Fee Free Weekend at our National Parks!

Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park

This is a GREAT weekend to visit our National Parks in the Texas Mountain Trail region--Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains, Fort Davis National Historic Site and Chamizal National Memorial, as entry fees are waived at all national park facilities for Presidents Day!

Ruins of the Mariscal Mine along the River Road
Big Bend National Park

Sam Nail Ranch on the Ross Maxwell
Scenic Drive in Big Bend National Park

National Parks Free Fee Days in 2014!

Mark your calendars for the Free Fee Days at our National Parks in 2014!
     
      January 20

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  
  February 15-17
  Presidents Day weekend
  
  April 19-20
  opening weekend of National Park Week
  
  August 25
  National Park Service Birthday
  
  September 27
  National Public Lands Day
  
  
  • November 11
    Veterans Day

Rio Grande at Santa Elena Canyon
Big Bend National Park

Fort Davis National Historic Site

McKittrick Canyon Trail in
Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso

Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.

Open for business! (Also an update on trail conditions at Guadalupe Mountains National Park)

After a LONG wait, our national parks facilities are OPEN!
(See our Travel Spotlight below for specific information on trail openings for Guadalupe Mountains National Park!)

Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso

Fort Davis National Historic Site

The view from the Top of Texas,
Guadalupe Peak in
Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Big Bend National Park's Lost Mine Trail

Our parks are open and ready for visitors like YOU.  This is a great time to explore our state's great mountains, historic sites and parks! 

Travel Spotlight--Update on Trail Conditions in Guadalupe Mountains National Park! 

Click on the map for a closer view!

 We wanted to share the latest information on trail conditions at Guadalupe Mountains National Park because the fall color season is quickly approaching and so many of our fans travel to the park this time of year!



Last night the park issued a detailed update on trail closures; many trails are not open due to flood damage from the September rains:


McKittrick Canyon Trail is open from McKittrick Canyon Trailhead to Dog Canyon.

Also open:
*Guadalupe Peak Trail
*Pinery
*Manzanita Spring
*McKittrick Nature Loop
*Permian Reef
*Indian Meadows Trail
*Manzanita Ridge Route
*West Side of the Smith Spring Trail (east side between Smith Spring and Manzanita Spring is closed)
*Tejas Trail open from Dog Canyon to Marcus/Blue Ridge Trail Junction (but closed from Marcus/Blue Ridge Trail Junction to Pine Springs)
*El Capitan open to Salt Basin Overlook (but closed from Salt Basin Overlook to Shumard Canyon)
*Guadalupe Canyon Trail open to Salt Basin Overlook

All other trails in the park are closed.  Trail work and repair continues, and the park cautions visitors to take special care on trails undergoing work.  Do not go near working equipment and wait for trail crews to shut down equipment before passing.

For more information about trail conditions, visit the park website at: www.nps.gov/gumo

In Case of a Government Shutdown Tomorrow, Alternatives for your Travel

If the federal government shuts down tomorrow, our national park facilities (Big Bend National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Fort Davis National Historic Site and Chamizal National Memorial) will lock the gates and be unavailable for our use until Washington resolves the budget issue.
If you  were planning to head our way for one of our national parks, there's no reason to stay at home. Here are some alternatives:

If you were headed for Big Bend, now might be the time to engage an outfitter for a river or jeep or horseback riding adventure.  

If you were interested in birding and wildlife watching, there are plenty of other sites available to you on the Far West Texas Wildlife Trail (a cooperative project between our Texas Mountain Trail and Texas Parks and Wildlife), and all the trail info is online here.
   Big Bend Loop
   Marathon Alpine Loop
   Davis Mountains Loop
   Upper Rio Grande Loop
   Guadalupe Mountains Van Horn Loop
   El Paso Rio Loop
   El Paso Uplands Loop

Hiking can be done in many locations on the Far West Texas Wildlife Trail, but here are some of our favorites:

Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center in Fort Davis
Madera Canyon Trail in the Davis Mountains Preserve (a dawn to dusk Nature Conservancy trail)


And OF COURSE, our state parks:
Big Bend Ranch State Park
Fort Leaton State Historic Site
Barton Warnock Visitor Center
Franklin Mountains State Park
Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site (visitation is limited, call the park ahead for information)

Some important state park closures to note:
    Balmorhea State Park's springfed swimming pool will be closed today through Wednesday, October 2.  It will reopen this Thursday.
    Davis Mountains State Park is closed for major infrastructure work through mid-March, although the Indian Lodge will remain open for visitor stays.

