AMISTAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA. Amistad National Recreation Area is on the shores of Amistad Reservoir off U.S. highways 90 and 277, northwest of Del Rio in Val Verde County. The reservoir was formed on the Rio Grande through a cooperative effort by the United States and Mexico. The recreation area follows the twisting contour of the reservoir on the United States side of the border, extending twenty-five miles into Devil's Canyon, fourteen miles up the Pecos River, and seventy-four miles up the Rio Grande. The vegetation growing in the area's dry rocky terrain is mainly blackbrush acacia, guajillo, sotol, and yucca. The locale provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, including javelinas, white-tailed deer, rattlesnakes, and lizards. Indian artifacts, some dating back 12,000 years, have been found in the vicinity. The recreation area has camping and picnicking facilities, several marinas, and nature trails.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: George Oxford Miller, Texas Parks and Campgrounds: Central, South, and West Texas (Austin: Texas Monthly Press, 1984).
