List of the most popular hashtags for theme #BIGBEND

Have you traveled to Texas’ Big Bend National Park yet? They say everything’s bigger in Texas, and your stoke for the parks will definitely grow larger here! . ICONS: Big Bend gets its name to the slow curve of the Rio Grande on the park’s southern edge, and the Canon de Santa Elena is a beautiful section of it. The forested Chisos Mountains offer some of Texas’ best hiking trails with views of scorching plains, mountain peaks, and desert horizons. The Chisos Basin is a circular, scenic valley that offers lodging, camping, and many trailheads. . THINGS TO DO: Paddle through the Canon de Santa Elena — you won’t regret it! For excellent hiking, take Emory Peak Trail to the park’s highest point, the moderate Lost Mine Trail, or the easy 0.3-mile round-trip Window View Trail for an unforgettable desert sunset. When you’re in your car, take the 22-mile Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive on the park’s west side. . HISTORY: The Chisos people lived in the area of Big Bend during the 1500s, and the Jumano people ocassionally traveled through the area. By the 1800s, Mescalero Apaches and Comanches came to the area as well. Spanish explorations into the region began in 1535, and military surveys were made during the Mexican-American War in 1848. Settlers came to the area to find valuable mineral deposits, and by the 1930s the Texas Legislature decided to preserve its beauty by designating it a state park. Texas then deeded the land to the US on June 12, 1944 when it became Big Bend National Park. . LEAVE NO TRACE: Big Bend has an extreme environment, so always be prepared for the heat in hot weather and freezing cold in the winter. Always hike and camp on durable surfaces like rock and gravel — and camp at least 100 yards from water. Always remember to leave what you find - cultural artifacts, rocks, and wildflowers - and to pack out what you bring in (including waste). . Next week’s feature: Virgin Islands National Park . PHOTOS: 1. @katybaldock7 2. @traviscoan 3. @jasmine.rdgz 4. NPS . #seekmorewilderness #smwparkfeature

Part of me wasn’t much looking forward to visiting Big Bend National Park. I thought it was going to be stifling hot, dry, barren, and potentially not very photogenic. I hadn’t heard much about the park nor had I seen many photos online. In saying that, Matt and I always try to visit new destinations with an open mind, knowing that each place usually has something unique and amazing about it. : Well, we were totally wrong about Big Bend... it blew all our expectations out of the water! During early May the daytime temperatures were fairly warm but the evenings lovely and cool. The park’s landscapes were beautifully diverse and in many places quite green and lush... and overall everything was much more photogenic than we had anticipated! : Here are some of our top recommendations for the park (save this post for future planning ): - Soak in the natural Boquillas Hot Springs whilst enjoying beautiful views of the Rio Grande River (free entrance and I recommend you visit early or late in the day during cooler temperatures). - Hike the Lost Mine Trail in the Chisos Basin area for gorgeous desert and mountain views (4.8 miles roundtrip). - Explore Santa Elena Canyon during the afternoon to witness golden light along the Rio Grande. - Be sure to look up at the stars come nightfall. Big Bend has very minimal light pollution and makes for an epic spot to try out astrophotography. - Hike the Grapevines Hill Trail to view the interestingly balanced rock featured in image 5 (2.2 miles roundtrip). - Walk the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail for panoramic views of the river, Sierra del Carmens, and Crown Mountain. Look out for wild horses drinking from the Rio Grande! - Cross the border into Mexico through the park’s Boquillas Crossing Port of Entry. Make sure to bring your passport and look up the opening/closing times before you go : This set of images is from our recently published book, Roaming America. If you’re interested in seeing more, details on how to get your hands on a copy can be found in my story highlights and bio #RoamingAmerica #BigBend #Texas

Lots and lots of layers still to go... . . . #painter #landscapepainter #bigbend #chisosmountains #acrylicpainting #artvideo #timelapse #watchmepaint #artstudio #bts #doitfortheprocess #searchwandercreate #themountainsarecalling #texasartist #austinartist

Here she is. Finished blooming ocotillo from yesterday’s time lapse. . . . #bigbend #findyourpark #landscapepainting #ocotillo #texasart #austinartist #desertlandscape #ihavethisthingwithcolor #loveyourmother #takemetothedesert #artcollector

Terlingua Moon #timmckennaterlingua #bbnp #texas #bigbend #texasforever #bigbendnationalpark #texas #wildplanet #wildlifeplanet #respectbigbend #nationalgeographic

And so begins another weekend in paradise! Book your room today at the #LinkInBio @wildcattersnetwork

Currently processing the Jupiter and Saturn shots from last night. I didn’t think about it until after the fact, but I was shooting over the parking lot, which means the heat from the south Texas Sun was dissipating into the air through which I was attempting to image. That is no bueno when trying to shoot at 4000mm focal length. Anyways, I’m getting screen grabs of the planetary processing as I go along, so that will be on my story whenever one of those images gets posted. Neither of them will be award winners, but any night spent outside with the telescope getting murdered by mosquitoes is better than nothing. As for this particular image, this was taken on the Lost Mine Trail early one morning with @michaelsrice_photography and @jtfarleyphotography. Be sure to check out their galleries for some pretty awesome shots, especially from this particular night. Keep looking up.

Experience the amazement of Big Bend NP. •••• Thanks to Mike @i_am_mike_vence for the border goodness. —-- Santa Elena Canyon. Big Bend National Park. #bigbendnationalpark #santaelenacanyon #bibe #nps #findyourpark #whereintheworldismikevence ——- #nationalparkgeek #FYPyes #nps #nationalpark #nationalparks #americasbestidea #findyourpark #goparks #nationalparkfoundation #everykidinapark #nature #naturelovers #npca #nationalparktrust #protectourpubliclands #climatechangeisreal #onepercentfortheplanet #bigbend

Coming soon to new trail signage for Hot Springs Canyon in @bigbendnps: my Rio Grande view — looking through Hot Springs Canyon toward Sierra del Carmen, seemingly set ablaze by the setting sun’s light. #bigbend #westtexas