The highest peak in the Chisos Mountains is Emory Peak at 7,825 feet
This photo comes from a 2021 trip Ben, Nick, and I took to Big Bend National Park in west Texas. The photo shows the Chisos Mountains about an hour before sunset, commonly referred to as the golden hour of photography. The Chisos Mountains cover roughly 40 square miles, and are contained entirely within Big Bend National Park. This is the only example of a mountain range in the United States that is entirely within a national park. The highest peak in the Chisos Mountains is Emory Peak at 7,825 feet. We hiked Emory Peak and would highly recommend it.
This photo was taken not far from our remote campsite out in the desert. Campers are required to have backcountry camping permits, setup through Big Bend National Park. That being said, we were not able to see any other campers or signs of humans in any direction. The evenings were enjoyable when the temperatures dropped off. Temperatures during the day were in the 80’s, and crashed to the 50’s at night.
In the evenings, we would wander the desert and explore the area as we took in the sunsets. That’s what I was doing when I took this photo. Using a tripod, timer, and high F-stop number, allowed me to get a clear photo from foreground to background. We only had a few clear evenings, as we were there at the end of monsoon season. In the evenings, rain clouds would roll through. This wasn’t all bad news, as we would use the rain to cool off and wash dishes, so not to waste our drinking water.
At night, the expansive views of stars were the best I’ve ever seen. The Milky Way stretched from one horizon to another. I would encourage you to check out International Dark Sky Association, our July 2021 non-profit partner. IDA’s approach is to raise awareness about the value of darkness, and a star-filled night sky. They establish “dark parks” and educate people about the problems and solutions, with a goal of reducing light pollution.
The Chisos Mountains cover roughly 40 square miles, and are contained entirely within Big Bend National Park.
Did you know?
- Volcanic activity roughly 35-44 million years ago, during the Eocene Epoch, created the Chisos Mountains.
- Big Bend National Park land was once used for cattle ranching before being made into a National Park in 1944.
- Big Bend National Park had record visitation in 2021. 581,000 recreational visitors came to the park that year!
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