Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, Big Bend National Park, Texas Big Bend is one of America’s most unique national parks. It’s among the largest of the nation’s parks, spreading more than 1,252 square miles. It also is the most remote, with no major cities, airports, or major highways anywhere near it. To be more precise, the park is 100 miles south of Interstate 10 and the town of Fort Stockton. The park also comprises the largest protected area of Chihuahuan desert in the U.S. and the park administers a 118-mile border with Mexico along the Rio Grande River. A rugged mix of mountains, desert, and river canyons, Big Bend is a geologic wonder and a backpacker’s paradise. Park elevations range from 1,800 feet along the Rio Grande to nearly 8,000 feet in the Chisos Mountains. The best way to take in the staggering beauty of Big Bend is the 30-mile-long Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. This paved and well-maintained road meanders between the Chisos Mountains and Burro Mesa toward the Mexican border, culminating at Santa Elena Canyon—a dramatic 1,500-foot-deep limestone canyon carved by the Rio Grande River. The canyon, which reigns as the park’s most popular feature, can be easily accessed via a short trail. But there are plenty of other impressive geological and historical sites along the way, including marvelous views at Sotol Vista and Mule Ears Viewpoint. History buffs will want to take in a couple of the roadway’s most notable historic sites—the Sam Nail Ranch and the Homer Wilson Ranch, both
Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive meanders some 30 miles through Big Bend National Park in Texas.
The Chisos Mountains rise from the Chihauhuan Desert in Big Bend National Park.
old Texas homesteads, and Castolon Historic District, a cavalry camp from the early 1900s. Castolon and the Homer Wilson Ranch are two of eight sites in the park that appear on the National Register of Historic Places. Big Bend is home to 75 species of mammals, 450 bird species, and a remarkable 1,295 species of plants.
For more information: https://www.nps.gov/bibe 432-477-2251
This ultra-wide-angle panorama emphasizes the scale of Big Bend National Park’s vast landscapes.
EIGHT GREAT NATIONAL PARK SCENIC DRIVE
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SPRING 2023 | 19
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