Course

Our hiking spree has got the best of us again, so unsurprisingly we stopped at the Natural Bridge Canyon Trailhead. From the trailhead, the 50 ft tall Natural Bridge is only half a mile walk. Being created by differential erosion, this is obviously the main attraction of the canyon, but the trail has more to offer. Analogous to other canyons of the park, a rich display of the geological history is evident through the towering reddish cliffs. In the metamorphic rocks, cute swirls of blue, red, gray and white are prominent. The entire trail is 2 miles roundtrip, gains elevation upto 800 ft, and dead-ends at a 20 ft pour over blocking the canyon.

Natural Bridge Canyon

About 6 miles on the Badwater Road, we finally arrived at the Badwater Basin, which has a surreal landscape of vast salt flats. At 282 ft below sea level, this is the lowest point in North America and second lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. The boardwalk ends where there are some wonderful pressure ridges and cracks in the salt. Apart from the picturesque view of the Telescope Peak (11,049 ft) just across the valley, the Black Mountains (6,000 ft) rose directly out of the salt flats behind the trailhead with a glittering sign indicating the sea level.

Badwater Salt Flats, lowest point in North America

During return, we took another detour through the Artist’s Drive, located about halfway between Furnace Creek and Badwater Basin. This is a 9 mile one way scenic loop drive running through multicolored igneous and sedimentary rocks resembling a grand painter’s palette. Driving through the sharp curves and deep dips felt like a roller coaster ride. The Artist’s Palette vista point is a unique landmark in DVNP and is incredibly photogenic in the late afternoon, especially when the colors start to pop-up with the gradual softening of sunlight. The arrays of the red, yellow, green, blue and purple colors have been created by salts of the first transition metals, mostly Fe and Mn. The whole drive also substantiates one of the most violently explosive volcanic periods. Leave aside history and geography, at the end of the day Artist's Drive is a heavenly place where all superlatives become trivial.

Artist's Palette, incredibly photogenic in the afternoon

After arriving at Furnace Creek again, we were headed further north towards Stovepipe Wells. Few miles down the way, the non-operational Harmony Borax Works symbolizes the erstwhile industrial activity more than a century ago. The ruins of an old cotton-ball borate ore boiling facility and a 20 Mule Team borax wagon train are the primary exhibits in this area. Interestingly, this place also stands 260 ft below sea level.

The principal features of the Stovepipe Wells area are the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and the Mosaic Canyon; with contrasting characteristics but equally stunning landscapes. While the sunrays of late afternoon accentuated the golden colored ripples of the smoothly rising dunes, the water-polished conglomerate rocks of the Mosaic Canyon represent the finest of the DVNP.

Mosaic Canyon

It was time to wrap up. So many things to do, but so little time we had. We heard a lot about Scotty’s Castle, Ubehebe Crater and Telescope Peak. But we were badly running out of time, and had to start our return journey with heavy heart and optimistic mind. We saved the best for the last, which is the Zabriskie Point, just east of Furnace Creek. Surrounded by a maze of vividly colored eroded mudhill badlands, this is the most popular destination for watching sunset inside the park.


Sunset from Zabriskie Point

 

The trip was concluded by another scenic drive through Twenty Mule Team Canyon. Winding through ethereal wilderness, this 2.7 mile one-way loop drive is unpaved, but equally gorgeous compared to the other scenic drive we took earlier in the day.

Breathtaking Rockies

Disclaimer:

1. All the humor about wildlife should not be taken literally. We hate disturbing wildlife and hate those doing it.

2. Photos subject to copyright.

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We were introduced to the mountains at a very young age, thanks to some enthusiastic family members. The fascination continues till date and will hopefully never ever diminish. Therefore, after landing in the States, one of the places on our bucket list was the Rockies. The reason is simple. This encompasses hundreds of 10000 ft mountains including Longs Peak (14255 ft), one of the tallest in mainland US. However, due to some unfavorable situations, it did not materialize initially. Instead, what we got was Smokeys at late fall. Now that’s an altogether different story – subject of a separate blogpost.

