By Carl H. Deal with Diana Finlay Hendricks
All photography by Carl H. Deal
Summer lightning and monsoon rain over the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park.
All photos by Carl H. Deal.
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above.
Don’t fence me in.
Let me ride through the wide-open country that I love.
Don’t fence me in….
-from “Don’t Fence Me In,”
Music by Cole Porter and lyrics by Robert Fletcher
The Rio Grande defines the United States border with Mexico, and the river makes a “big bend” on the far southwest edge of the state. If you look at a map of Texas, that dip in the bottom left side of the state is known as Big Bend. More than 800,000 acres of that part of Texas belong to us, the citizens of the United States, making it the fourteenth largest national park in the system. 1,200 species of plants, 450 species of birds, 56 species of reptiles, and 75 species of mammals, give or take, make their homes in this single park that is home to three ecosystems: rivers, deserts, and mountains.
Yucca aka Spanish Dagger at Dagger Flat.
If you meet a cowboy out west who’s missing an eye, he’s likely to have run into one of these.
The land of the “Big Bend” of Texas on the north side of the Rio Grande was called by the Spaniards (our first European Visitors to Texas, circa 1535 AD) “El Despoblado” —meaning the “Uninhabited Land.” Although indigenous peoples have occupied what is now the Park for at least 10,500 years, its geographically remote location and harsh terrain left it alone until 1850, when military outposts in Ft. Davis and Ft. Stockton, Texas were established for the safety and security of the expansion of pioneers moving their wagon trains west along the Comanche Trail.
The preservation of the Big Bend land was already on the “radar” in the 1920s, well recognized for its picturesque landscape and unique ecological system, but not until 1944, at the height of World War II, did the deeds of the Park’s land change hands and officially become a national park.
The Lone Star State’s gift to the America People, Big Bend National Park was originally imagined as a far greater enterprise. As the Rio Grande flows gently along the southernmost border of Big Bend, an ancient lifelines course has carved deep majestic canyons winding the river to the Gulf of Mexico at Brownsville, Texas. The river became the official boundary between Texas and Mexico.
In 1944, “border” was not a bad word. Mexico and the United States had plans to create a vast International Park encompassing lands both north and south of their shared border.
In a letter to the President of Mexico from then-United States President Harry Truman: “As you know, this international park, comparable to that which unites the United States and Canada, was very close to the heart of the late Mr. Roosevelt—as it is to mine. I am hoping that favorable action on the park along the Rio Grande may be taken. Such a joint project of inestimable value to our citizens would remain a living symbol of the growing friendship between our peoples.”
Although on the Mexican side of the border, three expansive Mexican National Parks encompassing the Big Bend landscape for thousands of square miles were created, the Park partnership between the United States and Mexico was not to be.
Territorial conflicts, immigration, asylum migration, bandits, ethnic and religious wars, drug trafficking, confrontations to gain access to natural resources and their control—these are just a few of the sensitive scars man has left and leaves behind in his fight against man for the establishment of boundaries.
The natural world and its species do not recognize political boundaries, and today provide us with the opportunity to promote collaborations within an undivided society of bears, birds, butterflies, and hundreds of other species that cross the border wherever they like.
In 1944, a first-class letter was 3 cents, and Gene Autry was singing “Don’t Fence Me In.” And in its opening year, 1,409 guests visited Big Bend National Park. This was an impressive number, in part, because Big Bend is not on the way to anywhere. Three hundred miles east of El Paso and 440 miles west of San Antonio, the Park is a destination and well worth the trip. Within a year of the Park opening, the war with Japan would end and the nuclear arms race would begin. Much has changed in Texas since 1944.
Since 2020 alone, Texas’s population has grown by about 1.5 percent per year. Texas boasts nine of the ten fastest-growing cities in the country. In the last ten years, Big Bend National Park visitation has nearly doubled. In 2020, when everyone was sick or tired of being trapped at home in a mask, 581,220 visitors broke the all-time visitation record for the Park. A few brave souls determined to begin new chapters move to the Big Bend region of Texas each year, adding to the year-round population.Early morning full moon setting over the Rio Grand River from Loop Camp on the River Road West
A harsh reality is that with every new visitor and every new citizen comes a corresponding increase in the need for essential resources and services—and the resource of greatest concern in Texas is water.
Our success as a species has been due primarily to a generally stable climate for thousands of years. Observable indications show that our climate is changing before our eyes, and at a rate that we can notice. The Atmospheric River—the “Pineapple Express”—has historically drenched the west coast and filled its mountains with snow and reservoirs with water. This phenomenon can move as much water as the mouth of the Mississippi River in a jet stream of atmospheric moisture—and is thought to be moving farther north into Canada and south into Chile and Argentina. For the southern United States and Big Bend National Park specifically, this nearly assures a drier and warmer climate. Much of Big Bend National Park is currently in a D4 Drought—the worst, driest category for drought measurement—a drought that causes even desert plants to suffer.
The drought, along with the increased salinity in the ground and surface water, coupled with invasive species like salt cedar, suck up more than their share of the precious resource, and an influx of feral hogs and trespassing livestock dig up or trample already fragile springs. A drought in the desert sounds somewhat redundant but even cacti are suffering in some areas of the park.
