Texas Parks: From Austin to Big Bend National Park (pt. 7)

November 6, 1:03 PMAustin Cultural Events ExaminerJessica Schneider

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Boquillas Canyon at Big Bend National Park.
Jessica Schneider

In addition to Santa Elena Canyon, one of the other attractions at Big Bend National Park is Boquillas Canyon. In the middle runs the Rio Grande, with Mexico on one side and U.S. on the other.

Boquillas Canyon was at one time known as Dead Horse Canyon, due to the number of horses that were left abandoned within the canyon walls by those trying to smuggle goods across the border.

In my review of The Story of Big Bend National Park I note: “The Story of Big Bend also notes the ways in which the landscape names were changed, such as Santa Elena Canyon, which was once Santa Helena Canyon, or Boquillas Canyon, which was formerly known as Dead Horse Canyon due to the number of horses that had been abandoned and thus starved to death within those canyon walls. Many were not pleased with these changes, feeling that these new names were eradicating some of the more important historical parts of the park, and conflicts arose due to these changes.”

Upon visiting Boquillas Canyon, we were warned not to accept any kind of goods from Mexican Nationals. Sure enough, there was a man there, with his canoe in place, trying to accept donations in exchange for his singing.

Later, a ranger appeared on the scene, and “Victor the Singing Mexican” as he called himself (see photo), remained on the Mexican side. This is a cat and mouse game the rangers play with the Mexican Nationals, since crossing the border at this junction is illegal. Though because Victor was on his side at the time the ranger appeared, there was nothing the ranger could do.

It is silly to think it illegal to merely cross a shallow river, but it is. It is too bad though, because it would have been nice to visit the Mexican side, where the mountains are higher.

For more information, you can visit my recent review of “The Story of Big Bend National Park,” and also “Big Bend: A Homesteader’s Story.”

See images of Santa Elena Canyon in my previous post: From Austin to Big Bend (pt. 6).