Big Bend Ranch State Park, to the west of Big Bend National Park, was purchased by the State of Texas and is now part of the system of state parks. It was opened to the public in January of 1991. The new state park is a little under 250,000 acres. Generally, desert plants bloom in the spring, while plants in the Chisos Mountains bloom in the late summer, during the rainy season. March and April are probably the best time to see the park in bloom, but flowers can be seen almost throughout the year.
Every year is different, depending on rainfall levels.
Big Bend does not always look like the pictures on postcards. It is very difficult to predict when the best weeks will be. Big Bend has 30 species of snakes , only five of which are poisonous. There are also a few uncommon species of rear-fanged snakes that are potentially dangerous, but bites to humans are extremely rare. Snakes, like all other animals in the park, are protected.