International Dark Sky Park
At over 9 million acres, the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve is currently the world’s largest Reserve and protected Dark Sky Place. The Reserve spans from Fort Davis, Texas, to the Rio Grande River at the US/Mexico international border, and includes three protected areas in Mexico – Maderas del Carmen, Ocampo, and Cañón de Santa Elena – making it the world’s first bi-national International Dark Sky Reserve. The protected landscape encompasses a vast area of the Chihuahuan Desert characterized by diverse desert habitat and wildlife, complex geology, and a rich human history. Significant cultural and natural resources dot the landscape of the Reserve representing thousands of years of human occupation and lifeways specially adapted to the rugged desert environment.
Rare and special plant species endemic to this region
Ovicula biradiata (Wooly Devil): A newly discovered species (2024-2025) and genus known only from a few small, arid sections of the Chihuahuan Desert within the park.
Living Rock Cacti: The living rock cacti is a close cousin to peyote, and it’s found only in the Big Bend region of the Chihuahuan Desert.
Unique geology
Wildlife species endemic to this region
Mexican Black Bear
Mountain Lion
Colima Warbler (only found in Big Bend)
Big Horn Sheep
Bobcats
Javelinas
Horny Toad Lizards
Rich cultural & historial landmarks and history
Thank you Natalie Newman for the images featured above.