Chisos Basin Hikes, Big Bend NP

Friday October 16, 2026

When I got up my first morning in Big Bend National Park, there was a layer of ice on everything. I figured it was not a good day to go up high in the Chisos Mountains, but still wanted to explore them a bit. I started with a hike from my cabin to a loop from which included trails going up higher. There is access to the Pinnacles Trail from the main cluster of Chisos Basin Lodge cabins. I took Pinnacles Trail up to a connector to Laguna Meadows Trail and took that trail down to where it ends at the Pinnacles Trail. This short loop was 2.75 km with only 99 m of climbing and took about 50 minutes with stops for photos.

There was a great view towards the exit of the basin. I took these two photos 13 minutes apart from different locations looking in the same direction. They show how the clouds were changing the lighting that morning.

Desert Mountains Looking Towards the Exit of the Chisos Basin

High in the Desert Mountains A Few Minutes Later Slightly Different Location and Lighting

Going up higher to Emory Peak was tempting, but between the clouds blocking views and the trails having ice, today was not the day. Looking at the map, it may be a good backpacking trip.

A trail with steps in the desert mountains. The Trail

Map of the Chisos Basin Loop Hike

Next I drove down to the visitor center, found out that the road out of the basin was closed. While waiting for the road to reopen, I did the short Window View Trail loop next to the visitor center. Then I hiked the Window Trail down to the campground connector.

Clouds Covered Mountains in the Desert Big Cloud Hanging Out in the Basin

As I walked down the trail, I walked into a cloud. The connector took me to the campground. At the top of the campground there was another trail going back to the visitor center to form a loop. This one hour hike was 3.28 km long with 140 m of climbing.

Foggy/Cloudy Trail with Desert Plants Hiking Through a Cloud