Longs Peak

Luck finally favored us at 2010, when we managed back to back trips to the Tetons and the Rockies. Well not exactly the whole Rockies, but Rocky Mountain National Park, which represents the best of the Rockies. The Continental Divide bisects the park into two distinct regions; (i) a heavily glaciated eastern side, and (ii) a heavily forested western side. Both regions boast of outstanding spots for rock climbing, high altitude hiking, and last but not the least, wildlife watching. The time we chose was the beginning of fall, so that we could perceive the region specific fall foliage, much different from what we normally see in New England.

Autumn colors of Rockies

Day 1

The distance from Denver Airport to RMNP is only 80 miles. This is very convenient when compared with the accessibility of other national parks from important airports. The park can be reached either via Boulder or via Longmont. After crossing Lyons, the last 20 miles drive at Hwy 36, accompanied by Little Thompson River, is incredibly scenic.

The heavenly Lake Estes

We usually prefer to camp at the national parks, but this time we made an exception. The picturesque town of Estes Park (elevation 7522 ft above sea level) is strategically placed just outside the eastern entrance of the park. Before entering the town, you will be bewildered by the view of Lake Estes with Prospect Mountain (8900 ft) at the backdrop . Over and above the scenic vistas, the town also provides spontaneous interactions with fearless wildlife, which cares little about the existence of human beings or motor vehicles. Your day could start with greetings from an elk while taking a casual morning walk on the hotel lawns, or end with a deer hitchhiking at the side of the highway. The downtown has plenty of colorful shops for gifts and souvenirs, fine art galleries, historical treasures like the Knoll and Birch Cabin, and a beautiful mountain garden named after Mrs. Walsh, which showcases the local flowers and plants meticulously. Either way, you could spend ample quality time in the town itself, without visiting the park.

The picturesque town of Estes Park

Nevertheless, the interiors of the park were sending strong electromagnetic waves to our adventurous minds, and we gladly obliged. Needless to say, we were awestruck, not only by the landscape, but also by the changing colors of the season. The added bonus was countless encounters with the abundant wildlife.

The exploration started at Fall River Visitor Center (8240 ft), which serves as the gateway to the Fall River Area. Towards the Endovalley Road, Alluvial Fan (8610 ft) is a unique attraction for people of all ages and should not be missed. The Roaring River passes through a small waterfall and cascading stream down this area. The top of the waterfall is an easy climb and is a great place for shooting (with camera, off course). The small hiking was just a warm up for the upcoming activities.

Old Fall River Road is a 9 mile long one way dirt road which leads to Alpine Visitor Center at Fall River Pass. Major portions of the road are narrow and interposed with tight switchbacks. It is a challenge for all motorists to go uphill on that super-winding road and enjoy the view at the same time. Just 2 miles up the road, we were blessed by the Chasm Falls, which is one of the many natural wonders inside the park. In one of the switchbacks, I was so mesmerized by the view of Mount Chapin (12454 ft) that I had almost managed to get the car into the Chapin Creek. Thanks to our reflexes for noticing that at the last moment. Near the end of this road, it traverses the headwall of Fall River Cirque before joining Trail Ridge Road next to Alpine Visitor Center (11796 ft).

Chasm Falls at Old Fall River Road

From Alpine Visitor Center one can experience sweeping views of the mountain range, combined with diverse wildlife grazing peacefully on the meadows. The visitor center is located amidst Trail Ridge Road, which is probably the highest continuous paved highway of the nation. Spanning 50 miles between Estes Park on the east and Grand Lake on the southwest, 11 miles of this highway travels above treeline (>11000 ft). Unfortunately, the southwest-bound route was closed due to construction work. That deprived us the visit to Grand Lake and the whole southwestern part of the park, which we regret till date.

