“There were hundreds crawling across the trail.” Huge, hairy animals surround hiker in Texas desert

I had come to Big Bend National Park, Texas, for the solitude, the sweeping desert views and the hope of spotting a black bear. It was a six-hour drive from El Paso airport, a journey through vast swathes of West Texas, where the open road stretched endlessly ahead.

By the time we got to the park, the sun was already starting to dip behind the rugged peaks of the Chisos Mountains. Eager to get in a hike before dark, we set off on the Lost Mine Trail, one of Big Bend’s most popular hikes.

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The trail, 7.5km out and back, winds through a rugged landscape of desert shrubs, sheer rock faces and towering peaks. Despite Big Bend’s size – it spans more than 3,200km2 – it’s one of the least visited national parks in the USA and you can hike for hours without seeing a soul. It’s what makes the park special – a wilderness where nature plays by its own rules.

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I was admiring the scenery when I noticed something moving across the path ahead. At first, I thought it was a clump of desert scrub blowing in the wind, but more appeared – and they were large, dark and very much alive. One of them ran straight towards me, and had my friend not called out a warning, I might have stepped right on it. I froze as a tarantula scuttled past my boot. I looked around and realised we were surrounded. There weren’t just a few here and there; there were hundreds, crawling across the trail, climbing over rocks and emerging from the desert floor like miniature, hairy explorers.

Now, I’m from Arizona. I’ve seen tarantulas before – but never like this. I had no idea that most of the tarantulas I’d previously encountered were likely males, because the females, as I quickly learned, rarely leave their burrows. These were Texas brown tarantulas (Aphonopelma hentzi), one of the largest spider species in North America, with 12cm legspans and hairy brown bodies built for survival in the desert.

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These tarantulas are typically reclusive, living in burrows they either dig themselves or take over from rodents, using silk to line the entrance and detect movement. Despite their intimidating size, they are harmless to humans, preferring to retreat rather than bite. Even when they do bite, their venom is weaker than a bee sting.

The males around me were on a once-in-a-lifetime journey, having spent the past eight to 10 years underground before emerging for a final mission: to find a mate. Each autumn, Texas brown tarantulas cross Big Bend, covering miles in search of females. Their movements are slow and steady – no sudden jumps or lunges, despite what horror movies might have us believe.

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I crouched down to watch them up close, fascinated by the way they moved, lifting each leg as if testing the ground before committing to their next step. Their hair isn’t just for show; it helps them sense vibrations, detect threats and navigate their environment. The more I watched, the less frightening they became.

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The females, however, weren’t about to roll out a welcome mat. They remained in their burrows, waiting for potential suitors to come knocking – literally. A male will tap on the burrow entrance with his legs, hoping for an invitation. If the female is interested, she’ll come out. If not, he may become her next meal.

The chosen males mate and continue their journey for a while, but ultimately their fate is sealed. Within a few weeks they die off, leaving a new generation of spiderlings. The females, meanwhile, can live for decades – up to 40 years – spending nearly their entire lives underground.

By the time we finished our hike, I had gone from startled to fascinated, marvelling at the patience and perseverance of these often maligned creatures, and buzzing from the unexpected spidery spectacle.

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Top image: Big Bend National Park. Credit: Getty