Big Bend

Big Bend is commonly called "Texas' Gift to the Nation" and, in my experience, it lives up to this name. The park is the largest protected area of the Chihuahuan Desert and contains over 800,000 acres of land home to over 1,200 species of plants and over 500 species of birds and mammals. While visiting this park, I highly recommend hiking the Emory Peak Trail to the highest point in the park, the South Rim Trail, and the Santa Elena Canyon Trail.