Troll in Big Bend National Park

Entrance sign to the park.

In far southwest Texas on the Mexican border in a bend in the Rio Grande River is a land of contrasts - desert, mountains & lush river bottoms. Big Bend National Park, encompassing over 800,000 acres, is home to a desert amphibian, the Couch spadefoot toad, which lives nowhere else and an even rarer fish that lives in just one pond inside the park. Big Bend is the most ecologically diverse park in the entire national parks system with more species of birds, plants, butterflies, bats, reptiles, and even ants than any other U.S. national park.

From the lowest point in the park at Rio Grande Village (1,850' elevation) to Emory Peak at 7,825', it's not uncommon for the temperature to be 20 F degrees different. There are many recreational opportunities and if you seek solitude, there are numerous hiking trails that are long, rugged, remote and rarely traveled. Over 118 miles of the Rio Grande River borders the park and provides unforgettable river trips by canoe and kayak through dramatic 1,500' canyon walls.

Monk Troll totally enjoyed his visit to Big Bend National Park in the spring of 2016. What he found most enjoyable was the awesome setting for nature to display the splendor and wonders humans have been blessed to have and enjoy if only we would slow down. There were numerous moments of solitude to just sit and feel ever so small as you attempt to take it all in and contemplate your place in the grand picture. John Muir said, “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pry in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”  Big Bend is just such a place.

 

The mountains known as "Mule Ears"
in the background.

At the remote Castolon Ranger Station
in the park.

Sitting on an old wagon near
Castolon Station.

Overlooking Santa Elena Canyon.

Start of the Santa Elena Canyon Trail.

Mouth of the Santa Elena Canyon
with 1,500' cliffs.

The western park entrance/exit.

 

Yellowstone - Canyon Village & Falls

Located in the Canyon Visitor Center is a great 3-D
relief map of the whole park.

The Canyon Area, on the eastern side of the park from Fishing Bridge north to Canyon Village is an area where you will want to spend unhurried time exploring. Plan to spend longer than you anticipate at the Visitor Center in Canyon Village as it is the best and most informative one in the whole park. Don't miss the free film "Yellowstone: Land to Life" or the 9,000 pound rotating ball which demonstrates volcanic hotspots around the globe. It is here you will also be able to see detailed panoramas, dioramas, and cross sections of life in Yellowstone's lodge-pole forest and grassland-habitats. And don't forget to check out one of the world's largest lava lamps which is used to illustrate how magma rises to the earth's surface by heat convection. While there, go ahead and pick out a book or one of the cool t-shirts, hats or jackets for a souvenir. 

Another interesting section of the Canyon Visitor
Center is the exhibit of the animals that live within
the park. 

In Canyon Village proper, you can do some shopping and/or provisioning at several small stores and a sporting goods store. If it's about lunch time, stop at the Canyon General Store which has a nice 1950's style diner with really good burgers.

Lunch at the '50's diner inside the Canyon Village
General Store 

Be sure to take the South Rim Drive to Point Sublime and be prepared to park your car and do some short and mostly easy paved-path hiking to see Lower Falls, Upper Falls, Artist Point and spectacular views along the Yellowstone River.

Upper Falls - 109 feet high

Lower Falls - 308 feet high

Yellowstone River view near Artist Point

Yellowstone National Park - part 1

Yellowstone National Park, the first national park, is one of the most amazing natural wonders of the world and should be on everyone's bucket list. The Troll family spent 8 days in the park and would have been happy to spend even more time there enjoying the natural wonders, gazing upon the amazing magnificent scenery and observing the diverse wildlife. 

The Trolls encourage you to make every effort to go see this amazing park for yourself. Take your time, take your warm clothes, take your binoculars and by all means, take your camera. Trust the Trolls, you want to see this for yourself! 

Be prepared to have patience as the buffalo often
block the roads as they cross or simply slowly walk
down the middle of them.

Steam rises from thermal vents alongside of a road
as the bison play.

Old Faithful

At the Old Faithful Lodge

Inside the Old Faithful Inn. Built in 1903 - 1904, the inn now
has 325 guest rooms and is a National Historic Landmark.  

You can watch Old Faithful erupt from the inn. Even if you
don't stay here, you should go inside to marvel at the huge
stone fireplace, wrought iron clock, and the majestic lobby
with its 80-foot exposed roof ridge above 2 floors of
balconies. 

Lil Dude along the Firehole River in the western part
of the park.

Along Firehole River near its confluence with the
Nez Perce Creek.

A rarely seen member of the Troll Family, Streaker Troll,
along the Firehole River above Goose Lake.  

Streaker Troll on the Firehole River in the Lower Geyser Basin.