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At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert, this huge, remote
National Park is named after the bend in the Rio Grande that marks
its southern boundary and border with Mexico. But Big Bend is not
just about arid desert and cactus country, or even the river and
its limestone gorges. Rising from the scorching lowlands are the
cooler, forested slopes and dramatic canyons of the rugged Chisos
Mountains, home to the Park's finest hiking trails.
From the parking area at Panther Pass, the trail steadily ascends
through pinyon, juniper and oak forest along the lower slopes of
Casa Grande, with its distinctive, castle-like summit. There are
wonderful views down Green Gulch along the way. After 1 mile, you
reach the head of Juniper Canyon, where an overlook has an impressive
view of the wooded canyon to the south and Pulliam Bluff to the
north-west.
The trail now switchbacks more steeply for another mile, before
cresting the ridge between Pine Canyon to the east and Juniper Canyon
below to the south-west. The ridge is followed for 0.4 mile to a
promontory at 6,850 ft, which has panoramic views all around - some
of the best in the Park. It is tempting to linger here for a while
to soak in the views, but you will need to descend quickly from
this high-point in the event of a thunderstorm.
Rising above the promontory at the trail end is Lost Mine Peak.
According to a Spanish legend, on Easter Sunday the rays of the
rising sun strike the peak at the exact location of a rich silver
mine.
For another perspective on the Chisos Mountains, head to The Window.
This trail descends into Oak Creek Canyon and leads to a distinctive
cleft in the high cliffs that surround the Basin. On the return
there are classic views of Casa Grande, particularly good in the
late afternoon. Starting from the Chisos Basin Trailhead near the
Lodge, distance is 5.2 miles/8.3 km out and back, elevation change
-800 ft/244 m (climbs on return). It is also possible to pick up
the trail at Chisos Campground, which reduces the total distance
to 4 miles/6.4 km.
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