Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 51817-h.htm or 51817-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/51817/51817-h/51817-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/51817/51817-h.zip) Transcriber’s note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). Handbook 119 Big Bend BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, TEXAS Produced by the Division of Publications National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, D.C. 1983 _Using This Handbook_ The major attractions at Big Bend National Park in west Texas are the Rio Grande and its canyons, the Chisos Mountains, and the Chihuahuan Desert. Part 1 of the handbook gives a brief introduction to the park and its history; Part 2 takes a close look at the area’s natural history; and Part 3 presents concise travel guide and reference materials. National Park Handbooks, compact introductions to the great natural and historic places administered by the National Park Service, are published to support the National Park Service’s management programs at the parks and to promote understanding and enjoyment of the parks. Each is intended to be informative reading and a useful guide before, during, and after a park visit. More than 100 titles are in print. This is Handbook 119. You may purchase the handbooks through the mail by writing to Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. _Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data_ Main entry under title: Big Bend. (National park handbook; 119) Includes index. 1. Big Bend National Park (Tex.). I. United States. National Park Service. Division of Publications. II. Title. III. Series: Handbook (United States. National Park Service. Division of Publications); 119. F392.B53B49 917.64’932 82-600156 AACR2 Contents Part 1 Welcome to Big Bend Country 4 Where Rainbows Wait for Rain 6 Part 2 From the Rio to the Chisos 24 _Text by Helen Moss_ A World of Difference 27 Waterholes, Springs, and the Fifth Season 43 As the Wild River Runs 59 Along the Greenbelt and Among the Grasses 73 Where Mountains Float in the Air 93