Drive the scenic Basin Drive

If you are looking for expansive views of the Chisos Basin in Big Bend NP, the Lost Mine and South Rim Trails are MUST do's!  The South Rim Trail is a much longer 12+ mile hike (best views in park) which some will overnight or experience in a full day trek.  If you do not have time for the South Rim Trail, you have to hike the Lost Mine Trail! There is a small parking area off of Basin Junction...

The Window Trail is one of the most popular hikes in Big Bend National Park. Whether you're visiting for a day or camping at one of the sites in the park, the Window Trail is a hike worth doing, and can be done in just a couple of hours at a leisurely pace. The Window itself is a V-shaped canyon that overlooks the desert into Mexico and offers stunning panoramic views, especially at sunset. To...

This 14 mile loop provides incredible views of the Chisos mountains. This hike can be done in a day, but to really take in the scenery, stay overnight and experience the incredible cliffs overlooking Mexico. You can add on an extra 2 mile by doing the Emory Peak trail which gets you to the top of a narrow peak. We left the trailhead by the ranger station in the Chisos basin and climbed the Pin...

If you're staying at Chisos Basin, the sunset at Window View Trail is one to see. The Window View Trail is a paved, wheelchair-accessible, 0.3 mile loop that starts near the Chisos Basin Store and leads to a viewpoint. The viewpoint provides an excellent view of the desert floor framed by the Chisos Mountains. Catching the sunset is an excellent way to end your day at Big Bend before staying a...

Most people don’t know that there are 8,000-foot peaks in Texas, but in the exceptionally remote southwest corner of the Lone Star State, Big Bend National Park’s Chisos Mountains soar high over the Chihuahuan Desert. The South Rim of the mountain bowl features a few backcountry sites that allow backpackers to delve into the magical world of the high desert mountains, while escaping the brutal ...

The hike to Emory Peak zig-zags up the face of the mountain, and only when you reach the peak do you get the full, 360 view of Big Bend National Park. Trust me, it's gorgeous. You get some pretty amazing views before reaching the peak, too, but you are hiking on the inside of the “horseshoe” loop, so you have the full view of the basin. Start from the carpark, where there is a bathroom and tr...