The Chisos Mountains, also known as the Chisos, are a mountain range located in the Big Bend area of the Trans-Pecos region of Texas, United States.[1] The mountain system covers 40 square miles (104 square km) and is contained entirely within the boundaries of Big Bend National Park, making it the only mountain range in the United States fully contained within a national park.[1][2] The Chisos Mountains are the southernmost mountain range in the mainland United States.
| Chisos Mountains | |
|---|---|
 The Chisos Mountains as photographed facing southeast | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Emory Peak |
| Elevation | 7,825 ft (2,385 m) |
| Coordinates | 29°14′45″N 103°18′14″W / 29.24583°N 103.30389°W |
| Geography | |
  Chisos Mountains | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Texas |
| Range coordinates | 29°16′N 103°18′W / 29.267°N 103.300°W |
The Chisos Mountains were created by volcanic activity during the Eocene Epoch 35-44 million years ago.[3]
The highest point in the Chisos Mountain range is Emory Peak at 7,825 ft (2,385 m) above sea level.[1]
Location
editThe Chisos Mountains are located in Big Bend National Park. The range of mountains extends twenty miles from Punta de la Sierra in the southwest to Panther Junction in the northeast. An extensive trail system and permit-required backcountry campsites are maintained by Big Bend National Park for its visitors.[4] The Northeast Rim and Southeast Rim trails are closed from February 1 through May 31 along with some of the backcountry campsites along these trails to protect the local peregrine falcon population.[4]
The mountain area is partly forested (recovering from logging and overgrazing prior to the area's inclusion in the National Park System in the 1930s), and surrounded by the Chihuahuan Desert. The nearby towns include Study Butte, Terlingua, Fort Stockton, 135 miles north, Alpine, 105 mi (169 km) northwest and Presidio, about 100 mi (160 km) west. Two Mexican towns (Boquillas and Santa Elena) border the park; and cross-border access was reopened in 2011.[5]
Etymology
editOne of the multiple possibilities of the origin of the name is the option that it stems from hechizos, a Castilian word meaning "enchantment". Another possibility is the option that the word originated from chisos, a Native American word meaning "ghost" or "spirit".[2]
Peaks
edit- Emory Peak 7,835 ft (2,388 m)[1]
- Townsend Point 7,574 ft (2,309 m)[6]
- Lost Mine Peak 7,535 ft (2,297 m)[1]
- Toll Mountain 7,415 ft (2,260 m)[1]
- Casa Grande Peak 7,325 ft (2,233 m)[1]
Climate
edit- Elevation: 5,300 feet (1,615 m)[7]
| Climate data for Chisos Basin, Texas (Aug 1, 1943–Mar 31, 2013) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 82 (28) |
84 (29) |
96 (36) |
96 (36) |
99 (37) |
103 (39) |
102 (39) |
99 (37) |
97 (36) |
94 (34) |
89 (32) |
87 (31) |
103 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 58.3 (14.6) |
61.8 (16.6) |
68.7 (20.4) |
76.3 (24.6) |
82.8 (28.2) |
86.8 (30.4) |
84.8 (29.3) |
83.7 (28.7) |
79.5 (26.4) |
73.8 (23.2) |
65.2 (18.4) |
59.4 (15.2) |
73.4 (23.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 47.6 (8.7) |
50.4 (10.2) |
56.4 (13.6) |
63.9 (17.7) |
70.7 (21.5) |
75.1 (23.9) |
74.2 (23.4) |
73.2 (22.9) |
69.0 (20.6) |
62.9 (17.2) |
54.2 (12.3) |
48.7 (9.3) |
62.2 (16.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 36.9 (2.7) |
39.1 (3.9) |
44.1 (6.7) |
51.5 (10.8) |
58.5 (14.7) |
63.3 (17.4) |
63.7 (17.6) |
62.7 (17.1) |
58.6 (14.8) |
51.9 (11.1) |
43.2 (6.2) |
37.9 (3.3) |
51.0 (10.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −3 (−19) |
1 (−17) |
12 (−11) |
25 (−4) |
37 (3) |
45 (7) |
53 (12) |
52 (11) |
34 (1) |
19 (−7) |
13 (−11) |
4 (−16) |
−3 (−19) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.68 (17) |
0.58 (15) |
0.41 (10) |
0.62 (16) |
1.59 (40) |
2.21 (56) |
3.39 (86) |
3.12 (79) |
2.48 (63) |
1.51 (38) |
0.57 (14) |
0.51 (13) |
17.67 (449) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.8 (2.0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
2.1 (5.3) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.001 in) | 3.59 | 2.99 | 2.22 | 2.74 | 4.51 | 7.30 | 9.60 | 8.88 | 7.64 | 4.77 | 2.90 | 2.83 | 60.19 |
| Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute[8] | |||||||||||||
Wildlife
edit- Ornithology
- Birds of the Chisos Mountains include 81 total known species that live within six different plant associations.[9] The six plant associations along with the number of known species within them include: the Arroyo-Mesquite-Acacia Association (31 species), the Lechuguilla-Creosotebush-Cactus Association (13 species), the Sotol-Grass Association (32 species), the Deciduous Woodland Association (42 species), the Pinyon-Juniper-Oak Association (32 Species), and the Cypress-Pine-Oak Association (24 species).[9]
- Myrmecology
Flora
editQuercus tardifolia is an evergreen tree with gray bark and reddish-brown twigs. The common name is Chisos Mountains oak which refers to where the species was rediscovered. This species was thought to be extinct when in May 2022, a specimen was found.[11][12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Kohout, Martin Donell. "Chisos Mountains". Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
- ^ a b "Chisos Mountains". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
- ^ Straight, William H. (May 1996). Stratigraphy and paleontology of the cretaceous-tertiary boundary, Big Bend National Park, Texas (Thesis thesis). Texas Tech University.
- ^ a b "Chisos Mountains Backcountry Campsites" (PDF). National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
- ^ David Elkowitz (February 18, 2011). "Proposal to Open Boquillas Crossing". National Park Service. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
- ^ "Townsend Point, Texas". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ "US COOP Station Map". Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
- ^ "CHISOS BASIN, TEXAS (411715), Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary". Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
- ^ a b Wauer, Roland H. (July 23, 1971). "Ecological Distribution of Birds of the Chisos Mountains, Texas". The Southwestern Naturalist. 16 (1): 1–29. doi:10.2307/3670095. JSTOR 3670095.
- ^ Van Pelt, Arnold (May 20, 1983). "Ants of the Chisos Mountains, Texas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". The Southwestern Naturalist. 28 (2): 137–142. doi:10.2307/3671381. JSTOR 3671381.
- ^ SciTechDaily. "Clinging to Life: Scientists Rediscover Oak Tree Thought To Be Extinct." The Morton Arboretum July 7, 2022
- ^ Morgan, Jack (2023-07-24). "Texas oak tree thought to be extinct discovered in Big Bend National Park". KUT Radio - Austin. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
External links
edit- Chisos Mountains from the Handbook of Texas Online
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Chisos Mountains
- Public domain images of the Llano Estacado and West Texas
- Geologic Map of the Chisos Mountain, Big Bend National Park United States Geological Survey