We realize that not everyone is able to experience everything that Amistad NRA has to offer. Without a boat, it can be difficult to enjoy the entire range of natural and cultural resources found in the park. This tour was put together with the "virtual" visitor in mind. After taking this photo-graphic tour, one might feel as if s/he has been here and had experienced the magic of this place without leaving home.

Imagine you are taking a kayak trip down the Pecos River to the Rio Grande, and ultimately to Parida Cave. The sun is out, there are clouds in the sky, and the river is so calm it looks like a mirror reflecting the cliffs and the sky (click on photos to see a larger view).

The colorful cliffs of the Pecos River corridor are highlighted by their reflection in the water. You are stunned by their beauty and slow down to take a photo, then continue on your way to the confluence of the Pecos and the Rio Grande. The paddle down the Pecos to the Rio Grande is pretty short and you are there in about 15 minutes.

The Rio Grande defines the international boundary between the United States and Mexico. The photo on the left is looking up river and the cliffs are on the Texas side. These cliffs are riddled with rock overhangs. A rock overhang, or "rock shelter" as called by archeologists, is basically a large void or space carved into the limestone walls by water, or weathered by a combination of wind, water, and erosion. Ancient peoples sought shelter in these overhangs for protection from the weather.

Inside the shelters archeologists have found many signs of human occupation that date back as far as 4,000 to 10,000 years ago, including pictographs, (rock paintings), fire rings and burned rock, mats, sandals, spear points.

You have reached Parida Cave and are looking at it from the Rio Grande. In the photo above you can see a place to pull the kayak up to on the far left of the rock shelter. There are makeshift stairs (left photo) that will take you to where the trail through the rock shelter begins. The trail is lined with rubber tire mats for you to walk on and there are interpretive trail signs to read. You begin your tour as soon as you secure your kayak near the stairs.

Ascending into the rock shelter you stop at the first sign which welcomes you to Parida Cave and tells about the geologic features of the rock shelter, and the first people who came here around 10,000 years ago. Click on the sign to read it.

You then continue up the trail and read each sign as you go along. The view from the rock shelter is incredible. Don't forget to look!
(Order of this tour is left to right.)

View looking up the trail.

Looking down at the kayak.

Read Midden Sign

Next stop is at the potholes.

Read Potholes Sign

Take a look at the views both upriver (left) and down river (below right) from inside Parida Cave. The reason you see trees in the water is because for over 10 years Southwest Texas was in a stage of drought. The reservoir level hit an all-time low in 1998 at 58.62 feet below the conservation pool level. There was more exposed land and therefore more places for plants to take root. Parida Cave and many other places within the recreation area were inaccessible for a decade. The water level in these photos is about 10 feet from conservation pool level.

On September 25 and October 2, 2004 Amistad National Recreation Area spon-sored a "Take Pride in America" project that involved 18 volunteers from the local community, Laughlin Air Force Base, some out of state folks, and NPS personnel. The team worked diligently to rehabilitate the trail through Parida Cave so that visitors could better enjoy this archeology site. more on rehab project

Turning back around and continuing up the trail you come to a small pool of water with maidenhair fern growing all around it. How did that water get there? Read the sign to find out.

Sign on the rainwater.

Ferns in a pool of water

Read the sign about the rainwater.

After reading the sign on the rainwater you backtrack a little bit and then follow the trail to the right hand side of Parida Cave. There are some pictographs on the wall and an interpretive sign beneath them.

Walkway to pictographs

Lower Pecos River Rock Art

Read the sign on pictographs

More pictographs

View of Mexico and Rio Grande from Parida Cave.

END OF tour

Tell us if you found this tour helpful.
Email: amis_interpretation@nps.gov