How long is the South Rim loop in Big Bend?

About 17 miles by my GPS from the Chisos Basin with the Emory Peak side trip: up the Pinnacles Trail, Emory Peak, Boot Canyon, the South Rim and down the Laguna Meadows Trail. The Park Service gives 12 to 14.5 miles for the loop without Emory Peak.

Do you need a permit to camp in the Chisos Mountains?

Yes: a backcountry permit for a named campsite, $10 a night. From November 1 to April 15 you can book on Recreation.gov up to six months ahead; the rest of the year permits are given in person only, up to 24 hours ahead. Day hikes need no permit, but the $30 park entrance fee applies.

Is the Chisos Basin open in 2026?

Yes. The planned 2026 to 2028 closure for a new lodge was cancelled on April 1, 2026. The park will put the water system work out to bid again with no dates yet, so check the park's alerts page before you go.

Is there water in the Chisos Mountains?

No reliable water. The Park Service says Boot Spring is usually dry. Carry at least a gallon (4 liters) a person a day from the Chisos Basin.

How hard is Emory Peak?

About 10.5 miles round trip from the Chisos Basin with about 2,500 ft of climbing on good trails. The last 25 ft are a short, exposed scramble on rock. Don't go up in a thunderstorm.

When is the best time to hike Big Bend's South Rim?

October to November and late February to April. Spring is the busiest season. July to September brings afternoon thunderstorms, and the desert is over 100 °F in summer, though the Chisos are 10 to 15 °F cooler.

Chisos Mountains · 2 days · 27.1 miles

Big Bend Hiking Guide

Emory Peak, Boot Canyon and the South Rim in 2 days.

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Real pages from the guide. Tap one to see it big.

A day page
A day map and elevation profile
At a glance
The rules and the campsites

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The route

My GPS recording of 2 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.

Relief map of the Big Bend route: 2 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Chisos Basin and Emory Peak. — Map data: Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM) on AWS · Rivers © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Days: 2 days
Distance: 27.1 miles
Climbing: About 5,250 ft (1,600 m) up
Nights: Boot Canyon campsite BC-4, about 6,690 ft (2,040 m)
Permit: A backcountry permit for a named campsite, $10 a night
Start and end: The Chisos Basin trailhead

What's inside

Where things stand. The Chisos Basin in October 2026: the cancelled closure, what's open, and the permit rules, checked on the Park Service's own pages.
Both days. Stats, the time I took, my notes, the route, where to turn back, maps with elevation profiles, and links to that day in my film.
My GPX files. My own recordings of both days, with waypoints for the trailhead, Pinnacle Pass, Emory Peak, my Boot Canyon campsite and the South Rim, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
The permit and the campsites. How the High Chisos campsites work, when you can book online and when it's in person only, the rim sites, bear boxes and the rules.
Getting there. Flying into Midland or El Paso, gas, the Chisos Basin, and where to stay before and after.
Water, weather and safety. The months that work, how much water to carry, lightning, the Emory Peak scramble, bears and mountain lions.
Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of checks and a printable one-page summary of the route.

About this trip

In April 2021 I hiked alone through the High Chisos in Big Bend National Park, Texas: from the Chisos Basin up the Pinnacles Trail to Emory Peak, the highest point in the park, a night in Boot Canyon, and out along the South Rim the next morning with the desert and Mexico below, then down the Laguna Meadows Trail. It's the trip from my film Hiking 20 Miles Alone in Big Bend National Park. This guide has my GPX files, maps and notes for both days, the campsite permit and how to get one, the 2026 Chisos Basin status, how much water to carry, the drive from Midland, weather, bears and safety, and a trip sheet.

Watch the film on YouTube (215K views).

The Day 1, Chisos Basin to Emory Peak and Boot Canyon page from the Big Bend Hiking Guide

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Chisos Basin to Emory Peak and Boot Canyon

The whole day page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. The PDF opens right away and both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

The details

Format: A PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated October 2026.
Delivery: Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
Refunds: Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund: kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

How long is the South Rim loop in Big Bend?: About 17 miles by my GPS from the Chisos Basin with the Emory Peak side trip: up the Pinnacles Trail, Emory Peak, Boot Canyon, the South Rim and down the Laguna Meadows Trail. The Park Service gives 12 to 14.5 miles for the loop without Emory Peak.
Do you need a permit to camp in the Chisos Mountains?: Yes: a backcountry permit for a named campsite, $10 a night. From November 1 to April 15 you can book on Recreation.gov up to six months ahead; the rest of the year permits are given in person only, up to 24 hours ahead. Day hikes need no permit, but the $30 park entrance fee applies.
Is the Chisos Basin open in 2026?: Yes. The planned 2026 to 2028 closure for a new lodge was cancelled on April 1, 2026. The park will put the water system work out to bid again with no dates yet, so check the park's alerts page before you go.
Is there water in the Chisos Mountains?: No reliable water. The Park Service says Boot Spring is usually dry. Carry at least a gallon (4 liters) a person a day from the Chisos Basin.
How hard is Emory Peak?: About 10.5 miles round trip from the Chisos Basin with about 2,500 ft of climbing on good trails. The last 25 ft are a short, exposed scramble on rock. Don't go up in a thunderstorm.
When is the best time to hike Big Bend's South Rim?: October to November and late February to April. Spring is the busiest season. July to September brings afternoon thunderstorms, and the desert is over 100 °F in summer, though the Chisos are 10 to 15 °F cooler.

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