Trail Ridge Road from its highest point

Anyway, we had no choice but to detour through the eastbound route. From Fall River Pass to Deer Ridge Junction (8930 ft), this 19 mile stretch winds viciously across the alpine tundra and offers stunning landscapes and magnificent wildflower displays. The highest point of this motorable road (12183 ft) is a couple of miles away from Fall River Pass. The other important pullouts include Gore Range Overlook (12010 ft), Lava Cliffs (12000 ft), Rock Cut (12050 ft) and Forest Canyon Overlook (11716 ft). Near the latter one, we could capture the romantic moods of a number of mule deers, with Sundance Mountain (12466 ft) at the background. Some of them came pretty close to the road and were observing the visitors innocently. In accordance with our previous experience at Yellowstone, those happy-go-lucky guys are more camera-friendly than ever.

An Odocoileus hemionus couple at Forest Canyon

The day ended on a high note with group wildlife watching at multiple sections of West Horseshoe Park and Sheep Lakes (8520 ft).

Day 2

We planned to spend the next day on the southeastern region of the park. So we started from Beaver Meadows Visitor Center (7840 ft) and traveled through Bear Lake Road, which exhibits great scenery throughout its 9 mile length.

Big Thompson River meandering through Moraine Park

On the previous day, we had a glimpse of the wildlife at Moraine Park. This morning that expansive valley was infested with large number of bull elks bugling along with their herd. Oblivious of the human intruders, they seem to enjoy their polygamous lifestyle to the fullest extent. The Moraine Park Visitor Center (8140 ft) houses an excellent museum. The wildlife exhibits and interactive geological displays are quite informative.

A herd of Cervus canadensis at Moraine Park

Around 6 miles on the Bear Lake Road, the tranquil Sprague Lake (8690 ft) emerges out from nowhere. The wheelchair accessible 0.5 mile roundtrip trail adjoining the lake is an easy stroll for all ages. This place is ideal for picnicking, bird watching, fishing, or just relaxing. With a little luck, one can also be able to see elks nearby.

The last portion of Bear Lake Road dramatically winds through striking golden colors of the Aspen leaves, signifying better times ahead. The Bear Lake Perimeter Trail (9475 ft), as the name suggests, spans 0.5 mile surrounding the Bear Lake. True to our expectations, brilliant colors of fall foliage were portrayed on the edge of the lake. We were surprised to find some enthusiastic smaller mammals and birds, who spontaneously posed with us for snaps.

Representative Autumn colors at Bear Lake

After walking around this easy trail, we went up further to explore the series of immaculate lakes. The Emerald Lake Trail starts with Nymph Lake (0.5 mile from trailhead), passes through Dream Lake (1.1 miles) and ends at Emerald Lake (1.8 miles). The trail was fairly steep and gains 605 ft at Emerald Lake from the trailhead. Due to time constraints, we resisted the temptation to hike the Flattop Mountain Trail (9 miles roundtrip), which leads to Flattop Mountain (12324 ft) and Hallett Peak (12713 ft).

The serene Nymph Lake

The next destination was Alberta Falls, a gorgeous waterfall towards Glacier Gorge. This 1.6 miles roundtrip trail starts at Glacier Gorge Trailhead (9240 ft), and it starts out smoothly. After a short time, it gets much steeper and we found ourselves in an open area with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. This being the final hours of daytime, our energy level had dropped exponentially. Still we managed to complete the trail; our impending Grand Canyon trip served as the inspiration. The Glacier Creek guided us through the rest of trail until the sudden appearance of Alberta Falls upfront. Though the downhill return was relatively easy, our aging knees and hurting feet started to revolt.

Alberta Falls, ornamented by Fall Foliage

The return drive to Estes Park was pretty lively. An elk couple blocked both ways of the road, probably didn’t want us to leave to park. It’s always difficult to say goodbye to them. Convincing them about our future return was also a tough job. After we managed to arrive at Estes Park, we went on to explore the downtown on foot. With the Fall River at its side, the mile-long Riverwalk is a peaceful pathway for pedestrians. As I had said earlier, the town is endowed with a plethora of activities, which did not cease to surprise us.

