INSTAGRAM FEED

I'm also a co-founder of @hikingtexas, a digital trail guide curated by myself and fellow hikers from across the state. Follow along as we bring you the best trails and inspire your next adventure in Texas!

Follow me at @aaronbates on Instagram as I take you through our national parks and public lands, see behind-the-scenes captures from the field, and share my love for nature and the great outdoors!

Inside one of the cavern chambers hidden within the red Spanish Skirts of Palo Duro Canyon. #txstateparks #westtexas
Exploring small caverns in @palodurocanyonsp... no matter how narrow the access might be. #westtexas #txstateparks
Chihuahuan Desert or the Colorado Plateau? West Texas has many distinctive characteristics throughout its landscape, but it’s always a delight to discover geological similarities between Big Bend and other national parks across the Southwest. E
Lights down, eyes up at a #starparty at @mcdonald_observatory. I’ve been chasing the dark skies over west Texas for a long time and when the stars come out, it never ceases to mesmerize. #bigbend #westtexas
On a warm summer afternoon, the only decent shade is provided by the towering canyon walls. Stand at the waterline, get your feet wet and listen to the murmur of the Rio Grande as it courses by. #bigbend #westtexas
Here’s to the @nationalparkservice, celebrating 103 years since its establishment in 1916. And here’s to all who protect, maintain, share and love our #nationalparks. This Is Yours. #bigbend #usinterior #westtexas
Verdant desert. #bigbend #westtexas
In Big Bend, far from paved roads. #bigbend #westtexas
Coming soon to new trail signage for Hot Springs Canyon in @bigbendnps: my Rio Grande view — looking through Hot Springs Canyon toward Sierra del Carmen, seemingly set ablaze by the setting sun’s light. #bigbend #westtexas
The sun rises to Illuminate the stacked landscape before you, above the Rio Grande. #bigbend #westtexas
Morning on the open plains, outside Amarillo. #westtexas