Chisos Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Chisos Mountains are a mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...

 located in the Big Bend area of West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....

, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The mountain range is contained entirely within the boundaries of Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park is a national park located in the U.S. state of Texas. Big Bend has national significance as the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology in the United States, which includes more than 1,200 species of plants, more than 450 species of birds, 56...

. This is the only mountain range in the United States to be fully contained within the boundary of a National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...

. It is also the southernmost mountain range in the United States.

The highest point in the Chisos Mountain range is Emory Peak
Emory Peak
Emory Peak, located in Big Bend National Park, is the highest peak in the Chisos Mountains. It is the most prominent peak in Texas and the county high point for Brewster County. The peak is named for William H. Emory, the chief surveyor of the U.S. Boundary Survey team of 1852...

 at 7825' (2,385 m) above sea level.

Location and access

The Chisos Mountains are located in Big Bend National Park at approximately 29°16' N, 103°18' W. The range of mountains extends twenty miles from Punta de la Sierra in the southwest to Panther Junction in the northeast. There are two routes to access the Chisos Basin Visitor Center, campground, general store, and the Chisos Mountain Lodge. (1)Take US HWY 385 S to Panther Junction turn right on Texas State Rt. 118; travel on TX SR 118 for about 3 miles then turn left on Green Gulch. (2) Take Texas State Rt 118 S to Green Gulch and turn right. An extensive trail system and permit required backcountry campsites are maintained by Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park is a national park located in the U.S. state of Texas. Big Bend has national significance as the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology in the United States, which includes more than 1,200 species of plants, more than 450 species of birds, 56...

 for its visitors. Some trails and campsites are closed from January through April to protect nesting sites of indigenous bird species.

The Chisos mountain area and basin contain most conveniences for the park. Other park service areas are minimal. The mountain area is partly forested (recovering from logging and overgrazing prior to the area's inclusion in the National Park System in the 1930's), and the surrounding area is beautiful Chihuahuan Desert
Chihuahuan Desert
The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert, and an ecoregion designation, that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra...

. Nearest towns of consequence are Fort Stockton, 135 miles north, Alpine, 105 miles northwest and Presidio, about 100 miles west. Two Mexican towns (Boquillas and Santa Elena) border the park; but cross-border access has been prohibited since 2002.

Prominent peaks

  • Emory Peak
    Emory Peak
    Emory Peak, located in Big Bend National Park, is the highest peak in the Chisos Mountains. It is the most prominent peak in Texas and the county high point for Brewster County. The peak is named for William H. Emory, the chief surveyor of the U.S. Boundary Survey team of 1852...

     7,825'
  • Lost Mine Peak 7,535'
  • Toll Mountain 7,415'
  • Casa Grande Peak 7,325'

See also

  • Big Bend
  • Big Bend Ranch State Park
    Big Bend Ranch State Park (Texas)
    Big Bend Ranch State Park is a state park located on the Rio Grande in Brewster County and Presidio County, Texas. It is the largest state park in Texas. The closest major town is Presidio, Texas, where the state park's head office is located.-Features:...

  • Chihuahuan Desert
    Chihuahuan Desert
    The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert, and an ecoregion designation, that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra...

  • Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River
    Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River
    The Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River protects a 196 mile portion of the Rio Grande in Texas. Parts of Brewster, Terrell, and Val Verde counties are included in this section of the river....

  • Guadalupe Mountains National Park
    Guadalupe Mountains National Park
    Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas and contains Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at in elevation. It also contains El Capitan, long used as a landmark by people traveling along the old route later followed by the Butterfield Overland...

  • McKittrick Canyon
    McKittrick Canyon
    McKittrick Canyon is a scenic canyon within the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas. The steep towering walls of McKittrick Canyon protect a rich riparian oasis in the midst of the Chihuahuan Desert....


External links

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