Search results for

The low deserts of the Big Bend near the Rio Grande are the most forbidding of West Texas landscapes. They're at the lowest elevations in the Chihuahuan…

Prickly pear and cholla cactus are among the most recognizable of West Texas plants. They're part of the "opuntioid" subfamily of cactus. In a recent…

Hawks, golden eagles, peregrine falcons – birds of prey have intensity and focus. What would it be like to hunt with one of these West Texas raptors? The…

For visitors to Big Bend National Park, views of the Carmen Mountains of Mexico can be as memorable as those of Santa Elena Canyon or the Chisos…

The barn owl roosts in rafters. The great horned owl seeks the shelter of rocky canyons. But for one owl, the open plains are home. The burrowing owl is…

The writer Edward Abbey, no stranger to Western rivers and canyons, described it as “the most primitive country to be found along the Rio Grande, a harsh…

They were a homeland for the Mescalero Apache, and a landmark for Butterfield Stage drivers. The Guadalupe Mountains rise 5,000 feet above the desert…

They're among the most secretive of West Texas creatures. You could spend a lifetime exploring the Southwest – and never catch a glimpse of one. Ringtails…

Hueco Tanks State Park outside of El Paso is famous for its Native rock art and its world-class rock climbing. Each year, thousands tour the ancient…

Some visit the Big Bend for a day or a week – and have their fill. But an intrepid few find they're suited to this harsh terrain, and make it their home.…