Chisos Basin Loop Trail - Big Bend National Park

The Chisos Basin Loop Trail is a 1.8-mile loop that is rated as moderate by the park service. The trail consists of segments of both the Laguna Meadows Trail and the Pinnacles Trail, as well as a segment connecting those trails called the Basin Loop Trail. The Laguna Meadows Trail trailhead is co-located with the trailheads for the Windows Trail and the Windows View Trail. The trailhead is located almost due west of the Chisos Basin Visitor Center and can be reached by one of three paths: 1) a path from the handicap parking area of the visitor center; 2) a path from the sidewalk at the western end of the camp store; and 3) a path from the sidewalk in front of lodge building A.

While you can hike any trail in the park in any direction, the park website recommends hiking the loop in a counter-clockwise direction on their Mountain Hikes webpage. Thus the recommended hike is up the Laguna Meadows Trail, staying right at the Pinnacles Trail intersection to remain on the Laguna Meadows Trail, then taking a left onto the Basin Loop Trail across three ridgelines before turning left again onto the Pinnacles Trail to go down to its intersection with the Laguna Meadows Trail, and then turning right to head back to the trailhead. The trail climbs about 230 feet from the trailhead to the ridges on the Basin Loop Trail before descending back to the starting point. We spent a couple of hours hiking and photographing during our September 2021 trip to Big Bend National Park.

Topographic map with GPS route overlay

Elevation profile

Trailhead

Climbing

More climbing through Prickly Pear and Oak

An unnamed peak at the eastern end of the basin

Emory Peak (7825')

Pinnacles Trail trailhead on left

An unnamed ridge above Oak Canyon and The Window
with a peak elevation of 6847 feet

The Window

A closer look at The Window

The trail narrows

Another look at The Window and Vernon Bailey Peak

Morning Glory

Vernon Bailey Peak (6670')

Still climbing toward Emory Peak

There's a trail somewhere in there

Scarlet Bouvardia (Bouvardia ternifolia)

Still climbing toward Emory Peak

Vernon Bailey Peak partially hidden from view

Loose rocks on the trail

Casa Grande Peak

Laguna Meadows Trail (left) and Basin Loop Trail (right) intersection

Heading toward Casa Grande Peak

Looking back at Emory Peak

One more look at The Window

Casa Grande Peak

Starting the descent on the Pinnacles Trail

Switchback

Open vistas with no shade

Another switchback and Vernon Bailey Peak

One final look at Emory Peak

Prickly Pear along the path

One of the rental stone cabins

One last switchback on the Pinnacles Trail

Looking back at the trail intersection and the end of the Pinnacles Trail on the left

An entry fee of $30 per vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, or $15 per person is valid for seven consecutive days at Big Bend National Park. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($80 for a lifetime), Access Pass (free with a documented disability), and Military Annual Pass (free for active-duty personnel). Also available is a Big Bend National Park Annual Park Pass for $55.

The Big Bend National Park website is https://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm.