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Big Bend National Park
$3,195 per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement: $600.
Trip Details
See the tour brochure (pdf)
On the WWF Travel blog: Why Big Bend is a Birder's Paradise
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Trip Overview
Spring is the ideal time to tour Big Bend National Park. More than 430 species of birds that live or migrate through Big Bend – including Colima warblers, vermillion flycatchers, peregrine falcons and black-capped vireos – can be spotted at this time of year. Vibrant blooms sprout of between the spikes of tens of thousands of cacti, the color popping against the earth-toned landscape. Big Bend geckos and Texas horned lizards, both of which are threatened species, and other reptiles often make appearances.
Trip Itinerary
Wednesday, April 7: El Paso / Fort Davis, Texas
Meet up with your fellow travelers in El Paso in the early afternoon to begin your journey. Drive 3½ hours to Fort Davis seeing the mountains and mesas of the Southwest. Watch for coyotes, black-tailed jackrabbits, Swainson’s hawks, golden eagles and pyrrhuloxias. Gather this evening for a little West Texas hospitality at a welcome dinner at your historic hotel. Hotel Limpia (D)
Thursday, April 8: Davis Mountains
The Davis Mountains Preserve, the most extensive range in Texas, were formed by volcanic activity approximately 30 million years ago. Scattered stands of ponderosa pines and common pinyons mix with oak and juniper to cover the mountainsides at higher elevations. In the morning, explore Davis Mountain State Park on foot or by vehicle. On guided tours with naturalists, learn about the challenges of conserving wildlife on these ecological mountain “islands.” After a picnic lunch under huge cottonwood trees, tour Fort Davis and a nearby wooded canyon, where mule-deer, wild turkeys, golden eagles and colorful Montezuma quails reside. Also explore San Solomon Cienega, a restored desert wetland at Balmorhea State Park. Hotel Limpia (B,L,D)
Friday, April 9: Fort Davis / Big Bend National Park
In the morning, drive to Fort Davis and then on to Big Bend National Park. En route to the park, watch for pronghorn, Chihuahuan ravens and scaled quails in the extensive grasslands. Stop to see a prairie dog town, where burrowing owls share a symbiotic relationship with the prairie dogs. South of Marathon, drive through the Chihuahuan Desert to Chisos Basin. Watch flocks of Mexican jays feed on pinyon nuts and peregrine falcons and zone-tailed hawks soar over the Chisos peaks. This evening, attend a park presentation about the region’s wildlife, geology and history. Chisos Mountain Lodge (B,L,D)
Saturday, April 10: Chisos Mountains
Spend the day in the Chisos Mountains, where extensive shrub land provides habitat for Sierra del Carmen white-tailed deer, mountain lions and bobcats. Choose from a nine-mile loop hike into the high country, ascending to lush forests, or a more leisurely walk through the Chisos Basin, a high valley surrounded by mountains. Listen for the flute-like tones of Scott’s orioles and look for blue-throated hummingbirds, hepatic tanagers, black-headed grosbeaks and black-chinned sparrows. Admire drooping junipers and watch for predatory alligator lizards. Later, listen to the night sounds of coyotes, common poorwills and elf owls while star gazing. Chisos Mountain Lodge (B,L,D)
Sunday, April 11: Big Bend National Park
Venture to the Rio Grande and Big Bend’s legendary birding hotspot at Rio Grande Village. Watch for golden-fronted woodpeckers, painted buntings, vermilion flycatchers, summer tanagers and rare gray hawks. Enjoy a picnic lunch while naturalists discuss the rigors of protecting and restoring Big Bend as an ecosystem. Later, visit Boquillas Canyon where the Rio Grande cuts through the towering Sierra del Carmen Mountains. It’s known for its impressive limestone cliffs. Chisos Mountain Lodge (B,L,D)
Monday, April 12: Santa Elena Canyon
At Santa Elena, the Rio Grande’s narrowest and most magnificent limestone canyon, walk beneath the massive walls and search for beavers, white-throated swifts and nesting peregrine falcons. Explore Blue Creek Canyon and its impressive rock spires and towers called “hoodoos.” Look for lizards, varied buntings, gray vireos, black-tailed gnatcatchers and rare black-capped vireos. Walk through the canyon and take a scenic drive to discover a wild array of volcanic features. Chisos Mountain Lodge (B,L,D)
Tuesday, April 13: Chisos Basin / Marfa
This morning, hike the moderate 4½-mile Lost Mine Trail above Chisos Basin for spectacular views in all directions. After lunch, explore a pioneer homestead where a small water source is now used by groups of pig-like javelina and nesting desert sparrows. Meet with park resource specialists and learn more about protecting these vast desert lands. Later, drive to the small town of Marfa and celebrate your desert adventure with a festive farewell dinner. Hotel Paisano (B,L,D)
Wednesday, April 14: Marfa / Home
Drive three hours through wide-open ranch lands to El Paso. Transfer to the airport for your flight home. (B)
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