Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Drive from Panther Junction to Maverick Entrance Station - Part 3: Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to Maverick Entrance Station - Big Bend National Park


We completed the final 8-mile portion of the drive from Panther Junction to the Maverick Entrance Station, specifically the section from the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to Maverick one morning on our September 2021 trip to Big Bend National Park. In fact, we continued another mile to the park border and drove on to the community of Study Butte to find some lunch. There are surprisingly few pullouts along this section of the road, but that is likely due to the lack of significant geological or historical sites along this road compared to the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive.

Chisos Mountains

Vernon Bailey Peak (6670')

Ward Mountain (6925')

Little Christmas Mountain (center 4828') and the Christmas Mountains  (right 5728')

Slickrock Mountain (3985') and Croton Peak (4601')

Another view of Little Christmas Mountain and the Christmas Mountains

East Corazones Peak (5045'), Slickrock Mountain (3985'), and Croton Peak (4601')

Vernon Bailey Peak, Casa Grande Peak, Carter Peak, and Ward Mountain

Purplish Prickly Pear and Lechuguilla

The Badlands of the Big Bend

Dawson Creek watershed with Little Christmas Mountain on the horizon

Maverick Mountain (3493') and the Badlands

Layers of color

Tule Mountain (3838')

An entry fee of $30 per vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, or $15 per person is valid for seven consecutive days at Big Bend National Park. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($80 for a lifetime), Access Pass (free with a documented disability), and Military Annual Pass (free for active-duty personnel). Also available is a Big Bend National Park Annual Park Pass for $55.

The Big Bend National Park website is https://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm.

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