Parks around Big Bend National Park

Fort Davis is one of the best surviving examples of an Indian Wars' frontier military post in the Southwest. From 1854 to 1891, Fort Davis was strategically located to protect emigrants, mail coaches, and freight wagons on the Trans-Pecos portion of the San Antonio-El Paso Road and on the Chihuahua Trail.

An oasis in the desert, Amistad National Recreation Area consists of the US portion of the International Amistad Reservoir. Amistad, whose name comes from the Spanish word meaning friendship, is best known for excellent water-based recreation, camping, hiking, rock art viewing, and its rich cultural history. Amistad is also home to a wide variety of plant and animal life above and below the water.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is the world's premier example of a fossil reef from the Permian Era. The park is known for its extensive hiking and backpacking opportunities in one of the nation's most pristine wilderness areas. Birding, history, and many other opportunities to learn and have fun await visitors in this hidden gem of West Texas.

The 1,200-acre Black River Recreation Area is managed to provide low-impact recreation and environmental education opportunities while maintaining a healthy river system and riparian habitat. This river corridor acts as a transition zone between the limestone foothills of the Guadalupe Escarpment and the southern gypsum soils to the east. Several spring-fed pools within the area comprise the headw...

The Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness now contains a total of 46,850 acres and is managed by the National Park Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of Texas. In 1978 the Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solit...

The Pecos River Corridor Recreation Area includes 6,000 acres of land with access to the Pecos River and areas surrounding the Red Bluff Reservoir. This area provides opportunity for water-based recreation and semi-primitive motorized recreation. A public access boat ramp is on the New Mexico side of Red Bluff Reservoir.

The Carlsbad Caverns Wilderness now contains a total of 33,125 acres and is managed by the National Park Service. All of the Wilderness is in the state of New Mexico. In 1978 the Carlsbad Caverns Wilderness became part of the now over 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities and extraordinary opportunities for solitu...

Twin Buttes Dam and Reservoir, features of the San Angelo Project, are located immediately upstream from the Nasworthy Reservoir, about 6 miles southwest of San Angelo, Texas. Twin Buttes Dam controls the flows of the South and Middle Concho Rivers and Spring Creek. Although the reservoir has only reached full capacity twice, back in hte 1970's, the full lake has approximately 9,800 water surfa...

High rising ancient sea ledges, deep rocky canyons, cactus, grasses and thorny shrubs - who would imagine the hidden treasures deep beneath this rugged landscape? Secretly tucked below the desert terrain are more than 119 known caves - all formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone.

O.C. Fisher Reservoir was completed by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1952 for flood control on the North Concho River. Most of O.C. Fisher is leased to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and is known as San Angelo State Park. It's located adjacent to the City of San Angelo and is an oasis of quality outdoor recreation in an area of west Texas known as Concho Country. The park contains 7677 ...

Avalon Dam and Reservoir, Carlsbad Project, are located on the Pecos River 3 miles north of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The dam is a zoned earthfill structure constructed in 1907. Recreation at Avalon Reservoir is managed by the Carlsbad Irrigation District under agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish stocks reservoir and provides law enforcement. The recreat...

The Guadalupe Back Country Byway follows NM-137 for 30 miles through the Chihuahuan Desert, the Guadalupe Escarpment, and Lincoln National Forest. A varied landscape thrives here; from limestone outcroppings to thick pine forest stands to underground caves. Recreation abounds within these public lands. Go hiking, backpacking, mountain biking or horseback riding along one of many trails. Interac...

Recreation at Brantley Dam, Reservoir, Brantley Project, is managed by New Mexico State Parks under agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation. The State Park is open 24 hours year round. There is a visitor center 4.5 miles from park entrance at U.S. 285. Good access roads. No concessionaires. No food service. No lodging within park. Nearest communities from park entrance are Carlsbad, 12 miles ...

Chamizal is more than just an urban park to recreate or enjoy a quiet afternoon. These park grounds stand for peace; the peaceful settlement of a 100-year border dispute between nations. Not one shot was fired; not one war was waged. The memorial celebrates the culture of the borderland that helped to peacefully navigate an international argument.

Cibola National Forest & GrasslandsAcreage: 1,625,542. Elevation:  2,700 feet -11,300 feet.The mountain ranges of the four forested districts of Cibola National Forest include: the Datil, Gallinas, Magdalena, Bear, San Mateo, Zuni, Sandia and Manzano mountains, as well as the Withington and Apache Kid wildernesses. These are all located in central New Mexico. The Cibola National Forest also includ...

Located approximately 8 miles west of Coleman, Hords Creek Lake is one of Texas' most pretty little lakes. The lake is surrounded by beautiful oak trees and offers many activities to all those who enjoy the outdoors. There is a park on each side of the lake, each providing roughly 60 campsites, all standard with water and electricity. The lake also provides premium sites including those with sc...

Over 610 acres of towering 90+ foot sand dunes await your enjoyment in the Mescalero Sands North Dune Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area. The dune field stretches over most of the area and lends itself well to all terrain cycles, sand rails and dune buggies. The dunes are made up of quartz particles and are constantly changing due to the prevailing southwest wind. When the dunes are active they move a...

Welcome to the Lincoln's Recreation page.  General Questions about Recreating on the Lincoln? Call your local Ranger Station and check on temperatures, conditions, best place to go for your wishes and much more.Download Geo-PDF's of popular trail areas for use in your phones:  Click Here

After 10,000 years, the people of South Texas found their cultures, their very lives under attack. In the early 1700s Apache raided from the north, deadly diseases traveled from Mexico, and drought lingered. Survival lay in the missions. By entering a mission, they foreswore their traditional life to become Spanish, accepting a new religion and pledging fealty to a distant and unseen king.

The Soledad Canyon Day Use Area is at the juncture of two canyons -- Bar Canyon and Soledad Canyon -- and is in the western foothills of the Organ mountains. The area includes the three-mile loop Bar Canyon Trail, which offers an easy and scenic hike very close to Las Cruces. The Bar Canyon Trail includes scenic vistas of the central Organ Mountains and the southern Mesilla Valley.

Overlooking Las Cruces from the east are the Organ Mountains, a haven for hikers and adventure seekers alike. The Organs, which rise to over 9,000 feet in elevation, are so named because of the steep, needle-like spires that resemble the pipes of an organ. This picturesque area of rocky peaks, narrow canyons and open woodlands shelters the Dripping Springs Natural Area, noted for its ¿weeping wal...

The Sierra Vista Trail is a 25-mile nonmotorized recreation trail along the western flank of the Organ Mountains and the eastern side of the Franklin Mountains. The trail provides spectacular views of the mountains, which jut majestically above the desert floor. It is also possible to see wildlife, including mule deer and coyotes, along the trail. The trail connects to the Franklin Mountain State ...

Visitors can see antelope during fall season. The reservoir is dry except for limited storage during spring runoffs. From Roswell, 14 mi W on US 70/380, 7 mi S on project access road.

A remnant of an ancient volcanic explosion, Kilbourne Hole was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1975. This crater can be found in a desert basin between the Potrillo Mountains and the Rio Grande in southern Dona Ana County. Kilbourne Hole is roughly elliptical in shape, and is known as a Maar ¿ a pit or depression caused by a volcanic explosion with little material emitted except volcani...

Rugged mountains above Las Cruces feature numerous trails, AB Cox Visitor Center, Dripping Springs and Aguirre Springs campgrounds and popular La Cueva picnic area.