Greetings from Big Bend National Park

In West Texas, power plants in the U.S. and Mexico add to other man-made pollutants to foul the air of Big Bend National Park. This is not just a problem with vision, but human, plant and animal health as well. There is some indication that many of our cultural, historical and archeological wealth is being destroyed by the foul air.

We fail to have a moral high ground in requesting Mexico to clean theirs if we haven’t done our part to clean ours. Texas is far behind in working to clean up the old plants. #cleanair4parks

Sincerely,
Dean, Retired former Director of Policy and Land Tenure, Department of Interior & Chairman of the US Man & Biosphere National Committee & former BLM State Director for Oregon/Washington and Arizona

Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park features broad expanses of Chihuahuan Desert shrubland and grassland interspersed with smaller areas of high-elevation woodland in the Chisos Mountains. Rugged rocks and deep canyons along the Rio Grande are among the park's most striking features; wetlands and springs add to the park's biological diversity. Visitors can explore the rugged trails, seek out the colorful array of birds and wildflowers, and spread out on a blanket after dark enjoying some of the darkest night skies in the country.

State(s): Texas

Established: 1935

Share on:

National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!

 {{ active ? "Cancel" : "Begin"}}

Success! Thanks for sharing your story with us.

You’ll be notified by email when your story is approved and added to the collection on the My Park Story homepage.

In the meantime, you can share your own story page with your family and friends — and help us spread the word about these priceless memories and priceless places!

Here’s your unique story page link:

{{ storyUrl }}

* indicates Required fields

Click to choose a file to upload

Submitting your story means that you agree to our Terms of Service

More Stories

  • Greetings from Big Bend National Park

    Have been going and hiking at Big Bend for over 20 years and have never had a disappointing trip. Have hiked most every trail and all have always been well maintained and safe. Entire staff has always been great. Facilities are well kept and clean.

  • Greetings from Big Bend National Park

    Visited this park last month… life changing quite literally. This land is truly enchanting and feels sacred. Thank you all for the work you do here.

  • Greetings from Big Bend National Park

    My parents introduced me to travel at a young age. Finances didn’t always allow our family of six to fly or stay in hotels, but camping provided us access to affordable adventure. Twice we went on “Wild West” campaign trips where we would drive two days westward from Ohio and…

Donate

Preserve Our Parks

Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.

Donate Now