Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [42]
Mammals you may see in the park include desert cottontail rabbits, black-tailed jackrabbits, rock squirrels, Texas antelope squirrels, Merriam's kangaroo rats, coyotes, gray foxes, raccoons, striped skunks, mule deer, and white-tailed deer. There are occasional sightings of mountain lions (usually called panthers here), most commonly in the Green Gulch and Chisos Basin areas. Four attacks on humans are known to have occurred in the park (see "Keeping the Wild in Wildlife, or How to Avoid an Unpleasant Encounter," earlier in this chapter). Black bears, which were frequently seen in the area until about 1940, were mostly killed off by local ranchers, who saw them as a threat to their livestock. With the protection provided by national park status, however, they began to return in the mid-1980s and have now established a small population.
A number of reptiles inhabit the park, including some poisonous snakes, such as diamondback, Mojave, rock, and black-tailed rattlesnakes, plus the transpecos copperhead. Fortunately, you are unlikely to see a rattler or copperhead, since they avoid both the heat of the day and busy areas. You are more apt to encounter nonpoisonous western coach-whips, which are often seen speeding across trails and roadways. They're reddish, sometimes bright red, and among America's fastest snakes; sometimes they're called "red racers." Other nonpoisonous snakes that inhabit the park include Texas whipsnakes, spotted night snakes, southwestern black-headed snakes, and black-necked garter snakes.
Among the lizards you may see scurrying along desert roads and trails is the southwestern earless lizard. Adult males are green with black-and-white chevrons on their lower sides, and they often curl their black-striped tails over their backs. You'll also see various whiptail lizards in the desert, but in the canyons and higher in the mountains, watch for the crevice spiny lizard, which is covered with scales and has a dark collar. Although rare, western box turtles inhabit the park, as do several types of more common water turtles.
Camping
A free camping permit, available at any visitor center, is required for use of the primitive backcountry roadside and backpacking campsites.
INSIDE THE PARK
The park runs three developed campgrounds, and a concessionaire operates an RV park. Reservations for Chisos Basin and Rio Grande Village campgrounds are available through the National Recreation Reservation Service (☎ 877/ 444-6777; www.reserveusa.com).
Rio Grande Village Campground is the largest. It has numerous trees, many with prickly pear cacti growing around them, and thorny bushes everywhere. Sites are either graveled or paved and are nicely spaced for privacy. They often fill up by 1pm in winter (the high season). One area is designated a "No Generator Zone." Separate but within walking distance is Rio Grande Village RV Park, a concessionaire-operated RV park with full hookups. It looks like a parking lot in the midst of grass and trees, fully paved with curbs and back-in sites (no pull-throughs). Tents are not permitted. A small store has limited camping supplies and groceries, a coin-operated laundry, showers for a fee, propane, and gasoline.
Chisos Basin Campground, although not heavily wooded, has small pinyon and juniper trees and well-spaced sites. The campground nestles around a circular road in a bowl below the visitor center. The access road to the campground is steep and curved, so take it slowly.
Cottonwood Campground is named for the huge old cottonwood trees that dominate the scene. Sites in this rather rustic area are gravel and spacious, within walking distance of the river. There are pit toilets.
NEAR THE PARK
About 7 miles