Outer Mountain Loop

Big Bend National Park (Chisos Mountains and desert)

The Outer Mountain Loop is Big Bend National Park’s best-known long backpacking trip: a 30-mile circuit, by the Park Service’s count, that drops from the forested Chisos Mountains into open Chihuahuan Desert and climbs back again. It links the Pinnacles, Juniper Canyon, Dodson, Blue Creek, and Laguna Meadows trails.

NPS rates it strenuous and says it is “not appropriate for first-time Big Bend hikers.” There is no reliable water anywhere on the route, so careful planning and water caches are part of the trip.

The hike

Most hikers start at the Chisos Basin trailhead (5,400 feet) and go clockwise, according to NPS. The park’s suggested itinerary covers about 11 miles on day one: up the Pinnacles Trail to Toll Mountain Pass (7,000 feet), along the Boot Canyon Trail past Boot Spring, which NPS says is usually dry, then down the Juniper Canyon Trail. That trail descends about 3,000 feet over 6.2 miles to the desert, passing Upper Juniper Spring (also usually dry). The grasslands of Lower Juniper have plenty of camping spots.

Day two is the Dodson Trail, which NPS calls the hottest and most exposed section: about 10 to 11 miles following rock cairns, with roughly 2,000 feet of up and down between drainages. The route passes the Dodson Ranch ruins and Dodson Spring (usually dry), crosses the Fresno Creek drainage, climbs to a high pass, and drops into the Smoky Creek drainage, where NPS warns you can wander onto the Smoky Creek Trail if you miss the point where the trail leaves the wash. About 3 miles later are the remains of the Homer Wilson (Blue Creek) Ranch, a quarter mile from Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. This is where you pick up cached water.

NPS notes that many hikers quit at Homer Wilson, facing a 2,500-foot climb back into the mountains. The Blue Creek Trail climbs that over 5.5 miles through sandy washes and red rock to two designated Blue Creek backpacking sites and the Laguna Meadow Trail. From there it’s about 3.5 miles down to the Basin. Side trips to the South Rim or Emory Peak add about 5 miles.

A November 2025 trip report on Big Bend Chat describes highs around 90°F on the Dodson even in November, a faint trail that took some guessing, and running out of water about 4 miles from the car despite carrying 11 liters and caching 8 bottles.

For a shorter High Chisos trip, see South Rim and the High Chisos. Big Bend Ranch State Park’s Rancherias Loop is another desert loop nearby.

Tips

Go in the cool months. NPS says not to hike the loop in hot weather and calls the Dodson “brutally hot May-September.”
Cache water at the Homer Wilson storage boxes (mile 8.1 on Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive) or the end of Juniper Canyon Road. Label bottles with your name and pickup date and pack out the empties.
Don’t count on springs. NPS says seasonal springs are often dry; treat any water you do find.
Carry a topo map and GPS. NPS says not to rely on its route map.
Leave an itinerary with someone; cell service is limited.

Camping

A backcountry permit is required for all overnight backpacking in Big Bend. Desert legs are camped in wilderness zones; NPS’s itinerary suggests the Lower Juniper or Dodson zone the first night and the Dodson or Blue Creek zone the second. In the desert, camp at least half a mile from any road and out of its sight. Rangers won’t issue a desert permit without a clear itinerary. High Chisos nights use the park’s 42 designated sites, which come with food lockers. Wood and ground fires are prohibited (gas stoves only), pets aren’t allowed in the backcountry, and parties are limited to 15. Stays are capped at 14 consecutive nights per permit.

The permit page fetched Oct. 12, 2026 says all backcountry campsites are currently issued in person only at Panther Junction, up to 24 hours before your first night.

Inside Intel: In a November 2025 trip report on Big Bend Chat, Lost Heinz called a spot in the Juniper Canyon zone, on the hill nearest the bear box, “a brilliant site,” with boulders for afternoon shade and a view. The same report warns that in the Blue Creek zone, car headlights on Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive can light up the canyon wall.

Trail facts

Distance: 30 miles (NPS); about 35 with South Rim or Emory Peak side trips
Route type: Loop, usually clockwise from the Chisos Basin
Difficulty: Strenuous
Campsites: Desert zones (Lower Juniper, Dodson, Blue Creek); designated High Chisos sites, including two Blue Creek sites
Water: None reliable; cache at Homer Wilson or Juniper Canyon Road; at least 1 gallon per person per day
Permits: Required; currently in person at Panther Junction
Fires: Prohibited; gas stoves only
Food storage: Lockers at Chisos sites; wildlife includes black bears and javelinas
Dogs: Not allowed
Trailhead: Chisos Basin (alternates: Blue Creek or Juniper Canyon)
Last verified: October 17, 2026

The Lowdown

Thirty miles from mountain pines to open desert:

On the Outer Mountain Loop you might pitch in a High Chisos oak grove one night and on bare Dodson gravel the next. See the tents reviewers trust on mixed ground.

Read the full guide →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.