Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive Big Bend NP

Started the day seeing the Rio Grande at Santa Elena Canyon. The cliff on the left side of the river is Mexico. The water level is low but beautiful. We hiked Mule Ears next and looked at amazing vistas and wild flowers and many shades of prickly pear cactus, some were heart shaped. The hike ended with a small fern spring that attracts birds during the spring migration. The last hike was Lower Burro Mesa to see a pour over where an intermittent waterfall has done an amazing job dramatically carving the sheer cliffside.
The park has so many microclimates in the different elevations, the highest is 7,825 and lowest is at the river at 1,715 feet. The park is in the Chihuahua desert.Read more