The Atlas Obscura Guide To Big Bend National Park

2 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Big Bend National Park, Texas

Updated March 4, 2025

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Unusual Attractions in Big Bend National Park

Below the blast furnaces are some small buildings where miners, foremen and their families lived.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

Mariscal Mine

An abandoned mine where dreams of quicksilver trickled away over 75 years ago.

Reached via a relatively easy mile hike, Balanced Rock is a perfect adventure for those with just a short time in the park.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

Balanced Rock

This gravity-defying rock formation is one of Big Bend’s natural wonders.

Are we missing something unusual?

Postcard of the ghost town cemetery.

Terlingua, Texas

Terlingua Ghost Town

An abandoned quicksilver mining town surrounded by the Big Bend parks.

21 miles from Big Bend National Park

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