Ernst Tinaja-Big Bend

There are so many places within the park where you need a jeep type vehicle to get there. I can't even begin to describe to you the size of this national park....and how often you can be in the middle of no where and have it all to your self. Some of the more popular trails get busy but we often found ourselves all alone. To get to Ernst Tinaja you have to have a jeep to get to the trail head. The word tinaja (pronounced ti-NA-ha) is Spanish for “large earthen jar,” and refers to a basin-shaped water hole, usually carved into bedrock by natural erosion. These water holes are important sources of water in the canyons and rocky terrain of the Chihuahuan Desert.
Then it's a short walk (less than a mile) up a sandy wash to this canyon of amazing rock layers. The rock flows in convoluted lines with amazing colors.

There at the bottom of this picture is the large tinaja that holds water all year long. You can see how smooth the rock is around it. The water was a good 10 feet down at this time of year. And there is no way to reach the water right now. Once you get to the water there is no way to get out....the walls are smooth and slick and steep. Sadly animals have drowned here attempting to reach the water.
I would love to see this again after the rains. I'm sure flash floods are a problem in this area but it would certainly be beautiful to see water flowing along this canyon.