The Big Loop, Days 11 & 12: Big Bend NP (22 images)

Big Bend National Park is certainly an extreme, severe place. It's a huge desert landscape full of dust, cacti and mesquite. It is a very, very dry place, bordered by the Rio Grande river, and Mexico of course. Yes, you can walk across it in places.

During the summer, it is blazing hot - in fact, some trails get closed during the middle of summer, for safety concerns. It's a place that demands your respect.