National Park Service LogoU.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Park Service
National Park Service:  U.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service Arrowhead
Big Bend National ParkCasa Grande in the clouds
view map
text size:largestlargernormal
printer friendly
Big Bend National Park
Stories
 
members of the International Park Commission pose in volcanic badlands near Castolon, 1936.
NPS Historic Photograph Collection
Members of the International Park Commission pose in volcanic badlands near Castolon, 1936.
 
Big Bend, with its long and rich cultural history, is home to many stories, tales and legends. While almost all the stories told contain some degree of truth and authenticity many of the tales and legends from the region are probability more fiction then fact.

Human history in this harsh desert environment is a complex blend of cultures, boundaries, and the limits of economic and personal adventures.

Longhorns of Big Bend cover
On-line books
Read all about Big Bend's history...
more...
Entrance sign
Talk like a local
Learn how Big Bend place names are properly pronounced.
more...
1957 Ford with Park Sign attached
Texas' Gift to the Nation
Learn more about how Big Bend was established.
more...
The La Harmonia Store  

Did You Know?
The Big Bend trading posts, like the La Harmonia store in Castolon, were not the supermarkets of today but they performed a necessary service, and their operators, along with the ranchers, the cavalry, and the law enforcement officers, participated in the settlement of West Texas.
more...

Last Updated: August 16, 2006 at 17:36 EST