Even in the gloom that plagued my trip to this lesser-known national park, Big Bend contains a surprising mix of old, west and earthy greens that bring unexpected vegetation to this seemingly arid landscape. Sitting at the base of the Chisos Mountains that connect Texas to Mexico, Big Bend is a must-see park for Texans and visitors alike. I sure would like to return to reap the benefits of Big Bend's clear night sky, known as the darkest skies in North America, promising a sparkling display of shooting stars, meteors, and the milky way.

An RV parked at a desert campsite surrounded by scrubby brush and colorful badlands under cloudy skies.
A winding desert highway leads toward an isolated butte under overcast skies in arid New Mexico landscape.
A dramatic rocky spire emerges through low clouds above a grassy meadow with juniper trees in the Southwest.
Fog-shrouded rocky mountain peaks rise above a forest of green trees and bare branches in misty conditions.
A lone pine tree clings to a misty fog-covered rocky mountainside in this moody black and white landscape photo.
A towering rocky mountain peak dramatically emerges from swirling clouds and fog above a dense forest below.
Bare twisted tree branches silhouetted against thick fog create an eerie atmospheric forest scene.
Two deer stand among tall bare trees in a misty foggy forest along a narrow dirt trail.
A massive rocky mountain summit partially obscured by dramatic swirling clouds on an overcast day.
A desert hiking trail winds through cacti and shrubs toward a fog-filled canyon with towering rock walls.
A two-lane highway winds through arid Big Bend desert landscape with dramatic rocky buttes under overcast skies.
Towering limestone canyon walls rise above the calm green Rio Grande river at Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend.
Vast arid desert valley landscape with distant rocky formations under cloudy skies in Big Bend National Park.