LOST MINE PEAK—As the road to the Basin winds up through Green Gulch, colorful peaks rise majestically on all sides. The summit of Lost Mine Peak, which is 7,000 feet in elevation, is reached by a trail from the Basin.
For many years Indians of the Apache and Comanche tribes lived and traveled through the Big Bend. They sought the seclusion and protection of the Chisos Mountains after raids in the United States and Mexico. The fighting Comanches of the Great Plains traveled through what is now a part of the National Park, enroute to Mexico where they raided and pillaged the ranches. The park entrance road now follows closely the route of the historic “Comanche Trail” through Big Bend.
EMORY PEAK—With an elevation of 7,835 feet above sea level, Emory Peak is the highest mountain in Big Bend National Park. One of the dominating features of the Basin, Emory Peak was named for Major Emory.
THE WINDOW—From the Basin of the Chisos Mountains, the “Window” provides the only vista of the lower plains. Unique and colorful rock formations may be observed along the trail to the “Window.”
SANTA ELENA CANYON—The Rio Grande has carved its channel for eighteen miles through the Mesa de Anguila and Sierra Ponce. Here at the river’s exit, the walls of the canyon rise 1,500 feet above the Rio Grande.
Legendary stories of the Apache Indians and of lost silver mines are prevalent in the Big Bend region. A popular legend of Spanish and Mexican origin is related to Lost Mine Peak. More than one hundred years ago, when Texas was a part of Mexico, a prison was located at San Vincente, on the south side of the Rio Grande. On many occasions the prisoners were assigned to work in a mine located in the Chisos Mountains. None of the prisoners ever returned to San Vincente as those persons in command did not intend to divulge the location of the mine. To this day Mexicans like to relate that on Easter Sunday morning, if a person will stand in the doorway of the San Vicente Mission and wait for the sun to rise, the first rays of the sun will strike a cave in the side of Lost Mine Peak, indicating the location of the mine. Many investigations and diligent searches for the mine have been unsuccessful, and Lost Mine Peak retains the secret of this legend in mute repose. Another phase of the lost mine story is that the miners were about to be attacked by a hostile band of Indians and blasted the opening of the mine, which was covered by an avalanche of igneous rock. The group of miners were pursued and killed by the Indians, carrying with them the secret of the mine’s location.