San Antonio, Rotary, Big Bend NP Sept 2015: Castolon, Rio Grande River

Amazingly, it doesn't get useably light until almost 8 o'clock in the morning! In any event, before breakfast John hiked the 1.8 mile Basin Loop Trail. The only wildlife sightings were a group of 3 or 4 deer right behind the lodge!

Today (Monday) we ventured down the mountain in the other direction about 30 miles on the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to a place called Castolon. Some spectacular scenic overlooks along the way. There is a little general store here but again, since we're off season, it was almost deserted. This is where we learned about the guy who successfully grew cotton in the river bottom up until the 1960s. We enjoyed our picnic lunch fairly close to the river.

Then we drove another 8 miles or so up to the outlet of the Santa Elena Canyon. Quite spectacular! In season, it's a popular place for river rafting. There' a great hike here if one had the time! From here we headed back north along the Old Maverick Road; ten miles of washboard gravel and the occasional wash-out to navigate. (If one were to have trouble out here, one wouldn't be found for weeks!)

This road ends up near a little town called Terlingua. The mine was closed after WWII so the place now relies on tourism, being the only "civilization" at the west entrance to the park, if you were coming from El Paso, a zillion miles away!

The drive back up the mountain to the Basin Lodge is uneventful, but 30 degrees cooler when you get there!

We'll be heading out early in the morning for the long slog back to San Antonio. Then we'll fly home on Wednesday.

Big Bend National Park is a great place! Its along way from anywhere, not much for amenities, but great auto tours and scenic vistas! Great hiking too! But its not a place for "hangin' out"!