Last updated: June 23, 2025
Place
Finding the Way Exhibit
NPS/CA Hoyt
Quick Facts
Location:
Big Bend National Park
Amenities
6 listed
Accessible Sites, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Parking - Bus/RV, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Wheelchair Accessible
This exhibit discusses several striking natural features found in the park and how they are used to navigate through this area.
The text on the exhibit reads, "In a land filled with striking features, Mule Ears stands out. The two spires are remnants of volcanic dikes, once sheets of magma that squeezed upwards through fractures in the rock. The Mule Ears are 2.5 miles (4 km) away from you and rise over 1000 feet (300 m) above the desert floor.
Long before Google Earth, GPS, or even paper maps, people used geologic landforms such as Mule Ears to find their way. The best landmarks are easily recognizable and visible from almost anywhere.
For thousands of years, the twin “ears” of Mule Ears, the abrupt chasm of Santa Elena Canyon, and the solitary summit of Emory Peak guided explorers through the rugged terrain of Big Bend. As you continue your journey, look for these and other distinctive landmarks. From how many locations can you spot Mule Ears or Santa Elena Canyon? Does Emory Peak beckon you to explore the distant mountains?
Three boxes in the lower part of the exhibit contain more text.
First caption: Emory Peak "from its teculiar shape and great height, [this peak] was long and anxiously watched during the progress of our survey. For this peak…we have proposed the name of Mount Emory.” M.T.W. Chandler, 1844 United States and Mexican Boundary Survey.
Second Caption: Santa Elena Canyon. “From our camp we look into the canyon as it opens its mouth as a narrow cut in the great escarpment running across the river valley.” Vernon Bailey, 1901. Biological Survey of Texas.
Third Caption: Mule Ears “[First Lieutenant Thad Foster and I] buzzed Castolon, then flew between Mule Ear Peaks and back to…[the landing strip at Elmo Johnson’s] ranch.” Lorene Green, 1934. Elmo Johnson’s niece.
The text on the exhibit reads, "In a land filled with striking features, Mule Ears stands out. The two spires are remnants of volcanic dikes, once sheets of magma that squeezed upwards through fractures in the rock. The Mule Ears are 2.5 miles (4 km) away from you and rise over 1000 feet (300 m) above the desert floor.
Long before Google Earth, GPS, or even paper maps, people used geologic landforms such as Mule Ears to find their way. The best landmarks are easily recognizable and visible from almost anywhere.
For thousands of years, the twin “ears” of Mule Ears, the abrupt chasm of Santa Elena Canyon, and the solitary summit of Emory Peak guided explorers through the rugged terrain of Big Bend. As you continue your journey, look for these and other distinctive landmarks. From how many locations can you spot Mule Ears or Santa Elena Canyon? Does Emory Peak beckon you to explore the distant mountains?
Three boxes in the lower part of the exhibit contain more text.
First caption: Emory Peak "from its teculiar shape and great height, [this peak] was long and anxiously watched during the progress of our survey. For this peak…we have proposed the name of Mount Emory.” M.T.W. Chandler, 1844 United States and Mexican Boundary Survey.
Second Caption: Santa Elena Canyon. “From our camp we look into the canyon as it opens its mouth as a narrow cut in the great escarpment running across the river valley.” Vernon Bailey, 1901. Biological Survey of Texas.
Third Caption: Mule Ears “[First Lieutenant Thad Foster and I] buzzed Castolon, then flew between Mule Ear Peaks and back to…[the landing strip at Elmo Johnson’s] ranch.” Lorene Green, 1934. Elmo Johnson’s niece.