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The Big Bend is part of the Trans-Pecos region in southwestern Texas, United States along the border with Mexico, north of the prominent bend in the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...

for which the region is named. Here the

passes between the Chisos Mountains in Texas and the

Sierra Madre Oriental The Sierra Madre Oriental () is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico. The Sierra Madre Oriental is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that f ...

in Mexico as it changes from running east-southeast to north-northeast. The region covers three counties:

Presidio County Presidio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 6,131. Its county seat is Marfa. The county was created in 1850 and later organized in 1875. Presidio County (K-5 in Texas topological ind ...

to the west, Brewster County to the east, and Jeff Davis County to the north. The region is rugged, sparsely populated Chihuahua Desert, including the Chisos Mountains,

Chinati Mountains The Chinati Mountains of Texas are a small range in the high desert of far West Texas near the city of Presidio. There is a pass through the mountains on Ranch to Market Road 2810, also known as Pinto Canyon Road, which connects to Farm to Mar ...

, and the Davis Mountains. The region has well over of public lands, including

Big Bend National Park Big Bend National Park is an American national park located in West Texas, bordering Mexico. The park has national significance as the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology in the United States, and was named after ...

(801,163 acres) and

Big Bend Ranch State Park Big Bend Ranch State Park is a state park located on the Rio Grande in Brewster and Presidio counties, 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.

(300,000 acres), Black Gap Wildlife Management Area (103,000 acres),Texas Parks and Wildlife
Black Gap Wildlife Management Area
(accessed Oct 30, 2022) Chinati Mountains State Natural Area (39,000 acres)Texas Parks and Wildlife,
hinati Mountains State Natural Area
(accessed Oct 30, 2022) along the north side of the Rio Grande. It is also the home of the McDonald Observatory. In Mexico, adjacent areas of protected lands on the south side of the Rio Grande include the

Cañón de Santa Elena Flora and Fauna Protection Area The Cañón de Santa Elena Flora and Fauna Protection Area (Spanish: ''Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Cañón de Santa Elena'') is a protected area for plants and wildlife in the Mexican municipalities of Manuel Benavides and Ojinaga, in th ...

(ca. 511,508 acres),

Ocampo Flora and Fauna Protection Area Ocampo Flora and Fauna Protection Area is a protected area in northern Mexico. It covers an area of 3442.38 km2 in the state of Coahuila. It is bounded on the north by the Rio Grande, which forms the border with the United States. It adjoins Ma ...

(ca. 850,630 acres), and the Maderas del Carmen Flora and Fauna Protection Area (ca. 514,920 acres). The largest towns in the region are

Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National Pa ...

, Presidio, Marfa,

Sanderson Sanderson may refer to: Places * Sanderson, Florida, a town in the United States * Sanderson, Texas, a census-designated place in the United States * Sanderson, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States * Sanderson, Northern ...

Terlingua Terlingua ( ) is a mining district and census-designated place (CDP) in southwestern Brewster County, Texas, United States. It is located near the Rio Grande and the villages of Lajitas and Study Butte, Texas, as well as the Mexican state o ...

, and

Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

. The counties are

, Jeff Davis County, Brewster County,

Pecos County Pecos County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 15,193. The county seat is Fort Stockton. The county was created in 1871 and organized in 1875.. By Glenn Justice and John Leffler. Retriev ...

, and Terrell County.

References

External links

''The Big Bend of Texas.''
1920, hosted by th
Portal to Texas History

''West Texas Weekly''
a local weekly newspaper.
Visit Big Bend
an extensive website on the Big Bend region and attractions. Regions of Texas Big Bend National Park {{Texas-geo-stub

See also

References

Further reading

External links