Pinnacles Trail is a challenging yet rewarding hike that leads into the heart of the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park. The trail offers stunning views of desert landscape, grassland meadows, and piney forests, all while gaining 2,000 feet of elevation over 3.1 miles.
I haven’t been a happy camper any time I’ve tackled Pinnacles trail but I can’t blame the trail for that. The trail itself is great! It’s one of two trails that leads you into the heart of the Chisos mountains, where wonders of Texas beauty await.
Table of Contents
Recommended Supplies
Note: These supplies are what I took for hiking Pinnacles alone. You’ll need more food and water, and possibly other gear, if you’re hiking a long route.
- Minimum of 2.5L water per person
- 600 calories per person
- Salt tablets or other electrolytes
- Hiking poles
- Sturdy, comfortable hiking boots
- Rain jacket
- Extra top/jacket for cooler temperatures at higher elevations
- Bear Spray
Pinnacles Trail: ~6+ miles out and back
Pinnacles trail itself is a 3.1 mile one way trail with 2,000 feet of elevation gain. Plan for each half mile on Pinnacles to take at least 30 minutes due to the elevation gain.
It is popularly linked with Emory peak or turned into an epic adventure as part of the Rim. If you link it with Emory Peak, you add 1.5 miles on (one way), for a total hike of about 10 miles – perfect for a challenging day trip.
Accessing the Trail
This trail begins at the Chisos Basin Visitor Center trailhead, just off the parking lot. Luxuries here include a water bottle filling station, flushing toilets, and a convenience store. I recommend taking advantage of them while you can.
At first, the path is shared with Laguna Meadow Trail, your other option for accessing the deeper trails within the Chisos. After about ¼ mile, Pinnacles forks left (East) while Laguna Meadows forks right (West). The turn-off is, for the record, clearly marked. Even I managed not to get confused about the navigation and that’s fucking saying something.
Little aside here, if you want to get up into the Chisos Mountains but are hesitant about all this talk of “elevation gain”. Laguna Meadow Trail is longer than Pinnacles but less steep, making it a good alternative for less fit (or ambitious) hikers. Read more about Laguna Meadows here.
Hiking Pinnacles Trail in Big Bend
Fair warning, after the fork this trail is moderately challenging. It may not be the best hike for small kiddos or those with limited mobility. If you ever feel out of your depth, be smart and turn around. Ego has no place in the wild (unless getting people killed counts).
The first time I found myself trekking up this fucking trail I had 50 pounds of definitely not ultra light camping gear piled on my back. Speaking of being ambitious, I was heading to Juniper Flats campsite #3. My legs were not happy about it but my eyes sure were.
The Opening Ascent
Pinnacles Trail slaps you in the face with immediate elevation gain on rough, hand-cut stairs and switchbacks. But then it turns around and rewards you with fabulous views of Casa Grande to the left and the Window to the right.
Ascending along the southwest wall of the Chisos Basin, the shrubby oak and cacti are surrounded by towering, rocky mountains on all sides. There is minimal shade and the landscape is open. The trail is a mix of dry packed dirt and rocks intermixed with occasional rough stairs.
The Pinnacles Backcountry
Before you hit the Juniper flat campsites, about 1 mile into the hike, there is a bench to the left. Here you can enjoy fabulous views of of the mountains and, if you’re lucky, intermittent cell service. It’s a great place to drink in the Chisos’ beauty, catch your breath and break out a snack.
There are quite a few backcountry campsites along Pinnacles Trail, which is part of what makes it such a great option for extended visits to the heart of the Chisos. Just be prepared to carry your water uphill.
It’s also where we stumbled across some whippersnappers smoking weed. Awkward.
A short walk from that bench are the Juniper Flats campsites, where my husband and I camped the first time we ventured to Big Bend National Park. It was our very first experience with something resembling backpacking. If you want a good laugh at our many miserable misfortunes, stay tuned for that post in the future.
Continue along Pinnacles and you’ll reach the Boulder Meadow backcountry camping area. Here, the trail levels out and opens into high meadow grasslands. Enjoy it. It’s very, very temporary.
The End of the Trail
We thought so.
Beyond Boulder Meadows, the trail gains a lot of elevation in a short time. Several sharp switchbacks lead up to the junction of Emory Peak Trail and Boot Canyon Trail.
Your legs might be begging for mercy, but soon your eyes will be feasting on the glory of Big Bend. Alpine trees, shrubs, and boulders surround the trail, providing intermittent shade and a lovely forestry hike.
Mexican jays are frequently sighted along the trail here, so keep your eyes open. The views of the Chisos Mountains are a bit more obstructed here, but wait until you reach the end of the trail!
Pinnacles Trail ends at a junction with Emory Peak and Boot Canyon Trails. Up here at the top of Pinnacles trail, Douglas firs and pine trees surround you.
You’re supposed to take care of number one in the woods.
There are some downed logs that make for the perfect place for a snack or picnic. If you turn around to look back (you should), you will be able to see the entire Basin stretching out below you. It is glorious.
There is a composting toilet here if you need to drop a deuce. But note that you’re supposed to take care of number one in the woods, NOT the toilet. There is a right way to use a composting toilet – I’ll drop the details in another article.
There are also two bear boxes here. You can leave some of your things in them while summiting Emory Peak if the composting toilet didn’t lighten your load enough.
Connecting Pinnacles to other trails
Here, at the end of Pinnacles Trail, you face important choices. Will you turn back, or will you venture onward and upward?
Choose wisely, mother trekker!
- Eat lunch and go back whence you came.
- Keep going and summit Emory Peak, the highest point in BBNP!
- Explore a bit of Boot Canyon, then turn around and head back.
- Do the full Rim. This is a full day commitment, not to be undertaken lightly!
Descending along Pinnacles Trail
Remember all of those switchbacks I mentioned? You would think hiking down them would be a piece of cake. It is not.
The descent on Pinnacles Trail is a quad burner. Sure, the hike up is harder but that’s like picking between a hamstring cramp and a quad cramp. The one that’s worse is the one you have right now.
The second time I found myself on this trail, I was using it to descend from the Rim. I do recommend using it for that purpose. And yet…at that point in the hike, I’d already walked 10 miles in brand new hiking boots (amateur move, bitch!).
As an object lesson in fucking around and finding out, they rubbed the insides of my heels down to blisters.
Hence, I also recommend wearing shoes you have previously broken in and know won’t cause blisters.
With every step down those damn switchbacks, my quads protested and my blisters rubbed. I eventually stopped at the bench at Juniper Flats to do some first aid before gingerly making it the rest of the way back.
Closing Thoughts on Pinnacles Trail
As I said at the outset, I wasn’t super happy either time I was on Pinnacles but that was never the trail’s fault.
Pinnacles: 2
Me: 0
I like Pinnacles trail because of the dramatic changes you experience over the hike. It transitions smoothly across desert landscapes, grassland meadows, and piney forest, over the course of 3.1 intense miles.
It’s also great because it’s an artery running to the heart of the Chisos mountains and links you with the East Rim, my all time favorite Big Bend trail. Would recommend!
Too Long; Didn’t Read.
I worked hard on this article, damn it. Fine, here you go:
- 3.1 mile hike (one way) with 2,000 feet of elevation gain.
- Steep stairs and switchbacks along the trail – be prepared to work for it!
- Beautiful and varied views of the Texas desert, meadows and mountain forests.
- Great trail to link with Emory Peak, Boot Canyon, or the Rim as you explore the Chisos Basin.