Last updated: June 29, 2025
Place
Chihuahuan Desert Exhibit
NPS/CA Hoyt
Quick Facts
Location:
6 miles east of Panther Junction
Amenities
4 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Wheelchair Accessible
This exhibit highlights the Chihuahuan Desert. One of the four deserts in North America, the Chihuahuan is the largest at over 200,000 square miles. It emcompasses parts of New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico. Big Bend's part of the Chihuahuan Desert is one of the most diverse, with many different life zones supporting an astonishing variety of plants and animals, including 450 species of birds!
The text on the exhibit reads, "Despite a tendency to spiny plants, barren ground, and a variety of reptiles, each desert is distinctive. To recognize the Chihuahuan, shift focus from the broad horizon to the "indicator plants" that characterize this particular landscape. The agave lechuguilla grows only in the Chihuahuan Desert. Bladed like a cluster of daggers, lechuguilla thrives in gravelly soil with less than ten inches of precipitation a year. Look for this needle-tipped plant along the short trail."
The text on the exhibit reads, "Despite a tendency to spiny plants, barren ground, and a variety of reptiles, each desert is distinctive. To recognize the Chihuahuan, shift focus from the broad horizon to the "indicator plants" that characterize this particular landscape. The agave lechuguilla grows only in the Chihuahuan Desert. Bladed like a cluster of daggers, lechuguilla thrives in gravelly soil with less than ten inches of precipitation a year. Look for this needle-tipped plant along the short trail."