RV Goes to Santa Elena

Santa Elena Canyon is the most impressive in Big Bend National Park - it is visible for over 10 miles away, as the Rio Grande changes direction abruptly after following beneath the straight Sierra Ponce cliffs for several miles and heads due west, cutting through the mountains via a deep, narrow gorge. This sharp bend in the river was formed by movement along the Terlingua fault zone that crosses the park. For many miles upstream the river is trapped beneath the high walls, eventually emerging into a wider valley at the small town of Lajitas. 

Pictures on our drive 

 Note the mountains...We are getting close to Santa Elena! 

One stop was Tuff Canyon on our way.

Tuff Canyon gets its name from the material that lines the steep walls on either side of the trail. Tuff is volcanic ash that has hardened into rock-like forms. The texture of tuff is abrasive and the coloration light.

Despite the tough sounding name, tuff is not all that hard. In fact it erodes more rapidly than other types of rock. This is why the canyon walls here are so pronounced. Further up the trail a lava flow of harder rock shows it has faired much better from the occasional gully washes that flow through here.

Santa Elena and yes it is the Rio Grande!