Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park - Quiz

1. What is Big Bend National Park known for being the largest protected area of in the United States?

A) Appalachian forests
B) Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology
C) Great Plains grasslands
D) Rocky Mountain ecosystems

2. What river forms a significant portion of the boundary for Big Bend National Park?

A) Rio Grande/Río Bravo
B) Red River
C) Colorado River
D) Mississippi River

3. Which mountain range is fully contained within a U.S. national park and located in Big Bend National Park?

A) Rocky Mountains
B) Appalachian Mountains
C) Chisos Mountains
D) Sierra Nevada

4. What is the altitude of Emory Peak, the highest point in Big Bend National Park?

A) 6,500 feet (1,981 m)
B) 7,832 feet (2,387 m)
C) 8,500 feet (2,591 m)
D) 5,000 feet (1,524 m)

5. Which climate classification does Big Bend National Park fall under?

A) Hot arid (BWh)
B) Mediterranean
C) Humid subtropical
D) Oceanic

6. What is the native plant species found only in Big Bend National Park?

A) Ponderosa pine
B) Chisos oak (Quercus graciliformis)
C) Douglas fir
D) Redwood

7. Which Indian group was known to inhabit the Big Bend region before 1535?

A) Chisos Indians
B) Pueblo
C) Apache
D) Navajo

8. Who were the Mescalero Apaches, in relation to the Big Bend region?

A) They lived peacefully with the Chisos Indians.
B) They were allies of the Spanish settlers.
C) They began invading the region around the early 18th century.
D) They established trade routes through the park.

9. What was the purpose of establishing presidios along the Rio Grande in the late 18th century?

A) To protect the northern frontier of New Spain
B) To establish trade with Native American tribes
C) To explore new territories for settlement
D) To promote agricultural development

10. Which group was referred to as 'buffalo soldiers' in the late 1800s?

A) Native American warriors
B) Mexican cavalry units
C) Spanish conquistadors
D) African American soldiers

11. What event in May 1916 prompted President Wilson to mobilize the Texas National Guard?

A) A raid on Glenn Springs
B) An attack on Fort Davis
C) A border skirmish near Presidio
D) A mining dispute at Terlingua

12. Which of the following is not a canyon along the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park?

A) Santa Elena
B) Grand Canyon
C) Boquillas
D) Mariscal

13. What type of fossils can be found within Big Bend National Park?

A) Mammoth tusks
B) Sea fossils and dinosaur bones
C) Petrified wood
D) Ice age mammals

14. Which Mexican states border Big Bend National Park to the south?

A) Chihuahua and Coahuila
B) Nayarit and Jalisco
C) Baja California and Baja California Sur
D) Sonora and Sinaloa

15. What is the total area of Big Bend National Park?

A) 500,000 acres (2,023.5 km²)
B) 900,000 acres (3,645.8 km²)
C) 750,000 acres (3,037.5 km²)
D) 801,163 acres (3,242.2 km²)

16. Which treaty affects the park's territory along the Rio Grande?

A) Treaty of Versailles
B) North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
C) Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
D) Treaty of Paris

17. In which year did Big Bend State Park become a reality as a national park?

A) 1949
B) 1944
C) 1933
D) 1935

18. How many visitors, on average per year, entered Big Bend National Park between 2009 and 2019?

A) 400,000
B) 300,000
C) 377,154
D) 450,000

19. Which orogeny is associated with the thrusting of rocks from the South American Plate over the North American Plate?

A) Marathon orogeny
B) Laramide orogeny
C) Paleozoic Marathon event
D) Chihuahua trough event

20. What geological feature is best seen in the Persimmon Gap area of Big Bend National Park?

A) Cretaceous rifting
B) Marathon orogeny effects
C) Laramide orogeny effects
D) Chihuahua trough formation

21. What is the geological period associated with the formation of volcanic rocks like the Chisos Group?

A) Paleozoic
B) Neogene to Quaternary
C) Late Cretaceous
D) Middle Cenozoic

22. Which U.S. Senator called for discussions regarding the construction of a border wall through Big Bend National Park?

