The Best Hike In Texas

You’re standing on the south rim of the Chisos Mountains, looking across the vast and terrible Chihuahuan Desert all the way to Mexico. There’s not a man-made object in sight and for all you know, this is Mars. But it’s not. It’s the halfway point of the South Rim Trail Loop in Big Bend National Park, aka, the best hike in Texas.

And listen, it’s not close.

I’ve hiked most of the state’s greatest hits – Lighthouse Trail in Palo Duro (stunning), East Trail in Lost Maples (rolling green greatness), River Trail to Gorman Falls in Colorado Bend (do go chasing waterfalls) – and while all fill up the senses in their own lovely ways, none make you question what planet you’re on.

Let’s start with the facts. The South Rim Loop Trail is a 12.7-mile loop with a 2421 ft. gain that takes 6 or so hours to complete. The trailhead, the green dot below, is near Chisos Lodge, the only place to stay in Big Bend that’s not your truck or a tent. The trail is rated “challenging” which is a hiker way of saying, your calves will ache, your stomach will churn but keep going.

We made the trip a few years back over Thanksgiving week, a huge mistake, according to my cool teen sons who wanted to spend the break playing X-Box. Understandable but this was a chance to experience one of nature’s all-timers and I thought, surely that’s a bigger draw than Call of Duty (or whatever). Not so much. They spent most of the trip on their phones until they discovered oops, no cell service in the Chisos Mountains except a sliver of wi-fi outside the public restrooms. This was them every night after dinner. Teens always find a way.

Despite the lack of service, every day in Big Bend was more incredible than the last. On Thanksgiving, we piled into canoes and paddled the Rio Grande, slowly snaking our way through the perfectly named Dark Canyon. Billions of years of erosion on either side. You could hear the wind whistling through and that was about it.

We celebrated Thanksgiving on the Mexico side, pulling out to enjoy a stand-up feast of crackers, cheese and Sangria. There wasn’t a CBP officer in sight and with good reason. The nearest town is hundreds of miles across the Chihuahuan Desert, easily one of the most unforgiving hellscapes on earth. Anyone with the pluck to survive that deserves a free pass anywhere they want to go.

I saved the South Lip Loop Trail for the last day and the plan was to be on the trailhead by eight o’clock. If there’s anything teenagers love more than spotty wi-fi, it’s getting up early to hike six miles with their dad. My son Van kindly informed me that he was officially out which left Beck, who agreed to go but wasn’t especially thrilled about it. Here we are bright and early at the trailhead, neither aware of the life-changing view that awaited us.

Since the South Rim Loop Trail is in fact, a loop, there are two ways up and we choose Laguna Meadows, the route most recommended because the grade isn’t as steep. The first leg was a gently winding thicket of oak, junipers and Pinon pines that gradually gained until we got this killer view of the Chisos Lodge. Somewhere down there Van and his mom were enjoying a leisurely breakfast.

Beck and I hiked on and got this view of Casa Grande Peak, the most iconic rock in the park. That’s the beauty of Big Bend, it’s one ridiculous view after another and most of them don’t look like anything you’ve ever seen before. There’s something spiritual about that part of the planet. Plenty of people visit once and never leave and I was almost one of them.

But the most life-changing view of all was still a few hours up the trail. Good thing we brought snacks, water and sunscreen because we definitely needed them. Thankfully we didn’t need the bear spray, a lucky break considering a) we didn’t bring any and b) we didn’t see any bears. The closer we got to the south rim, the steeper the climb and we had to take frequent breaks to catch our breath. We also got little sneak previews of what was to come. But they almost felt like hallucinations. Just through the trees, the ground seemed to suddenly slope into nothingness. Had we lost the trail? Should we turn back?

That would’ve been the most tragic mistake of all.

Because soon enough, there was the south rim. A good rule of writing is show don’t tell unless you have the video of walking up to the best view in Texas (maybe the world). And if so, don’t say anything. Just roll the tape.

We spent about an hour just staring out and thinking all the usual insignificance of man type thoughts. Or I did. Beck hiked around the rim then plopped down and waited for me to give the signal to head back. It would take another three hours to loop back the other side, through Boot Canyon via the Pinnacles Trail, switchbacks all the way down. Before we departed this magnificent spot, I wanted to know what Beck thought about the profound natural beauty before him. I wanted to know how it might change his life going forward. I wanted him to admit that maybe it was worth getting up before dawn. That maybe this was a memory he’d treasure for the rest of his days. His answer did not disappoint.