Big Bend National Park - Boquillas Canyon and Hot Springs

After spending the night of Feb 13th at the Stillwell Ranch Store & RV Park, we entered Big Bend National Park the next morning and set up camp at the Rio Grande Village campground.

The next day, Feb 15th, we took a couple short hikes to view the Boquillas canyon and  the hot springs along the Rio Grande river.

 The hike was a short one along the Rio Grande up to the mouth of the narrow canyon that the river runs through.

 Mexican villagers from the other side of the river sneak over and set up craft sales where you can buy some hand-made (somewhat illegal) souvenirs paying on the honor system.

The river takes a hard left turn entering the narrow walls with no path along the US side. Although, the canyon entrance cannot be seen, the fact that the river has carved this narrow passage over many many thousands of years is amazing.

Boquillas canyon is only one of three such narrow river passages in Big Bend NP.  A few days later we visited the more accessible Santa Elaina canyon,  The third and least accessible canyon, the Mariscal, will have to await some future visit. The Mariscal canyon requires at least a 13 mile drive over rough gravel roads.

 Later the same day we took the short hike to the hot springs.  The trail passed some interesting sedimentary rock cliffs.

We had talked of taking a dip early the next morning in this 105 degree pool, but Ina chickened out.

Heading back to the campground we stopped at the nearby visitor center.  There we found a road runner taking a great interest in the  ranger's pick-up truck. The ranger told us that it is mating season for the bird and that for the past several days he was competing with another male bird (e.g., his reflection in the truck window glass).

Finally, I got one picture of  "moses" attempting to part the waters.