A) Lindsey Graham
B) Marco Rubio
C) Ted Cruz
D) John Cornyn

23. What was the original name of Big Bend State Park when it was established in 1933?

A) Chisos Mountains State Park
B) Big Bend National Park
C) Texas Canyons State Park
D) Rio Grande State Park

24. Which geological period saw the formation of the Mesa de Anguila as an uplifted monocline?

A) Cretaceous rifting
B) Neogene to Quaternary
C) Laramide orogeny
D) Marathon orogeny

25. Which formations are associated with the Chihuahua trough during its formation?

A) Marathon orogeny effects
B) Cretaceous rifting
C) East-west striking normal faulting
D) Laramide orogeny uplifts

26. What type of lifestyle did the inhabitants develop during the Archaic-period desert culture?

A) Nomadic, hunting-and-gathering lifestyle
B) Maritime fishing lifestyle
C) Agricultural farming lifestyle
D) Sedentary trading lifestyle

27. How many species of plants are found in Big Bend National Park?

A) More than 1,200 species
B) Less than 800 species
C) About 500 species
D) Over 2,000 species

28. What type of animal is the greater roadrunner?

A) A bird species (Geococcyx californianus)
B) An insect
C) A reptile
D) A mammal

29. How many cougar sightings are reported per year in Big Bend National Park?

A) Over 300 sightings
B) Less than 50 sightings
C) Exactly 100 sightings
D) About 150 sightings

30. What is a notable feature of the flora in Big Bend National Park during spring?

A) Only cacti bloom
B) Wildflowers are in full bloom, including bluebonnets
C) No significant changes occur
D) Most plants remain dormant

31. Which bird is unique to the breeding range found within Big Bend National Park in the United States?

A) Roland Bird's sparrow
B) Colima warbler
C) Barnum Brown's finch
D) Northern tufted flycatcher

32. When do Colima warblers arrive in the Chisos Mountains?

A) Mid-April
B) Early June
C) Late May
D) Early March

33. When was the first U.S. record of the northern tufted flycatcher at Big Bend National Park?

A) June 1985
B) November 1991
C) April 2000
D) September 1978

34. Who discovered sharks and ammonite fossils at Big Bend National Park in 1907?

A) Roland 'R.T.' Bird
B) Barnum Brown
C) The Works Progress Administration
D) Johan Udden

35. What type of dinosaur neck vertebrae were uncovered by Barnum Brown and Roland 'R.T.' Bird?

A) Triceratops
B) Tyrannosaurus rex
C) Alamosaurus, a giant sauropod
D) Velociraptor

36. What year did the redesigned Fossil Discovery Exhibit open at Big Bend National Park?

A) 2017
B) 1941
C) 1957
D) 1990

37. What type of ancient animal is Coryphodon, found in Big Bend National Park?

A) A marine reptile
B) A large hippo-like animal that lived during the Eocene
C) An early bird species
D) A small rodent from the Pleistocene

38. During which geological period did Big Bend become a complex mosaic of deltas?

A) After 66 million years ago
B) 67–66 million years ago
C) 72–67 million years ago
D) 83-72 million years ago

39. Which large pterosaur was found in the Javelina Formation?

A) Pteranodon
B) Quetzalcoatlus
C) Dimorphodon
D) Rhamphorhynchus

40. What event occurred around 66 million years ago that affected life on Earth?

A) The Jurassic-Cretaceous transition
B) The Triassic-Jurassic extinction event
C) The Permian-Triassic extinction event
D) The Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) extinction event

41. Which trail in Big Bend is known for visiting a rock formation in the desert?

A) Marufo Vega trail
B) Chimneys Trail
C) Outer Mountain Loop trail
D) South Rim trail

42. How many miles of the Rio Grande does Big Bend National Park administer for recreational use?

A) 50 miles
B) 118 miles
C) 75 miles
D) 200 miles

43. When did the Boquillas border crossing reopen as an official Class B Port of Entry?

A) April 2013
B) September 11, 2001
C) 2002
D) June 2009

44. What is the length of the Persimmon Gap to Panther Junction road?

A) 21 miles
B) 28 miles
C) 23 miles
D) 30 miles

45. In what year was Big Bend National Park designated as an international dark-sky park?

A) 2012
B) 2018
C) 1996
D) 2005

46. What designation did the International Dark-Sky Association give to Big Bend National Park?

A) Gold Tier
B) Platinum Tier
C) Silver Tier
D) Bronze Tier

47. Where is San Vicente Independent School District's facility located?

A) Panther Junction area
B) Big Bend National Park headquarters
C) Alpine
D) Terlingua

48. In what year did Big Bend High School open?

A) 1996
B) 1985
C) 2000
D) 2010

Created with That Quiz — a math test site for students of all grade levels.