Don't forget to check our Texas Mountain Trail events calendar for special events across the region!

And of course, our towns will love having you stay in campgrounds, hotels/motels or B&Bs, and dine in our restaurants!  Come out and enjoy the Texas Mountains, whatever Washington decides to do!

Lady Bird Johnson, An Oral History

Lady Bird Johnson on the Potomac River, June 10, 1965.
#34581-6a, LBJ Library. Photo by Navy.

NOTE:  All events associated with the LBJ conference set for Chamizal National Memorial have been moved to the El Paso Community Foundation, 333 N. Oregon, El Paso, TX.  (Location change announced October 5)

While directing the LBJ Presidential Library’s oral history program, Michael Gillette recorded 37 interviews with Lady Bird Johnson over a span of 14 years, gathering stories of how she evolved from a shy, isolated country girl whose mother died when she was 5 years old to a memorable First Lady whose influence continues today.

Michael Gillette, the author of Lady Bird Johnson, An Oral History published by Oxford University Press, will relate Lady Bird’s story and share recordings of her voice at El Paso's Chamizal National Memorial. He will also sign copies of his recently released book.

Head on over to Chamizal National Memorial, El Paso, Friday, October 11, 6:30-7:30 pm.  Click here for our event listing details.  The event is part of a conference on President Johnson at Chamizal, with opportunities for the public.  Click here for full details on the conference.

This event is part of a month-long celebration of the life and contributions of Tom Lea.  Tom Lea (1907-2001) was a genius of the twentieth century who worked as a muralist, illustrator, war correspondent, novelist, historian and easel painter.  He worked alone in his native El Paso for most of his life.  Read more at www.tomlea.net

Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso

This week we're celebrating all our region's National Park facilities.  Chamizal National Memorial is El Paso's National Park property, celebrating peace between the United States and Mexico.  From the Memorial's website:

"Chamizal is more than just an urban park to recreate or enjoy a quiet afternoon. These park grounds stand for peace; the peaceful settlement of a 100-year border dispute between nations. Not one shot was fired; not one war was waged. The memorial celebrates the culture of the borderland that helped to peacefully navigate an international argument."  Learn more here.

Arriving at Gate B6, El Paso Airport

Click on the image for a closer view

Travelers arriving at Gate B6 in El Paso's (wonderful) airport will now see this!  Our friends at the El Paso County Historical Commission worked with Southwest Airlines to add this reproduction of an image of early El Paso to the airport!  (Shown is an enlarged reproduction of a painting in the collection of the El Paso Museum of Art!)

About the image:

"In this very detailed painting by the French artist, Leon Trousset, we see a panoramic scene of the early El Paso, Texas of 1885. This scene is looking north from across the river in Mexico. At the background, we see the finality of the Rocky Mountains as they were before the current radio towers, the faded high school letters, and the magnificent homes that we see today. Beneath these mountains was a dynamic small town straining to expand to its geographical limits. On the far left, Fort Bliss welcomed travelers from the west to a picturesque valley of social activity and very productive farms and ranches. By 1885, El Paso was well established with its great hotels, banks, restaurants, a Central school, city and county buildings, and various social and entertainment centers.

In 1881, the railroads had come into town and awakened a progress that has not stopped to this day. A railway line had been built across the river to facilitate international commerce between El Paso and its sister city to the south. The railway company discouraged pedestrians from crossing over the railway bridge by placing sharp spikes on the bridge. An interesting point on this painting is the river (Rio Grande) at the lower center. Looking closely, you can see some people crossing this river in a canoe. The Rio Grande was the international boundary between El Paso and its neighboring town of El Paso del Norte (Ciudad Juarez).