The allure of Big Bend National Park is its remote and silent, rugged beauty and vast canopy of stars. It’s a step away from our busy world. America’s only Chihuahuan Desert Park encompasses about 801,250 acres, 1,252 square miles, 118 miles of Rio Grande border, with elevations ranging from 1,800 feet above sea level in Boquillas Canyon to 7,832 feet at the top of Emory Peak.
The Park’s success as one of the National Park Service’s favorite destinations is largely due to the commitment of the Park staff and their model use of volunteers, along with the thousands of devoted fans of the Park: people who are willing to drive for hours just to get there. Like any business or service enterprise, it is no small matter attending to 500k+ plus visitors.
According to Park Superintendent Anjna O’Connor, it is much like a small city with its own water, sewer, road, and maintenance, public safety, communications, and emergency rescue operations. An economic reality of today’s world is that more must be done with less money. This presents unique challenges to the Park in general, and to its dedication to the long-term preservation of the Park and its natural resources for future generations.
Big Bend National Park is remote. And it’s hot, even in the winter, at times. The grocery store is a two-hour drive, and entertainment is miles farther than that. The average five- to ten-hour drive guests make to get to the park are the same hours a park employee makes to get a break. For park guests, escaping to Big Bend is truly a resurrection that is evident when you get back to “real” life.
Among the challenges for Park personnel is that not only are they at the remote far end of the state, but they are also at the “end” of the electrical wire with frequent power failures. Park employees, all full-time residents, are committed to save water, recycle trash, and be positive even though for many, home, family and support systems are hundreds of miles away.
Park employees do what they do because they love it. Supporting them with smiles and a good attitude may not seem like much—but when you’re at the end of the world—being supportive, being thankful, and being respectful has endless dividends that will always come back and reward you.
So how does the Park adapt to less funding and more visitors, fewer resources and more need? Superintendent O’Conner said that they work tirelessly to meet the challenges of spreading the funding to cover most of the big issues, but often, they have to focus on what is urgent, leaving important projects aside.
The Big Bend Conservancy—a nonprofit organization and the only philanthropic partner of Big Bend National Park—is an organization whose mission is to support the park staff, to enhance the experience of park visitors, and to facilitate to preservation of the Park and its resources for future generations. Loren Riemer is the executive director and CEO of the Big Bend Conservancy. Her volunteer board of directors meets quarterly in the Park to discuss goals and needs for the park and develop plans for turning those goals into realities. Members of the board come from across Texas to strengthen the legacy of fundraising for Big Bend.
Among the Conservancy’s signature projects are historic renovations of adobe homes in the Register of Historic Places and pre-date the park. When the Conservancy sponsored the $1.5 million Fossil Discovery Exhibit opening in 2017, the Conservancy board began a Fossil Discover Endowment that will maintain, upgrade, and enhance the site in perpetuity. There was Solar at the Park Headquarters, too—and a Nationally recognized recycling program. These and other projects can be specifically designated for donations by visiting BigBendConservancy.org and clicking on Projects.
The Park has a Gold Tier International Dark Skies designation for having the darkest skies of the lower forty-eight states. In addition to providing the best skies for starwatching, a partnership with Musco Lighting redirecting lighting to point down and avoid glare, replacing lights with energy efficient bulbs, and removing some fixtures, the project showed a 98% reduction in energy usage in the Chisos Basin.
A favorite activity for Big Bend visitors is a trip across the Rio Grande at the Boquillas Port of Entry. The Conservancy created several wayside exhibits about the town, the canyon, and the rules of visiting across the border. The Conservancy has hosted several bi-national events since the crossing opened.
These and other projects can be specifically designated for donations by visiting BigBendConservancy.org and clicking on Projects.
Operated by an all-volunteer board of directors, the Big Bend Conservancy picks up the slack wherever need is the greatest and it is practical to do so. The strength of the BBC to make a difference comes from the financial donations from ordinary citizens, family trusts, other philanthropic organizations, corporate sponsors, and Big Bend personalized license plates. This energetic and enthusiastic group helps to ensure that the Big Bend National Park will flourish for generations to come, allowing family traditions and college rites of passage to continue long after we are gone.
Astronaut Ronald Garan said, “It takes a lot of arduous experiences in life to develop a philosophical mindset.” Garan is one of the lucky few to have experienced a pristine view of our beautiful planet from the perspective of space. He said, “When we see our planet from the perspective of space, certain things become undeniably clear. We don’t see ourselves as planetary.” Garan realized the “paper thin” atmosphere is protecting a myriad of species in our planet. “I saw an iridescent biosphere teaming with life. I didn’t see the economy.”
Sometimes we have to get away to see the big picture. Big Bend National Park is the perfect place to reset, restart, and renew—and to see the bigger picture. If you haven’t been, go see for yourself.
Author’s note: A tragedy that will live on in the heavens for all time will be that man was created with the mind and the body to save the world, but didn’t. Eight billion people will never agree on what the future will hold or visualize the vulnerability of man—but that does not mean that you can’t—you individually. Each of us can undertake an existence of preservation and sustainability. Both in our personal lives and endeavors, we may support causes and behaviors that make a difference for our future. Join us at the Big Bend Conservancy.
UPDATE: Big Bend NP 2024 New Alltime Visitation Record: 625,666. January Executive Orders leave National Parks and many others in limbo with hiring freezes and deep budget cuts. Yes, these are unprecedented challenges—like always, we just have to dig in, be kind to one another, and fight for the things we love. -Carl H. Deal