South Rim Loop, Chisos Mountains

The walk starts at the Chisos Basin Trailhead, by the Basin store. Take the Laguna Meadow Trail, the more gradual of the two ways up, which climbs for about three and a half miles to Laguna Meadow and the Blue Creek Trail junction. The South Rim Trail leads on to the rim, with its view over the desert far into Mexico, and follows it east to the Boot Canyon Trail junction. Turn north down Boot Canyon, past Boot Spring and the Juniper Canyon Trail junction, to the pass where the Emory Peak Trail leaves. The Pinnacles Trail, steeper and with many log steps, drops from there to the Basin.

It is a 11.9-mile (19.2 km) loop with 2,230 feet (681 m) of climbing; allow about 6½ hours. The grade is Hard: a long mountain day on good trails, with no water on the way.

Carry all the water you will need, a litre for each hour: Boot Spring is not reliable and is usually dry. The East Rim Trail, a longer way round the rim that our line does not use, is closed in most years from February 1 to May 31 for nesting peregrine falcons.

The park charges $30 a vehicle, valid for seven days and paid by card. The two-year closure of the Chisos Basin that was planned from May 2026 has been cancelled.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.