South of New Orleans the Barataria Preserve, part of Jean Lafitte NHP, is a great place to get out of the city and see how the area looks naturally. These photos are from the nature trail by the visitor center. It is a short boardwalk trail that lets you walk through the swamp without getting your feet wet.
This hike was in January, so the cypress trees did not have any leaves. If you want to sit and take it all in, there is a bench or two where you can stop and spend time admiring the trees or bird watch.
Just off the boardwalk was an alligator. He just laid there, perfectly still despite people walking by.
Currently (2026) this and much of the Barataria Preserve area is closed for reconstruction and repairs. Check the Barataria Preserve NPS website for current conditions and check out the new boardwalk when it reopens. Jean Lafitte NHP has several sites across southern Louisiana, including a visitor center in the French Quarter, the Chalmette Battlefield from the battle of New Orleans and a few Acadian Cultural Centers.
https://mountainadventures.us/post/jean-lafitte-nhp-barataria-preserve-1
#Louisiana #NPS #Swamp #Hiking #JeanLafitteNHP #Bayou
A drive out of Chisos Basin and down into a cloud, then east along the road to Rio Grande Village and Boquillas Canyon, finishing with the climb back up into the Chisos Mountains.
Big Bend National Park sits in the Chihuahuan Desert of southwest Texas, where the Rio Grande runs along the southern border between the US and Mexico. As the river enters and exits the park it cuts through dramatic deep canyons.
In the heart of the park rise the Chisos Mountains; the only mountain range in the US completely contained within a national park. The Chisos Basin sits at the center on these mountains, at a higher elevation than most of the park, with a campground, lodge and trails.
This video is part of a Big Bend National Park series on Mountain Adventures.
#BigBend #Texas #NationalPark #ChisosMountains #RioGrande
When I got up my first morning in Big Bend National Park, there was a layer of ice on everything. I figured it was not a good day to go up high in the Chisos Mountains, but still wanted to explore them a bit. I started with a hike from my cabin to a loop from which included trails going up higher. There is access to the Pinnacles Trail from the main cluster of Chisos Basin Lodge cabins. I took Pinnacles Trail up to a connector to Laguna Meadows Trail and took that trail down to where it ends at the Pinnacles Trail. This short loop was 2.75 km with only 99 m of climbing and took about 50 minutes with stops for photos.
There was a great view towards the exit of the basin. I took these two photos 13 minutes apart from different locations looking in the same direction. They show how the clouds were changing the lighting that morning.
https://mountainadventures.us/post/big-bend-chisos-basin-hikes
#Texas #NPS #BigBendNP #Desert #NationalPark
https://mountainadventures.us/post/pecos-river-high-bridge
Just west of Amistad National Recreation Area in Texas, US-90 goes over the 1,310 feet long Pecos River High Bridge. It is the highest highway bridge in Texas, at 273 feet above the river when built in 1957. The Amistad Lake may fill this area at higher water levels. There is a viewpoint and picnic area on the south of the road on the east side of the river. Look for the turn to the access road about a quarter mile away from the bridge.
While the river is wide, filling the canyon upstream of the bridge, the river naturally narrows downstream. It continues a short distance before the Pecos River runs into the Rio Grande.