Day 3

To optimally utilize the residual half day before our return flight, we started early in the morning roaming around Lake Estes. The 3.8 mile trail around the lake was impossible to cover completely in this short time, so we had to be content with half a mile or so. Similar thing happened with the two trails on Peak-to-Peak Scenic Byway, namely the Lily Mountain Trail and the Twin Sisters Trail. These trails lead to, as the names suggest, Lily Mountain (9786 ft) and Twin Sisters Peaks (11428 ft), respectively. Finally, we had to bid adieu to the mountains from the Longs Peak Trailhead, and continued our journey through the same scenic highway.

The tranquil Lily Lake

After exploring most of the accessible areas of the park, we realized that there are still so many things left out. A scenic drive in car with no hiking takes you from sprawling meadows to pristine lakes, from vibrant wildflowers to thick snow above treeline, not to mention the juxtaposed wildlife. But to really identify the hidden treasures of the Rockies, one should heartily spend substantial time and energy on the trails.

Bursting fall colors at "Peak to Peak Scenic Byway"

Biodiversity of Southern Florida

Disclaimer:

1. This is NOT a scholarly article; just a travel review of the national parks of Florida. Please don’t get confused by the title of the post.

2. Photos subject to copyright.

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The sunshine state is well known for its crystal beaches, tropical climate, and an array of amusement parks in the city of Orlando. However, there is much more in it, though not so popular among conventional tourists, but a true feast for nature lovers. In addition to all the popular tourist sites, the state has been endowed with a wide diversity of wildlife including a number of endangered species. There are several protected areas for this rich biodiversity, which include Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park at the southern part of the state. The major part of the state is strategically placed between two major bodies of water; the Atlantic on the east coast and the Gulf of Mexico on the west. This unique geographical location is the principal reason for sustaining the biodiversity.

If you continue on I-95 towards south of Miami, it merges onto US-1 around Coconut Grove and becomes South Dixie Hwy. After driving for another 28 miles you will reach Florida City, the southernmost city in mainland US which is not on an island. In the center of the city lies the crossing of S Dixie Hwy and Palm Drive. This last crossing on S Dixie Hwy traps you in a dilemma. If you go westbound you will hit Everglades National Park (Gulf of Mexico coast) in about 20 min. If you choose to go to east you will reach Biscayne National Park (Biscayne Bay, Atlantic coast) in about 25 min.

In our entire stay in US, we came to the crossing twice, once in Dec 2009 and once in Dec 2010. We were lucky enough to have visited both the national parks, but on two different trips one year apart. The first trip, where we went westbound, was part of a Christmas vacation when we roamed around the whole state of Florida. The last one was just meant for Biscayne and greater Miami metropolitan area. So fond we were of the crossing, that we would love to visit there time and again.

Everglades

Everglades neither has the grandeur of Yellowstone or Grand Canyon, nor the sheer relief of Rockies or Smokeys. But it does have something that draws attention of thousands of nature enthusiasts every year. You just need to recognize its own unique beauty. This is the ultimate place for tropical wildlife watching in Southern Florida, though most of the park is inaccessible. The accessible parts of the park can be covered in one day, and for us that one day was the New Years Day in 2010. On the last day of 2009 we traveled to and from Key West in a single day. We enjoyed the firecrackers on the way to Homestead, and returned to our motel much after midnight. The New Years Day was supposed to be hectic. But we started early towards Everglades, despite being sleepy.

American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

The journey started at the Ernest Coe Visitor Center near the main entrance of the park. The Royal Palm Visitor Center is just 4 miles away from there. This place was infested with turkey vultures. A dead vulture was hanging on top of the visitor center; this exhibition was supposed to scare the hell out of the living ones.

