Luna Jacal, Frontier dwelling in Big Bend National Park, United States.

Luna Jacal is a jacal, a Tejano desert dwelling, in Big Bend National Park. Built about 1890, it has a low sandstone and limestone wall about 4 feet (1.2 m) high, with forked poles set upright into the walls to support roof poles. The house backs up to a large boulder, and a heavier line of poles extends the length of the jacal. The roof, once ocotillo branches weighted with earth and stones, is now covered with a soil-cement roof.

Gilberto Luna built this dwelling around 1900 and lived there until 1947, farming along Alamo Creek and raising goats in the region. The building's long occupation demonstrates its effectiveness as a home in this remote area throughout much of the 20th century.

The name jacal comes from the Nahuatl xacalli, a pre-Hispanic dwelling type; Gilberto Luna's version backs onto a large boulder, with forked poles set upright into the low walls to carry the roof beams. A heavier line of poles runs the length of the structure, and the original ocotillo-branch roof, weighted with earth and stones, has been replaced by a soil-cement roof.

The dwelling is accessible by hiking trail through the desert, but the walk is strenuous and requires plenty of water and sun protection. Visitors should hike early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the intense midday heat.

The jacal backs onto a large boulder, and a heavier line of poles runs its full length; the original ocotillo-branch roof, weighted with earth and stones, has been replaced by a soil-cement roof. Gilberto Luna died here in 1947 at 108 or 109. The building was restored in 1971 and stabilized again in 1983.