Santa Elena Canyon

Big Bend National Park shares an international border with Cañón de Santa Elena Flora and Fauna Protection Area in Mexico. Together, these two protected areas make up the largest piece of protected Chihuahuan Desert, and are vital for the conservation of the ecology of the region. Separating the two is a stretch of the Rio Grande River and the famous Santa Elena Canyon.

It's a long drive from the park headquarters to the Castolon Visitor's Center, which sits right on the Mexican border. We stopped in at the small and dusty office to collect the new stamp for our national park passport (each visitor's center has its own unique stamp).

It really felt like we were out in the wild west. You could almost imagine yourself in an old spaghetti western film.

It was quiet out there. The air was still, and the hot desert sun beat down upon the parched landscape of southwestern Texas.

Though visiting the Castelon Historic District feels like stepping back in time, it's really not that old. In fact, farming and ranching was practiced here until the early 1960s! 

The area was settled by ranchers around the turn of the century. It was a hard life. the arid climate makes agriculture difficult, but they got by, growing corn, beans, wheat, squash, tomatoes, and melons.

In 1910, the Mexican Revolution began (think Pancho Villa, Emiliano Zapata, et al.). This revolution threw off the shackles of military dictatorship and introduced the Mexican constitutional republic. During this bloody and violent period, the US army (5th, 6th, and 8th cavalries) sent forces to secure the border at Camp Santa Helena, and in 1929, the nascent Air Corps established a landing field at nearby Johnson's Ranch. The influx of soldiers brought some degree of economic prosperity to Castelon.

In 1921, things became more peaceful. The La Harmonia Company Store acquired the old military barracks, and in 1961, the National Park Service acquired the La Harmonia Company holdings and began operating the store as a concession store. It is still in operation today.

After stopping in at the visitor's center, we took a short drive along the banks of the Rio Grande to the Santa Elena Canyon scenic viewpoint. This is where the rafting trips of the Rio Grande start. We didn't quite have time for a rafting trip on this visit, but I would absolutely love to go on one next time we visit Big Bend (hopefully soon!).

Of course, I had to at least step my feet into the cold, green waters of the most famous river in Texas! Even though I've never been to Mexico, I have been closer than ever in my life. I could literally toss a pebble across the river (which was remarkably low) onto the other side.

Our first full day at Big Bend National Park was coming to a close. It had been a full day of hiking and exploration, but our adventures along the Rio Grande were far from over!