Big Bend National Park is located in Southwest Texas, and as far as national parks go, it's not as famous as others like Yosemite or the Grand Canyon. But this place is a gem. If you haven't heard of it and/or need to plan a nature getaway, here are 9 infallible reasons you should definitely add this to your itinerary.

See also:Backpacking Guide For Girls Who Are Totally Unprepared

1. It's the warmest place you can hike in the continental US during the winter.

Big Bend is literally on the Rio Grande and bordering Mexico; you can't get much further South than that. While the rest of the country is getting snow and ice storms, Big Bend is typically in the 50s-80s throughout the winter months.

2. It is said to be 3 parks in one.

This area is HUGE, but even so, the fact that this one park has the Rio Grande River, the Chisos Mountains, and the Chihuahuan Desert within an hour's drive is incredible. You can experience all 3 during your stay, or even in a day if you want! Who needs to go to different places when you're getting a 3-in-one deal here?

3. There is nowhere without a view.

You don't have to be on top of Emory Peak to see a great view. Every trail has a view either down to the endless meadows and canyons and river or out and up to the mountains. You'll need a camera handy to take pictures every 10 minutes when you stop for an awesome view. Depending on where you camp, you can almost always see either the sunrise or the sunset. Prepare to be awestruck.

4. There's no cell service.

This one encompasses so many wonderful points. While it may be hard to separate yourself from your phone and your friends and family, there is something so freeing about being out in nature without any connection to the rest of the world. It forces you to be in the moment, and it forces you to get close to not only the people you're with but with yourself and with the nature around you. There is Wifi at almost every visitors center if you need to check in, but you'll find that you almost don't want to. Being out in the wilderness is one of the best ways to forget about your normal life for a little while: there's no work emails, no homework and no Facebook drama. There's only you, the company you're with and the park around you. You're compelled to find other things to do with your downtime. You'll find that instead of feeling a hole without your devices, you'll start to feel spiritually and emotionally fulfilled.

5. It's clean.

Many state and national parks suffer with out-of-date or simply unclean facilities. Big Bend is one of the cleanest I have seen. For the people who aren't so excited about the idea of using gross bathrooms or having to do their business in the woods, there are clean facilities and well-kept compost toilets frequently throughout the park. Also, their trails are kept clean and the park has a very strong "leave nothing, take nothing" philosophy to preserve the natural state of the area.

6. There are activities for people of every level.

During your visit, you'll see people of all ages and skill levels at the park. If you want to get deep into the wilderness, you can get backpacking permits to camp along several difficulties of trails for a few days. If you're not into hardcore backpacking, there are plenty of trails for day hikes. If you want to climb a mountain, you can. If you'd rather take it easy, there are trails with less elevation change and still just as much to see. There are more primitive campgrounds and there are standard loop campgrounds. You can RV camp, car camp, tent camp, or sleep out under the stars.

7. There's a hot spring.

After you've backpacked for 3 days and you're one with the Earth (aka covered in dirt) and you haven't bathed in a week, or after your long day hiking in the sun with aching muscles, or after your day of doing nothing - there's a hot springs along the Rio Grande for you to relax in. The springs are an easy quarter mile off the road, and the view is awesome (as usual). Enough said.

8. You'll meet new people.

I was at this park for less than a week, and I met people from all over the country and even from other countries. Retired professors from Arizona, people from Germany who shipped their car to Canada and are driving to South America, you name it. You'll get to hear stories of other people's lives traveling and the experiences they've had at the park. They'll recommend places to go or warn you if there was a bear sighting or the trail is about to get hard. They'll cheer you on. People that you meet in nature are so nice.

9. There's enough to do to come back again and again.

Big Bend covers 1200 acres of land, and there's way too much to do to fit in everything in one trip. What a great excuse to come back!