 

On the foreground you can see a well-to-do gentleman on a horse speaking to another man. As they point north, they seem to be referring to some concern from across the river. There may very well be a story behind this scene. A local Mexican farmer named Pedro Ignacio Garcia had a special interest in the property on the north side of the river. In 1866, Mr. Garcia inherited some land in that precise area. He claimed that due to a flood in 1864, the river channel changed and that his land was left to the north by that change. He was in peaceful possession and was farming his land until 1881 when the railroad moved in. He explained that one day, he went to survey his crops which relate to the green stalks seen just north of the river. “I tied my horse to one of the trees by the river and got into the canoe and crossed the river”. As he surveyed his crops, he was approached by three “Texans” who at the point of a shotgun, ordered him to “leave and to never come back”. From on top of his horse, Mr. Garcia seems to be asking the other gentleman, possibly his farm manager, Juan Acosta, if he knows of any further developments or incursions on his land across the river. He received many other threats which prompted him to file a claim against the United States for his property across the river. This initiated the century long international dispute known as the Chamizal Issue which was finally settled in 1963 with the Chamizal Treaty." 
 

Top Ten 15-Minute Rest Breaks

Post Park, five miles south of Marathon

Sometimes, you just need a quiet break from the road.  Texas Mountain Trail encourages travelers to get off the highway or freeway from time to time, and discover those hidden little places.

Follow this link to our list of places that give you some quiet, or a terrific view, or an experience you might not expect.  It is our list of Top Ten 15-Minute Rest Breaks in Far West Texas!

Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR! The 12 Days of Christmas: National Parks Pass

Mule Ears in Big Bend National Park

El Capitan in Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Fort Davis National Historic Site

Chamizal National Memorial

Our region is blessed with FOUR National Parks facilities, so a wonderful holiday gift for your family and friends would be a National Parks Pass...so they can visit them all!


Big Bend National Park--Sometimes considered "three parks in one," Big Bend includes mountain, desert, and river environments. An hour’s drive can take you from the banks of the Rio Grande to a mountain basin nearly a mile high. Here, you can explore one of the last remaining wild corners of the United States, and experience unmatched sights, sounds, and solitude.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park--From the low desert brush, inhabited by javelinas and desert reptiles, to the high, lush mountain evergreens with nesting golden eagles and amphibians, Guadalupe Mountains is a refuge for plant and animal species of all types.


Fort Davis National Historic Site--Fort Davis is one of the best surviving examples of an Indian Wars' frontier military post in the Southwest. From 1854 to 1891, Fort Davis was strategically located to protect emigrants, mail coaches, and freight wagons on the Trans-Pecos portion of the San Antonio-El Paso Road and on the Chihuahua Trail.

Chamizal National Memorial--The Chamizal Convention of 1963 was a milestone in diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States. Chamizal National Memorial was established to commemorate this treaty, which resulted in the peaceful settlement of a century-long boundary dispute. The Memorial provides visitors with an opportunity to better understand the culture of our borderland.

Considering the value of the experiences offered at our National Parks, they're a bargain...but want to know the surprise best buy of them all?  A Senior (age 62 and over) pass is only $10 for a lifetime!
Click here to learn more about all the passes, and to purchase online! 

Mural at Chamizal National Memorial

Yesterday, we featured the international border marker at Chamizal National Memorial...check out the memorial's website to learn about border history and this memorial's exhibits and performances!

Chamizal National Memorial, International Boundary Marker

A unit of the National Park Service, the Chamizal National Memorial commemorates the signing of the Chamizal Treaty, ending a 100-year-old boundary dispute between Mexico and the United States. The memorial includes a museum, theatre and art gallery.  The memorial's website, where you can learn more is here!

Chamizal National Memorial, El Paso, TX.  Mural and boundary markers.

From the National Park Service website,

"In 1966, Congress established Chamizal National Memorial to commemorate the Chamizal Convention (treaty) of 1963. The Chamizal treaty finally ended a long-standing border dispute between the U.S. and Mexico. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo established the Rio Grande/Río Bravo as the international boundary between the U.S. and Mexico. However, rivers naturally move over time. In this case, the river gradually, and at times abruptly, moved south, which left Mexico with less land than the 1848 treaty established. The land disputes that arose because of the river movement caused tension between the U.S. and Mexico for more than 100-years. Finally, in 1963 U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Mexican President Adolfo Lopez Mateos met to discuss the "Chamizal Issue” and through diplomatic negotiations, they solved the Chamizal Issue with the signing of the Chamizal Treaty.


 The Memorial provides visitors with an opportunity to better understand the culture of our borderland."