Big Bend National Park

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	Big Bend National Park, TX	0 Reviews/Comments

Description:

Big Bend National Park is located in one of the most remote corners of Texas, and has one of the most rugged landscapes in the Southwest. The Rio Grande river runs through several beautiful canyons, including Santa Elena Canyon and Mariscal Canyon, that are perfect for canoeing, rafting, or in some cases, hiking.
The park has natural hot springs right along the Rio Grande, with the ruins of a hundred-year-old bath house.
Big Bend is a park for hikers, with the 15 mile South Rim trail leading to amazing views into Mexico and a 2,000 foot elevation gain. Slightly easier is the Lost Mine trail, which also has incredible views and a steep elevation gain. There are several easier trails, including the hike into Santa Elena Canyon and the Window View trail high up in the Chisos Mountains.
The park includes the river, the desert, and the Chisos Mountains, and the vegetation and temperatures will be different in all of these. Two of the camp sites are along the Rio Grande, and one is up in the Chisos Mountains, along with the only in-park lodging and restaurant. Plan to spend a couple of days in Big Bend - a day trip just will not do it justice.

Trails:

South Rim

The South Rim is the most rewarding long day hike (or 1 night backpack) in the park. There is not a South Rim trail as such - instead it is the combination of the Pinnacles Trail and the Laguna Meadows Trail. You can take one up, then the other back down, and most people hike this as a loop, so it is combined here. You can add on extra mileage by either hiking up to Emory Peak on the Summit trail off the Pinnacles Trail, or by hiking the Southeast Rim trail at the South Rim. The Southeast Rim trail is closed at times for peregrine falcon habitat.

12.00miles

1700feet

5400feet

7100feet

Santa Elena Canyon Trail

Cross Terlingua Creek from the parking lot and enter Santa Elena Canyon, one of the most stunning canyons in the United States. Rafters and canoers can float down the entire length of the canyon, but day hikers can go into the canyon for almost a mile before the trail peters out. This is one of the best day hikes in the park, but it is at the end of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, and very far from many other parts of the park.

1.70miles

Emory Peak

Emory Peak is the tallest mountain in Big Bend National Park, at 7,832 feet. The actual summit trail is a two mile round trip from the Pinnacles trail, at the 3.5 mile mark from the Chisos Basin, making it a 9 mile round trip. Or you could combine it with a full hike of the South Rim, for a 14 mile round trip hike. There are two peaks at the end of the trail, and you will have to scramble to get the actual top of the mountain. The rest of the hike is not technical.

9.00miles

2432feet

5400feet

7832feet

Lost Mine Trail

The Lost Mine Trail is one of the most challenging short day hikes in the park. If you don't have time to do the South Rim hike, the Lost Mine trail has incredible views as well, and is much shorter.

Parking at the Lost Mine trailhead is limited, so get there early if you are in peak season like Thanksgiving or spring break.

4.80miles

1250feet

5600feet

6850feet

Window Trail

The Window Trail descends at the beginning for 800 feet to a pour off. The pour off can be a spectacular waterfall if it has been raining recently.

4.00miles

800feet

Ore Terminal Trail

Follow the remnants of the Ore Tramway for four miles through the desert each way. If you aren't that ambitious, there is plenty of debris from the tramway right next to the Boquillas Canyon road - it is very photogenic.

8.00miles

Boquillas Canyon Trail

A very scenic trail by Rio Grande Village - this hike does not take very long to get inside the canyon. There is a sand dune and a cave at the end, but they are not very impressive. The views further down the Rio Grande down the canyon are the best part of the hike.

Be aware that there is no border security here. Locals will cross from the Mexican side of the river to offer to sell you trinkets and handiwork, but it is illegal to purchase their goods.

1.40miles

Outer Mountain Loop

The Outer Mountain Loop is the top backpacking hike in Texas, but it is not for the unprepared or inexperienced. Several people have died on this trail, as recently as October 2006. Be sure to read all of the information on the park web site, This is a three day hike that goes through the some of the most wild, desolate country in the park. The South Rim hike parts of the trail are the easy pieces, if that gives you a good idea of this hike.

30.00miles

Marufo Vega Trail

An extremely demanding day hike in the desert - this one with no water at all, as the Rio Grande is not fit to drink. The hike climbs several ridges, on its way to the Rio Grande twice. The trailhead is off of Boquillas Canyon road. For experienced hikers only.

14.00miles

Basin Loop Trail

This is a short connector between the Laguna Meadows and Pinnacles trails that makes for an easy walk from the Chisos Basin visitor center.

1.60miles

Southeast/Northeast Rim Trail

The Southeast/Northeast Rim trail is a 3.3 mile extension to the main South Rim loop hike. It will probably have at least parts closed for peregrine falcon habitat. Ask at the ranger station.

3.30miles

Upper Burro Mesa Pour-off Trail

3.60miles

The Chimneys Trail

4.80miles

Mule Ears Spring Trail

This hike goes out towards the famous Mule Ears off of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. At the end of the trail, you will find a historic spring that was developed by ranchers.

3.80miles

Window View Trail

The Window View trail is a short paved trail that leads from the Chisos Basin visitor Center to a view of the Window, which is a pouroff for water draining out of the Chisos Basin onto the lower ground. Not to be confused with the much longer Window Trail.

0.30miles

Rio Grande Village Nature Trail

The nature trail crosses a beaver pond on a boardwalk, gets up close to the Rio Grande and Mexico, and leads up a small hill for amazing views of the surrounding scenery. It is not a flat hike like most nature trails. The best trail in the park for a lot of diverse scenery in very little time.

0.75miles

Dog Canyon Trail

This is a very exposed trail that leads into Dog Canyon from near the Persimmon Gap Visitor Center in the north of the park. Dog Canyon is not as scenic as the Rio Grande canyons, so don't feel like this is a must-do hike.