Florida Redbelly Turtle (Pseudemys nelsoni)

The Anhinga Trail starts from Royal Palm. Nothing less than an amusement park, this 0.8 mile loop trail is a must see for people of all ages. If SeaWorld decides to have an “Everglades Ride”, this is what it should look like ideally. This is mostly on a boardwalk, which offers closest possible encounters with fearsome alligators and crocodiles and cool turtles. And by closest I mean inches, without exaggerating anything. Surely you can pose for nice snaps with them without being worried. Those cold-blooded creatures, in the course of their languid sunbathing, care little about the nearby two legged animals. However, one may invite disaster if he/she tries to play games with them. The best thing about the park is that the food chain in the ecosystem is maintained naturally, without any interference from the park rangers. That means the alligators feed on naturally occurring fish.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Apart from the reptiles, a whole variety of the avian species can be watched all the way through this trail, again from a very close distance. The Anhingas can be seen standing gracefully on wooden pillars; not bothered by the presence of the descendants of monkey species. The reflections of green herons and reddish egrets on the water surface; the nosedive of ospreys to snatch fish; all create picture perfect moments.

Water Turkey (Anhinga anhinga)

The park ranger informed us that nearly 350 bird species can be found in Everglades, which includes wood stork, brown pelican, white and glossy ibis, roseate spoonbill, to mention just a few. In addition, it also hosts a large number of smaller migratory birds.

Green Heron (Butorides virescens)

The Main Park Road is a scenic 38 mile drive from Coe to Flamingo Visitor Center. Several walking trails can be accessed by the side of this road. We chose to explore the 0.4 mile Mahogany Hammock Trail, which passes through a dense, jungle-like hardwood hammock (slightly higher elevated tree island). At the end of the scenic drive the Flamingo area generously offers a variety of activities to the travelers. The most interesting amongst them is wildlife watching from the visitor center breezeway. A number of gators and endangered crocs laze around the vicinity of Flamingo marina. A variety of birds assemble on the Florida Bay mudflats as well as on the Eco Pond.

Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)

To appreciate the real Everglades one needs a boat. Since we didn’t have one, we went for a narrated boat ride into the Florida Bay. The main attraction was to study some endangered manatees and bottlenose dolphins. We were neither lucky nor unlucky; just had to satisfy ourselves with occasional views of dolphin fins above the water surface.

Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)

With the setting sun, our daylong visit at Everglades was concluded. Hoping to come back at some other suitable time, we started our cross-country return journey through Big Cypress National Preserve.

Biscayne

The sole purpose of our second visit to the Miami was to explore Biscayne National Park and Biscayne Bay in general. The rationale was that the biodiversity on land is just the beginning. The real escapade begins when you hit the waters rich with sundry marine life. For several decades, the shoreline of Biscayne Bay has attracted marine aficionados from all parts of the globe. Biscayne National Park is probably the best place in Florida for up close and personal interaction with coral reefs. Only 5% of the park is land, consisting of a mangrove shoreline and about 40 barrier reef islands. The majority of the wilderness lies under water.

Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)

For beginners, corals are tiny animals, termed as polyps, which assimilates calcium ions from seawater and produces fortifications of limestone around themselves. The array of those adjoining fortifications appears like colonies of flowers or mountains. When colonies of several species are placed in close proximity to each other, they emerge as living fortresses termed as reefs. Apart from corals, there exist sea whips and sea fans inside the reefs. Their back and forth movement in the sea current gives life to the otherwise stagnant reefs.

To spice up the matter, about 200 species of colorful fishes dwell on the reefs. Some of the popular ones include blue marlin, red grouper, damselfish, parrotfish, etc. A number of endangered sea turtles such as loggerhead, leatherback and green sea turtle, as well as shark, stingray, jellyfish, crab, sponge, starfish, etc. are residents of this part of the world. Scores of these species acquire food and shelter in the coral reefs. Being closer to Miami, the nightlife in the reef is amazing. A “bottom up shift” of the ecosystem always occurs at the turn of the day, which optimizes the utilization of the abundant food supply.

The best way to explore the reef is scuba diving, which was not our cup of tea. The second best option was snorkeling, which we tried the previous year at Key West, but not with great success. This time, to be doubly sure, we opted for both the glass boat tour and snorkeling, so that we could make an overkill of our visit. Both are 3 hour tours, managed by Biscayne National Underwater Park. Needless to say, both the outings were more than successful. They took us out front of Elliott Key Oceanside, where tons of patch reefs exist. The depth of water ranges from 10–15 feet, which is ideal for snorkeling. Words fall short to describe the views underneath the water. However, the astonishing views of the corals and fishes and stingrays could not be documented properly on camera. We managed to get a cheap disposable waterproof camera, which did not have the finesse of a simple point-and-shoot digital camera. So we had to be content with what our eyeballs captured.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

A large number of avian species accompanied us during both the tours, and our guide was nice enough to introduce them to us. A majority of them recognized us; probably saw our faces during the Everglades excursion.



Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)



In spite of spending so much time with the corals, we still had some surplus time before our return flight. We exploited that by kayaking on the Atlantic waters. Believe it or not, this is far more dangerous than that on the Charles or the Massachusetts Bay. As usual, birds were our only companions during the adventure, and enabled us to spend quality time far from bustling city life. Our last trip to the sunshine state was aptly concluded by a spectacular sunset over the Biscayne Bay, witnessed from Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.

The Big Bend of Rio Grande

Disclaimer:

(i) Speeding is injurious to health, sometimes life-threatening

(ii) Photos subject to copyright

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We lived in a small college town in Texas for a couple of years, in the middle of nowhere. For any sort of decent entertainment, we had to travel to the nearby big cities, namely Houston (90 miles), Austin (100 miles), Dallas (160 miles), San Antonio (170 miles) or New Orleans (450 miles). The nearest national park is even farther, some 600 odd miles, at the border of Mexico and deep in the heart of the Chihuahua desert, the Big Bend National Park. This is one of the two national parks in TX; the other being Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

BBNP administers 244 miles of the international boundary between US and Mexico. The park was named after the large bend of the Rio Grande River, which also serves as the border. The river on its voyage through this portion of the Chihuahuan Desert has cut deep canyons with nearly vertical walls, namely Santa Elena, Mariscal, and Boquillas.

When we started living in Texas, we had little idea about BBNP, as it is not so popular among the desis. But being offbeat travelers, we were gradually drawn towards it and waited for the right time to visit there. However, with time and situation, we were so much packed with schedules that the trip was always far on timeline horizon. Then the time came for us to move to New England for better career opportunities. That's when we decided to give it one last shot on the Thanksgiving weekend of 2008. Needless to say, we planned a camping trip there as well.

All excited and charged up we started for the trip. The drive seemed like a never ending story. We started on a Wednesday evening. The plan was to drive overnight (~10 hrs) with a minimum of 3 breaks. The important cities on the road are Austin, Fredericksburg and Fort Stockton. We hit I-10 after four and half hours of driving (through TX-21, TX-71, US-290W), and the speed limit suddenly increased to 80 mph. We continued to drive at ± 10 mph of that speed limit (mostly plus) for the next 240 miles till Fort Stockton. From there we switched to US-385S, where the speed limit is 75 mph. This highway being known to be a no-cop road, we continued our speeding spree till the town of Marathon (60 miles from FS), and then continued at normal speed till the entrance of BBNP (90 miles from FS).

The last stretch of the drive was long and irksome. The absolute pitched darkness with occasional screams of wild animals was kind of eerie. After about an hour of driving, when all of us were almost half asleep (including the driver), one sudden hit on the brake shook us like anything. Standing in the middle of the road was a deer only an inch away from our car. The poor guy was almost scared to death. Wide awake after the screeching sound, we realized that just a second ago we were saved from killing an innocent animal. Unfortunately, the deer chose to cross the road the very moment when we were passing. Overwhelmed by the headlights, he/she stopped there at the last moment. After the equilibration of our adrenaline level, we resumed our journey towards the visitor center.

Day 1

The notice board at Persimmon Gap Visitor Center said that most of the campgrounds were occupied. This being the tourist season, it was impossible to find a suitable one without prior reservation. Unfortunately, we were unaware of it at that time. All the sites of Panther Junction were full. It was almost end of the night and therefore, we did not dare go to the Chisos Basin to try our luck, since the road was too winding. The next best and probably only option was Rio Grande Village. From Panther Junction, the 20 mile road towards RGV descends nearly 2000 ft, and simultaneously passes through spectacular landscape of the picturesque Sierra del Carmen escarpment.

