Backpacking in Big Bend National Park

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

Located in the remote Southwest corner of Texas, Big Bend National Park provides numerous opportunities for hiking and backpacking. For those looking for a winter hike away from the cold and snow, Big Bend provides spectacular desert scenery in North America’s largest desert, the Chihuahua, including rugged mountains, expansive vistas, mighty canyons, the Rio Grande, and a variety of desert flora and fauna…

Eric Moll takes along an interesting route through Big Bend National Park – Check out the full article below in Issue 15:

Big Bend National Park

Issue 15 Page 1

[Dogwood]

Good info. If doing the Outer Loop I've been told by locals that there is usually water at least in potholes at Fresno Spring. I found water there in Dec 2013. If not directly where the trail crosses scout the rocky drainages up and down at the crossing and just up ahead on the Outer Loop. I also found deepish pothole water in two other drainages at this time of the yr in 2013 on the Outer Loop. I also saw a mountain lion at Fresno Spring hiding in the thick brush so be alert. Yes, there are bear boxes at the Dodson/Juniper Tr junction where folks cache water(If I'm recalling correctly about there being bear boxes? but it is a water cache location) but also at Homer Wilson Ranch on the connector trail to the paved road. At Laguna Meadows and the S. Rim are great campsites

[Dote]

Just there in September 2015, the trails were amazing and we hiked through a rain fall. There was very little water on the trail and you can now call Panther Junction and they can give you exact locations for water caches. We went up Laguna Meadows and around to Boot Canyon and then continued down. There is actually a book out called "Death in Big Bend" I forget who the author is but it is an amazing read. The weather conditions change so quickly as you hike through the trails. We woke up in the Chisos Basin nice and warm and by nightfall in Boot Canyon we nearly froze. While the air was crisp and cool and dreary as we hiked out, my trail partner sunburned in a matter of an hour. It is a truly beautiful and amazing place!

 

[Thoom]

I love Big Bend!  I have visited this park 17 times since April 2010 and still have so many hikes planned and areas to explore.  I finally made it to the mesa this past November; it was nice to once again stretch my desert legs and get in some serious off-trail hiking. I am looking forward to many discussions on Big Bend.

Untitled by Superhomer670, on Flickr

Untitled by Superhomer670, on Flickr

Untitled by Superhomer670, on Flickr

Untitled by Superhomer670, on Flickr
 

Edited August 2, 2016 by Thoom