The Santa Elena Canyon is an 8-mile stretch of the Rio Grande on the western side of Big Bend National Park. It's probably the most photographed part of the park, so if you google Big Bend, it's likely what you'll see in the photos. The river winds through the canyon like a snake and has carved these steep cliffs that rise 1,000 to 1,500 feet above the ground. On this part of the border, there's really no need for a wall, it's already there. You'd need a parachute or a hang-glider to cross the border in the canyon. Along the trail, I had to keep a close watch on the youngest members of our party, as a slip or a trip would send you rolling through the cactus to get to your final high dive into the river. Not something any of us wanted to do. But after a mile or so, the trail dropped back down to the river bed and allowed us to test the waters, which move slowly and silently between the cliff walls. It was eerily silent. Every scream or clap the kids made echoed up into the canyon. Here are some photos:
Before we got there, we took a moment to stop and check out the overlook.
On the banks of the Rio Grande.
Had to cross this makeshift bridge over the stream to get to the start of the trail.
That's a rock.
Thankfully, nobody fell in. After this trail, we headed to the farthest east part of the park where we made camp on a cold wintery night.
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