Posted on by ToadMama

Big Bend, Day Three

We’ve been camped in Terlingua, Texas, a few miles from one of the entrances to Big Bend National Park (BBNP), since February 1. Knowing we were going to be here until February 25, we have not been exhausting ourselves, cramming myriad activities into each and every day. Some days we leave the campground and explore. Other days we just “do retirement things”, as Hubby Mike says. Retirement things include reading, napping, watching movies/other shows, stitching, blogging, making future campground reservations, etc. Essentially, whatever the heck we want to do or not do as the case may be.

This is my third installment about BBNP here on the blog, but that doesn’t mean we’ve only been into the park three times. On this particular day visiting BBNP, we drove into the Castolon area on the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, which ends at the Santa Elena Canyon. I didn’t think anything could top the views we’d seen on previous visits in and around the Chisos Basin. I was wrong.

The drive through the Castolon area to Santa Elena Canyon was spectacular.

View from the Sotol Vista, one of the overlooks along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive.
The layers are geologic history on display.
The Mule Ears Peaks as seen from the Mule Ears Viewpoint.
I am always amazed at how quickly and dramatically the scenery can change.
Some of the remains from a fire in May 2019 that destroyed much of the Castolon Historic District. (The fire started in Mexico on a windy 110-degree day and jumped the Rio Grande.)
From the site of the Castolon Historic District, you can see where Santa Elena Canyon cuts through the rock.
Cerro Castellan (aka Castolon Peak and Castellan Peak) is a conical mountain that tops-out at 3,293 feet (1004 m) from the desert floor.
Santa Elena Canyon as seen from the parking lot for the Santa Elena Canyon Trail.
Photo captured from the Santa Elena River Access a little ways downstream from the canyon.
Castolon Peak and some adjoining mountains. I am constantly amazed at all the different colors that can be seen in the rocks.
We nicknamed this area chocolate-chip-ice-cream-rocks.
This rock outcrop is one of my personal favorites. I love the colors and shapes of the various layers.
Random desert scenery (I like how the plant looks rather spidery).
Look at all the colors.

The next five images are all of the same two mountains. I chose to share them here to demonstrate just how quickly and dramatically the views of the same two peaks can change as one proceeds along the road.

Two peaks with impressive red-rock outcrop in the middle of the foreground.
Closer look at the same two peaks with desert vegetation in the foreground.
View of the same two peaks with chocolate-chip-ice-cream-rocks in the foreground.
View of the same two peaks with the rocky desert floor in the foreground. Look at that range of colors!
More-distant look at the same two peaks with desert vegetation in the foreground.
Another side of the layered mountain I shared earlier with a purplish Prickly Pear as an accent.
Cool mountain/rock formation seen as we approach Sotol Vista from the canyon end of the road.
Cool mountain/rock formation with the Homer Wilson Ranch in the foreground.
Heading north along the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, just south of the Burro Mesa Pour-off Trail.
One of my favorite pics from the day.

I have so many good photos to share (70!), that I had to post them to a Google Photos album. If you care to see the other pics, you have to click this link to view the album in Google Photos.

As nice as these images are, I still say they don’t do the place justice. We are so blessed to be able to spend time here seeing this amazing scenery first-hand. Hopefully, those of you who may not be able to travel to such distant places are enjoying these pics I have been sharing. For those of you who are able to travel and enjoy visiting national parks, BBNP and the nearby Big Bend Ranch State Park should definitely be added to your bucket list.

6 Replies to “Big Bend, Day Three”

  4. Great pics with these last couple of posts, Kathy! I’ll take your suggestion and add this part of the world to my travel list. 😀

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