Today was our first hike inside Big Bend National Park. It is a very large park with a variety of trails. In the morning we did a desert trail of 4 miles called Mule Ears Trail. From the trail we could see mountains in the distance on all sides including two peaks that look just like the head of a mule. Our guides told us about the geography of the area and the history of the park. Before it was protected land, it was used for cattle drives from Mexico to the Midwest. Land in this area provided grazing space for the cattle which makes sense because there's so much land!
We saw lots of desert plants including creosote and old man's beard. In one section of the trail there is a small spring and we saw lots of ferns growing there. It was the only water anywhere near this trail.
After a picnic lunch we went to Santa Elena Canyon for another hike. The canyon serves as the border between Mexico and the US at a very narrow section of the Rio Grande. The rock formations were so tall and beautiful to look at. And, near the river we saw different plants than we had seen in the desert area including river cane which is an invasive species.
We finished the day at a scenic overlook in the park followed by dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.
Tomorrow we head to a different section of Big Bend for more hiking.
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