Hiking Big Bend’s Highest Mountain: Emory Peak Emory Peak is the highest mountain in Big Bend’s Chisos Mountains at 7825′ (2385M). The peak is named after William Emory, chief surveyor of the 1852 U.S. Boundary Survey team. Emory Peak, Big Bend National Park From the Chisos Mountains Parking lot, it is approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) …

Chisos Mountains Big Bend

Backcountry Camping in Big Bend National Park • The Chisos Mountains As soon as Sara took a job in Odessa, Texas, we looked at a map to identify the nearest places to hike and camp. The only National Parks within driving distance of West Texas were Guadalupe, Carlsbad Caverns, and Big Bend. Over the labor …

McDonald Observatory Star Tours

Visiting the McDonald Observatory I’ve visited the McDonald Observatory twice now and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. On the first visit, Sara and I quickly stopped at the observatory while driving back to Odessa from Alpine, choosing to drive the scenic highway 118 home. From highway 118 we drove up highway 78, the highest highway in …