Big Bend Vistas: A Geological Exploration of the Big Bend (Paperback)

~ William MacLeod (Author) "If you are traveling south to the Big Bend on Highway 385 from Fort Stockton, stop and look back as you climb up Twelve-Mile Mesa,..." (more)
Key Phrases: trachyte intrusion, trachyte sill, tuffs crop, Big Bend, Rio Grande, Study Butte (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Big Bend Vistas takes you along the highways and park roads of the Big Bend, describing and explaining the geology and landscapes as you go. The book is divided into three sections, around Marathon, down by the Rio Grande, and north from Study Butte to Fort Stockton. Each section begins with a brief history of the geology of the area and then describes the scenery along the roads.

The book includes 75 color photographs and 120 maps and drawings.

About the Author

The author studied geology at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and worked as a mining geologist in Africa before coming to Texas 25 years ago. He has been a resident of Alpine for the past 5 years.

Product Details

• Paperback: 255 pages
• Publisher: Texas Geological Press (November 21, 2003)
• ISBN-10: 0972778500
• ISBN-13: 978-0972778503
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,238,853 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have book if you plan to visit the Big Bend, January 4, 2004

By	karen J. Little (Alpine, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

Use Big Bend Vistas to get an overview of the region or just to look up that mountain that catches your eye. Easy to read descriptions of the geology with lots of pictures, illustrations and a glossary to help the average person understand and appreciate the landscape yet detailed enough for the more geologically astute. Vistas makes the trip to Big Bend National Park more fun!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect excuse for a road trip, January 16, 2004

By	Deborah Tout (Alpine, Texas) - See all my reviews

I love this book! In Chapter I, Setting the Scene, MacLeod provides a concise geologic history, explaining difficult concepts in language easily accessible to the layman. The following chapters interpret the landscapes along various local routes. The maps, photos and sketches nicely complement the text. I like to read the appropriate chapter the night before a road trip and then take the book along in the car. It certainly adds interest to the trip.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent desciption of the geology of the Big Bend., August 27, 2006

By	T. Campbell (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Finally a book that is an easy read and answers questions about the area of Texas known as the Big Bend. This book takes you several steps beyond the Roadside Geology of Texas book. The book has excellent maps, is well organized, and has many photographs to help you get your orientation. I also recommend a companion book that he has written about the Davis Mountains area.