Sights in Big Bend
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Big Bend Ranch State Park
Big Bend Ranch State Park is much less explored than its big brother, but the easily accessed turnouts for hiking or picnicking along the river road shouldn't be ignored. Make the easy 0.7-mile trek into narrow Closed Canyon, where the cliffs rise above you, blocking out the sun. Camping is off Casa Piedra Rd, but you have to register at the Fort Leaton State Historic Site, which is past the park.
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Santa Elena Canyon Trail
Down in the desert, the 1.5-mile Santa Elena Canyon Trail, 40 miles southwest of Panther Junction, is one of the most popular treks in Big Bend because of the stunning rock and river views. It's rated easy, but you have to wade through a stream and climb stairs in the canyon wall. The adventurous (and ecoconscious) might seek out the trail that's left off maps. Hint: there are falls and lots of vegetation for the desert.
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Big Bend National Park
This national park is almost as big as Rhode Island. When you’re traversing Big Bend’s 1252 sq miles, you come to appreciate what ‘big’ really means. It’s a land of incredible diversity, vast enough to allow a lifetime of discovery, yet laced with enough well-placed roads and trails to permit short-term visitors to see a lot in two to three days.
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Terlingua Ghost Town
In the Terlingua Ghost Town, hippies and hard-core desert dwellers have turned the clay brick-built former mining shanties into minihomes. most residents don't have electricity or running water. Buy a beer inside the store and hang out on the porch with locals at sunset; it's the thing to do.
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