One by one, pinpricks of light poke through the sky as twilight gives way to night. In a matter of an hour, the desert is transformed into a giant planetarium. This is what we have come for.

October 2–4, 2024

Big Bend National Park is a 12.5 hour drive almost due south of us and so to maximize our time in the park we leave early enough to catch sunset. Entering from the north through Persimmon Gap around 5:30 p.m., we drive through Tonillo Flat stopping to photograph wild horses along the roadside. Continuing on, we then head to our campsite in Chisos Basin Campground to check in before setting out on our sunset hike.

This particular evening, we plan to drive the 7-mile unpaved Grapevine Hills Road to Balanced Rock for sunset hoping to catch last light on the boulders. Though rough in some spots, our early 2000’s Honda Pilot makes it to the trailhead in about 30 minutes. By the looks of it, there is only one other group on the trail when we arrive. With the sun nearing the horizon, we pack up our gear for the short mile walk to the iconic rock formation through scattered boulders and bizarre lechuguilla plants.

The final pitch to Balanced Rock is a bit of a scramble but worth the climb. We crest the ridge and spot the landmark just as the final group finishes their hike and returns to their car. We have the place to ourselves. Unfortunately, we missed the actual sun setting on Balanced Rock; but fortunately, we have come for more than just sunset. After taking some photos in the fading light we settle on a large flat boulder and pull out dinner, waiting patiently for stars to pop out. One by one, pinpricks of light poke through the sky as twilight gives way to night. In a matter of an hour, the desert is transformed into a giant planetarium. This is what we have come for.

With it’s remote geography, Big Bend is deemed an International Dark Sky Park boasting the least light pollution of any national park in the lower 48. And it lives up to its reputation. With no moon in sight, a million points wheel over Balanced Rock. A moment worth basking in.

After a short drive back to Chisos Basin and quick night’s sleep, we wake early next morning to hike The Pinnacles Trail up to Emory Peak, Big Bend’s high point, in time for sunrise. The hike up the mountain is long and windy in the dark. And while the summit of Emory Peak is a steep precarious rock scramble, we are rewarded with 360-degree views of Texas and Mexico. Thankful to not be ascending in the sunlight, the descent back to Chisos Basin is leisurely in the morning hours. We run across a lone tarantula crossing the trail as we near the trailhead, a unique encounter for us.

With the heat of the day setting in around noon, we take advantage of the air conditioned Chisos Basin Visitor Center to learn more about the park and escape the rising temperatures outside before hopping in the car and driving to our next destination.

About an hour west, we arrive at Santa Elena Canyon for the afternoon light. At a lower elevation, the temperature pushes 100 degrees (F) even here in early October. A little apprehensive about the heat we make up our minds to park the car and scope out the canyon, perfectly content to turn around if heat becomes a concern. But little do we know the canyon is actually cooler. Shade from the hundred foot walls traps the cool river air in the canyon offering a comfortable respite from the arid atmosphere just a mile back.

Happy with the conditions, we take our time enjoying the canyon before returning back east to Chisos Basin. Roadrunners and scaled quail dart in and out of the brush as afternoon light streams down the canyon painting a dramatic scene of backlit light and shadow.

Because the sun sets early in the canyon, we still have some daylight left, so we attempt to drive east toward Rio Grande Village to catch the lingering light on the breathtaking Sierra Del Carmen Mountains. This backdrop to Big Bend spans the border of the U.S. and Mexico. Rising high above the desert floor, they create a perfect wall for catching a sunset timelapse. Meanwhile more wild horses greet us along Park Route 12. A rather fine ending to a rather full day.

We wake early again on the next and final morning in the park, this time with hopes of scaling Lost Mine Trail for sunrise. The 2-mile ascent is referred to as Big Bend’s most scenic hike—and for good reason. The trail to the upper ridgeline is packed with panoramic vistas of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Casa Grande and Toll Mountain stand like sentinels in the early morning ready to field the first rays of the sun.

We pop up on the ridge minutes before daybreak. Thousands of feet in the sky, we feel worlds away from the desert floor. The sun peers over the horizon illuminating the peaks around us in a fiery display. Shadows creep down the cliff walls as the valleys welcome day. Everything in us wishes we could spend more time in this peaceful mountain sanctuary, but we must begin our descent soon to stay on schedule if we are to arrive at Carlsbad Caverns National Park on time. Only another national park could be reason enough to peel us away from a place this serene.