The real pain started while looking for vacant campgrounds at RGV. Some of the regular camping sites were washed out by a flash flood the previous day. After wandering around for a while, some of the park volunteers helped us get a temporary place a little aside of the regular campground, and promised us a permanent place the next morning.

After gulping some quick breakfast, we started exploring the neighborhood. In spite of not getting shut eyes for the last 12 hrs, our enthusiasm was in full brim and the whole night drive could not dampen our excitements. At the eastern end of the park, this is the center of visitor activity during the winter months. We heard a lot about the singing Mexican, so we made it a point to drive up to Boquillas Canyon Trail. Alongside the way, the Boquillas Canyon Overlook presents a dramatic panoramic view of the canyon and the river.

The Boquillas Canyon Trail is 1.4 miles round trip, and begins at the end of the Boquillas Canyon Spur Road. From the parking lot it ascends to the top of a cliff overlooking the river. Mortar holes from ancient inhabitants are some of the interesting features in this area. The native inhabitants of the place used the rocks as mortar for grinding stuff. The impressions or holes made out of it still remain to this day. The singing Mexican was doing his job (i.e. singing) on a boat across the river. Not melodious enough, but we still were attracted by the warm heartedness of the guy. There were lots of pretty handmade goods sold by local Mexican dealers at lucrative prices, but we were scared to buy any of the stuff since it is illegal.

Boquillas Canyon

Mortar holes at Boquillas Canyon Trail

Hot Springs Road is a two mile winding rugged gravel road connecting the Hot Springs Historic District. It was a challenge driving on this road with a 12 year old car. After exploring the ruins of the first resort of BBNP, we went to soak in the Hot Springs, the temperature of which is about 105 °F. The Hot Springs Canyon Trail is 6 miles round trip, and connects Daniel's Ranch and Hot Springs. This trail offers astonishing views of the river, and Chisos and Sierra del Carmen Mountains. Daniels' Ranch, located near the trailhead, is an excellent birding spot.



Hot Springs Historic District

Hot Springs Canyon Trail

The next destination was Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail, beginning at Dugout Wells, which presents both natural and cultural history of this region. On this easy desert trail the remnants of human settlement and a shady oasis can still be seen. The spirit of the desert can be sensed all along this trail.

Chisos Mountains from Dugout Wells



Along the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Trail

The daylong experiences with gravel road, desert and scorching sun (not to mention sleepless nights) made us pretty exhausted. We ended our day at the scenic RGV Nature Trail near the campground, which offers serene sunset views. Shortly after that, we felt a bit claustrophobic after experiencing the darkness around us. This is probably one of the darkest regions of the world; the bright sky lit by distant stars appeared like a giant blanket falling over us.

Day 2

As promised, the park volunteer did provide us a better campsite at the regular campground the next morning. Dismantling and repitching of the tent took some time. So we were little late for the Chisos Basin, where we planned to spend the whole day.

The 6 mile road to Chisos Basin from Chisos Mountains Basin Junction ascends over 5000 ft above the desert floor. This scenic and winding road showcases the transition between barren desert and cooler mountain habitats. It also offers breathtaking scenes of the massive cliffs and the erosion-formed basin area.

Cliffs of the Chisos Basin

Several trails start from the Chisos Basin Trailhead, which range from easy to strenuous. The Window View Trail is the easiest one and taken by people of all ages. This wheelchair accessible, 0.3 mile round trip trail loops around a low hill with sweeping views throughout the Window. It portrays the northwestern part of the desert from an elevation of over 4000 ft above the desert floor.

