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Big Bend National Park listed on Nat Geo’s list of ‘25 breathtaking places and experiences for 2023′

Fall roadtrip anyone?

An early morning view along the Rio Grande looking towards Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park.

A Texas treasure has made its way to a list of top international spots to visit next year.

Big Bend National Park was listed on National Geographic’s “25 breathtaking places and experiences for 2023,″ which was released on Wednesday.

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The park, which is managed by the National Parks Service, was the only place in Texas, and was among the few from the U.S., to make the list.

“There’s more to Big Bend than nature,” the list by National Geographic staff says. “The Rio Grande forms a 118-mile border between Big Bend and Mexico, and various cultures span the riverine divide. Small towns outside the park form an archipelago of differing tastes and outlooks, from the Mexican border community of Ojinaga to Alpine’s dusty cowboys to edgy painters living in Marfa. These diverse inhabitants share one thing: the vast, far-flung vistas they call home.”

The publication reported that Big Bend saw 10 times fewer visitors than Yellowstone in the pre-pandemic days.

Its website states that about 500,000 people visit each year.

The 801,163-acre park is the 15th largest in the national parks system and includes front- and backcountry camping, hiking, and river rafting/canoeing. The park backs up to 196 miles of the Rio Grande.

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About the Author
Rebecca Salinas headshot

Rebecca Salinas is the Digital Executive Producer at KSAT 12 News. A San Antonio native, Rebecca is an award-winning journalist who joined KSAT in 2019.

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