Lost Mine Trail Stop #9

Foggy day in the Chisos Mountains

NPS/D. Lombardi

Quick Facts

Location:

Lost Mine Trail

Amenities

2 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Scenic View/Photo Spot

10,000 years ago the climate in Big Bend was cooler and wetter, and the woodland ecosystem around you would have covered the landscape as far as the eye can see. As the climate slowly became warmer and drier, the woodland species could no longer survive in the lower elevations, and more desert-adapted species moved in to take their place. Today, mountains like the Chisos protect small relict populations of once-widespread plants, animals, and other organisms that are isolated here by the surrounding desert.