Texas is a huge place, with plenty of attractions, so it’s no wonder things can go unnoticed. This almost-hidden abandoned mine out at Big Bend National Park is a surprise to many visitors and a fun add-on to any hiking adventure. As long as you know the rules of Big Bend National Park, you’re bound to have a great time out here. Don’t forget your sunscreen!

Today's adventure will take you on a hike out at Big Bend National Park, out by Terlingua, TX.
mb/Flickr
Depending on the light and the angle you see the area, you might not even notice the buildings until you are close enough to see the reddish bricks and rubble. Those red bricks are important to Big Bend's rich industrial history.
BFS Man/Flickr
This zone of Big Bend wasn't always national parkland, of course. These ruins were once Mariscal Mine, the center of Big Bend's quicksilver era. From 1900 to 1943, Mariscal Mine mined cinnabar and processed it into almost a quarter of the country's total mercury at the time. Wow!
Andrew Hatfield/AllTrails

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However, as tempted as you may be to explore these ruins for yourself, that's just not possible. Not only are the structures unstable and crumbling, but they are covered in and built with hazardous materials. Although you might want to turn over a few bricks or look into a mine shaft, you won't be able to inspect this ruin yourself.
Eric Heckart/AllTrails
Not only are the mine shafts vertically deep, but unblocked shafts may be lurking under the surface. Officially, the bricks of the Scott Furnace and certain parts of the mines can contain poisonous levels of concentrated mercury within.
BFS Man/Flickr
Big Bend's rich mercury history lives on in many area attractions, from museums to ghost towns. It's up to you to turn this hiking adventure into a day trip full of mining history!
David Y/AllTrails

If you’re curious enough to make it a road trip theme, you can even spend the night in a living ghost town named Terlingua. Though this old mining camp is mostly abandoned, the people living here today keep it just alive enough to function, but quiet enough that you can feel the history around you. Are you up for the challenge?

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