
Chihuahuan Desert wetlands are rare and unexpected oases which nurture life in the midst of a harsh environment. This life-filled, spring-fed pond has formed as a result of beaver at work! A surprising animal to find in the desert, the beaver here along the Rio Grande are called "bank beaver" since they construct dens in the river bank instead of building lodges. Furthermore, the beaver is listed as an endangered species in Mexico and must compete with nutria, an exotic non-native species often seen in the pond. It is easy to mistake a nutria for a beaver, but close examination of the tail will reveal the differences in these two large rodents. As you walk this trail, look closely for evidence of beaver activity.
Is there something we missed for this itinerary?
Itineraries across USA

Acadia

Arches National Park

Badlands

Big Bend

Biscayne

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison

Bryce Canyon

Canyonlands

Capitol Reef

Carlsbad Caverns

Channel Islands

Congaree

Crater Lake

Cuyahoga Valley

Death Valley

Dry Tortugas

Everglades

Gateway Arch

Glacier

Grand Canyon

Grand Teton

Great Basin

Great Smoky Mountains

Guadalupe Mountains

Haleakalā

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes

Hot Springs

Indiana Dunes

Isle Royale

Joshua Tree

Kenai Fjords

Kobuk Valley

Lassen Volcanic

Mammoth Cave

Mesa Verde

Mount Rainier

North Cascades

Olympic

Petrified Forest

Pinnacles

Rocky Mountain

Saguaro

Shenandoah

Theodore Roosevelt

Virgin Islands

Voyageurs

White Sands

Wind Cave

Yellowstone

Yosemite

Zion