Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River - Things To Know Before You Come (U.S. National Park Service)

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Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River

Things To Know Before You Come

things to know before you come includes:
Your Safety The Wild & Scenic River A River Wilderness		Weather Water quality & river users

NPS\Big Bend National Park

Hot Springs Canyon of the Rio Grande with the Sierra del Carmen rising in the background.

Here are some things you might want to know about the Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River before you visit the area.

The Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River is administered as a unit of the national park system by Big Bend National Park.
Including including the portions of the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park and the Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River, the National Park Service at Big Bend administers 245 miles of border—13% of the entire United States-Mexico border.
Congress designated this segment of the Rio Grande in Texas as the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River in 1978 because of its "outstandingly remarkable" scenic, geologic, fish and wildlife, and recreational values.


			Did You Know? The harvesting and processing of the candellila plant into wax has long been a border industry. In the 1950s, illegal wax camps could be found in Mariscal, Boquillas and the Lower Canyons. Observant floaters can still see remains of these camps along the Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River today. more...

Last Updated: July 29, 2006 at 17:33 EST