- State: TX
- NPCA Region: Texas
- Est. Date: 1935
Issues
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.
Birding at Big Bend
Recognized as a Globally Important Bird Area, this park is visited by or home to more than 350 different species of birds.
My Park Story
Greetings from Big Bend National Park
Big Bend was the very first National Park j was ever dragged to. At the time I did not understand why my father was so fascinated with places like this. Why should I care about this mountain range, or the plants littered along its base. Now I realize the importance…
More about Big Bend
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Press Release EPA Does Nothing to Clean Up Texas Haze Revised plan fails to require modern pollution controls on Texas coal plants.
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Blog Post Get Your Binoculars: The 25 Best National Parks for Birding Find out which national park sites have the most bird species, with a highlight of what you might see at each place.
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Blog Post Need an Escape? 10 Cozy Places to Stay in National Parks Craving solitude or looking to plan a romantic retreat? A private room in the heart of one of the country's most spectacular landscapes could be the answer. Check our staff picks for cozy lodgings in breathtaking national parks.
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Magazine Article A Rare Tuft Can grass nerds save an extremely rare grass that lives high in the mountains of Big Bend National Park?
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Blog Post The Next 11 Parks You Want to Visit Last summer, we asked our supporters which national park sites were at the top of your bucket lists. Thousands of you responded. Here are the 11 parks you most want to explore — and why these places are great choices for any traveler’s wish list.
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Blog Post Where to Touch a Dinosaur, and Other Incredible National Park Fossil Sites Cool creatures from the past and where to see them
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Blog Post Not-So-Beaten Paths: 11 Lesser-Known Hikes in Popular National Parks Hit the trail and avoid the crowds! NPCA staff selected 11 lesser-known hikes in some of the country’s most popular parks.
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Blog Post A Yogi’s Guide to the National Parks Experiencing America’s natural wonders in 9 poses
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Blog Post 5 Ways You Helped Improve National Park Air in 2015—and Another Way to Take Action Americans can breathe more deeply thanks to five important victories NPCA and its advocates won in 2015 that will help improve the air quality in our national parks. Here's what these victories will mean—and a new way you can take action to help hold more polluters accountable.
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Trip Big Secret, Big Bend National Park Tucked like a secret into a sweeping bend of the Rio Grande is Big Bend National Park, a hiker’s paradise, birder’s mecca, stargazer’s heaven, and explorer’s jackpot.
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Report Polluted Parks: How Dirty Air is Harming America’s National Parks “Polluted Parks” graded the pollution-related damage in the 48 national parks required by the Clean Air Act to have the highest possible air quality.
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Blog Post Water You Waiting For? 10 Perfect Parks for Paddling Go beyond the hiking trail and enjoy parks from a refreshing vantage point: water. Rivers and lakes offer adventurous routes through some of the country’s most remarkable landscapes, including views you just can’t see from land. From lazy float trips to exhilarating whitewater, national parks have fun options for visitors of every experience level—sometimes even on different stretches of the same river.
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Fact Sheet Polluted Parks: Fact Sheets Haze pollution limits views of our most valued national parks and wilderness areas, affecting not just how far we can see, but also the color, sharpness, and quality of the view. It also makes the air unhealthy for people, wildlife and natural resources.
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Report Texas Pride This report profiles the 13 national park sites here in Texas, visited annually by nearly 5.5 million people. They are the pride of our state and economic boons to local communities, with national park tourism providing nearly 5,000 jobs and $308 million annually for state and local economies.
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Report Center for State of the Parks: Big Bend National Park In this report, the National Parks Conservation Association incorporates findings from an assessment by its State of the Parks program to describe the current condition of Big Bend National Park’s natural and cultural resources and many of the stewardship challenges ahead.
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