The Window

We wanted to go a little beyond that, so with our right mind we chose the Emory Peak Trail, which is the most backbreaking one. Emory Peak is the highest point in the park, standing at 7825 ft. The trail is 9 miles roundtrip. First, we ascended the Pinnacles Trail to Emory Peak Trail junction (3.5 miles from Chisos Basin Trailhead). From there a 1 mile spur trail led us to the peak, which revealed exquisite landscapes along the way. The last quarter mile is very steep, and the last 25 ft requires a semi-technical scramble up an exposed rock face. We had to brush up our juvenile rock-climbing skills to deal with that part. Once at the top, the 360° panoramic views left us awestruck. Words fail us to describe the view around us, so we will take refuge behind the snapshots. Most of the northern section of the park and a substantial part of the Chisos Range to the south can be perceived from here.

Emory Peak

Summit; finally!

Casa Grande from Emory Peak Trail

We heard the sighting of a family of black bear by our fellow hikers, but luck was not what we had. The return to Chisos Basin Trailhead was detoured by about 1 mile via the Chisos Basin Loop Trail. This trail passes through shaded stands of dense vegetation and outstanding vistas from the Window with Chihuahua desert at the backdrop. We were fortunate enough to stumble upon a herd of mule deer; the first wildlife sighting on that day. The whole hike took around 5 hours. The return to the RGV Campground was uneventful barring some isolated encounters with roadrunners.

The juvenile members of the Odocoileus hemionus family



The sprinting Geococcyx californianus

Day 3

No excursion in BBNP is complete without a ride along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. This 30 mile scenic road highlights the geological grandeur of BBNP; at the same time offering several scenic overlooks and exhibits on the way. The grey or dark brown colored low-lying hills, the V-shaped back side of the Window, and the Casa Grande are the important features in the first few miles. The Blue Creek Ranch and Sotol Vista Overlook come into view between 8 and 9 miles, famous for red rock formations and first hint of the Santa Elena Canyon, respectively. Around the 15th mile, the Goat Mountain and the Mule Ears both represent underground volcanic activities millions of years ago. Igneous rock trickled into the surface through older sediment layers and formed bizarre shapes like the two eroded dikes of the Mule Ears.

The framing of Sierra del Carmen

Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive

Autumn colors of the desert

Mule Ears

The Tuff Canyon at 20th mile presents a gaping view of the Blue Creek valley from three different vista points. After crossing the layered mountain of Cerro Castolon, the Castolon Historic District suddenly appears at the 22nd mile. The historic La Harmonia Store (located in the same building as the visitor center) provided us a full range of supplies for the rest of the day.

Tuff Canyon with Cerro Castolon at the backdrop

Desert flowers

Further 8 miles drive along the road took us to Santa Elena Canyon Overlook via the Santa Elena Canyon River Access. The scenic drive ends here, and exposes a stunning panoramic view of the canyon. The Santa Elena Canyon Trail starts from the overlook, and is about 2 miles roundtrip. After passing Terlingua Creek, the trail ascends through a staircase to a viewpoint, then again descends back to the edge of the water. It further continues until the towering 1500 ft canyon walls meet the riverbed. The formation of these gigantic limestone cliffs took about 60 million years. A number of shell fossils embedded in the large boulders provides a glimpse of the formative years.

The river access of Santa Elena Canyon

Encompassed by Santa Elena Canyon

The highlight of the return trip to RGV was the dazzling sunset over Sierra del Carmen. The golden color of the setting sun on top of the mountain left our eyes and mind bedazzled (though superseded by Grand Canyon sunset much later).

Sunset at Sierra del Carmen

Day 4

The return from a national park is not so easy on the mind. But being the last day of Thanksgiving weekend, our professional life was beckoning us to return to our workplace. With a heavy heart we started our return journey, with a brief stopover at the Fossil Bone Exhibit on the road between Panther Junction and Persimmon Gap. This 26 mile stretch within the park has a number of roadside exhibits and allows a scenic exploration of the desert environment, which we missed in the first day. The speedy drive (100 mph ± 10) through the state and interstate highways was again exciting. The sighting of a double rainbow at Fredericksburg was the icing on the cake. After reaching home, the odometer reading indicated a drive of 1500 miles in 4 days.

Being literally at the end of the world (slightly exaggerated; United States is NOT the world), BBNP is quite a voyage from any metropolitan areas in Texas. But you owe it to yourself to visit there at least once in your lifetime.