Blog Post
Big Bend National Park - day 3
June 15, 2023
Panther Junction to Persimmon Gap; Black Gap Wildlife Management Area; and the Chisos Basin Road
On our third day in Big Bend National Park we again entered at the Maverick Entrance Station and drove to Panther Junction, then turned north on the scenic route to Persimmon Gap. Here is the Natonal Park Service's description of that drive:
"This road connects the north entrance to park headquarters at Panther Junction. From Persimmon Gap, the road descends a long, gentle, gravel slope to Tornillo creek and Tornillo Flat. The Rosillos Mountains rise to the west; to the east the Dead Horse Mountains dominate the skyline."
"Highlights include, trails to Dog Canyon and Devil's Den, the Fossil Bone Exhibit, and the Tornillo Creek hoodoos."
Here are several photos taken on that drive:
From Persimmon Gap we left the National Park and traveled to the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area that borders the National Park on the northwest. Black Gap WMA is administered by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and is described on its website as follows:
"The management area shares 25 miles of the Rio Grande with the Mexican State of Coahuila on the southern and eastern boundaries. The property contains approximately 103,000 acres where the Sierranias del Burro and Sierra del Carmen Mountain Ranges enter into Texas. The management area is also located in some of the lowest elevations of the Chihuahuan Desert found in the United States. The property serves as a facility where research and demonstration projects can be implemented to aid private land management of natural resources."
When the property was acquired by the State, it had been over-hunted and overgrazed. The native populations of mule deer and bighorn sheep had practically disappeared and the native vegetation was severly damaged. Through research and management efforts, the native vegetation and the wildlife has been restored.
The raod through Black Gap WMA is 10 miles long and parallels the Sierra del Carmen Mountains that stretch into Texas, with the Mexican portion and the Madera del Carmen Mountains in view to the south. It travels south to the Rio Grande River. The day of our visit we had the entire area to ourselves with no other vehicles in sight.
Here are several photos taken in Black Gap WMA:
After leaving Black Gap WMA and coming back into Big Bend National Park, we took the scenic drive on the 6-mile Chisos Basin Road. The National Park Service describes that route this way:
"A drive to the Chisos Basin is an excellent way to experience the transition between arid desert and cooler mountain habitats. As this scenic, winding road rises over two thousand feet above the desert floor, it offers breath-taking vistas of the mountain peaks and the erosion-formed basin area. This road was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s."
"The road is not recommended for trailers longer than 20 feet or RVs over 24 feet due to its sharp curves and steep grades (as much as 15%). The Chisos Basin has a visitor center, campground, lodge, restaurant, camp store, and access to miles of hiking trails."
The warning about sharp turns and steep grades is accurate. We traversed hairpin turns with speed limits of 10 and 15 mph!
Here are a few photos taken on the Chisos Basin Road:
The complete set of photos taken on this day in the National Park, in Black Gap WMA and on the Chisos Basin Road are here in the photo gallery.
