Sunset, “The Window”, Chisos Basin, Big Bend National Park.

I prefer cool breezes, mountains, pine-scented air, and cold mountain lakes or streams, so I was totally surprised when I fell in love with Big Bend National Park. Located in the hot, Chihuahuan Desert in southwest Texas, it is the opposite of where I prefer to be, both personally, and photographically – or so I thought.  But my first trip to Big Bend changed all of that.

The landscape is splendid from steep canyons walls that rise out of the Rio Grande River, to the sparse desert plains, to the Chisos Mountains in the heart of the park. It is a wonderful place.

It is hot in the desert (although cooler in the Chisos Mountains), and it can be dangerous for the unprepared. A little bit of advance reading is necessary. With a few precautions, you will be fine.

Fall, winter, and spring are the preferred times to go.

My article on photography in Big Bend is here.  I will give you some of my favorite locations and the time of day (and year) to be there. There are links to some essential survival and lodging information