Juniper Canyon Trail: Remote and Rewarding Hiking in Big Bend

To do Juniper Canyon Trail, you have to really fucking want it. Either you haul ass up Pinnacles to Boot Canyon to get to it or you drive a 4×4 high clearance car up Juniper Canyon road to get to it. Either way, it’s a hell of a lot of work.

Is it worth it?

Let’s find out!

Essential Supplies

• Minimum of 2.5L for just Juniper but remember you have to hike to reach this trail!
• 400 calories minimum 
• Sunscreen
• Sunhat
• Trekking poles (optional)
• Paper map, compass and the knowledge to use them
• Navigation app like Gaia GPS
• Emergency communication device, such as Bivvy
• Waterproof jacket

Hiking Juniper Canyon: 6.7 miles one way

Clocking in at 6.7 miles one way, Juniper Canyon isn’t one to fuck around and find out about. It gains 200 feet in the first half mile (from Boot Canyon) and then drops 3,200 feet out of the Chisos Mountains to the desert floor. 

Accessing Juniper Canyon Trail

I first hiked Juniper Canyon Trail as part of the Outer Mountain loop. I came from Pinnacles via Boot Canyon to Juniper Canyon.

From Boot Canyon, Juniper Canyon immediately begins to climb for the first half mile. The trail was overgrown with tall, golden grasses and I had to focus hard to keep the trail. Legs running low on glycogen and brain tired from concentrating on keeping the trail, I worried that Juniper and I might not be friends.

The trail is often thin & flanked by tall, golden grasses

I was wrong. She was a remote, uninhabited beaut. 

After the initial ascent, the trail switchbacks for a while toward upper Juniper Spring (2.6 miles into the hike) in a slightly downhill fashion.

Juniper Spring: Don’t Count on it for Water

Don’t get a hard on here, springs in the desert are unreliable and often dry. Refer to the NPS information on the springs in Big Bend. 

If you’re really that desperate to refill water at the “springs” in the park, ask a ranger in advance for current spring reports and check for the latest on Big Bend Chat. But really, just don’t be a little bitch. Carry the damn water and if the spring happens to be flowing, enjoy its beauty and leave it for the wildlife.

Views All the Way to Mexico

Moving on. Reaching the first big bend in the trail, shortly before Upper Juniper Springs, the trail loses some tree cover and the views begin to open up. You can see all the way to the desert floor, with the Sierra Del Carmen Mountains in Mexico visible in the far off distance. It is glorious and a view I reckon not many experience. 

This is the view you get when you behind your descent to the desert floor!

After all, it’s a pain in the ass to get out there. 

The absolute lack of human noise was cathartic and just what I’d hoped for. I didn’t see another soul on Juniper Canyon Trail. 

That said, the high winds on this ridgeline were not so healing and forced me to pull on a long sleeve shirt to avoid feeling too tit nipply.

Entering Boot Canyon

For a while the trail slowly descends on a ridgeline with open views of the desert below. There are still plenty of lush trees but they don’t surround the trail and keep you closed in like they did for the first mile or so. Here, the trail is easy to follow and  eventually drops you into Boot Canyon. 

This part of the trail is steep and long enough that I wouldn’t relish the thought of ascending it. If I ever do it again, I’ll be sure to tackle it from Boot Canyon Trail, just as I did this time.

Entering Juniper Canyon

Finally, 3.5 miles down Juniper Canyon Trail, the path dumps you into the eponymous canyon, where the ground becomes significantly less downhill – aka, my quads quit their whimpering and my toes didn’t hurt quite so much in my shoes from the erstwhile relentless downhill grade and subsequent toe slamming.

On the desert floor, everything changed.

I discovered a magical desert grassland at about the beginning of the zone camping. There are still lots of green trees and abundant plant life. As you continue deeper into the desert, the trees slowly fall away and the desert plants dominate the landscape around you.

About Zone Camping on Juniper Canyon Trail

As a quick side note, camping is not allowed except in designated campsites prior to the “zone camping begins” sign. 

After the zone camping sign, hikers are allowed to camp anywhere in their designated zone of the Big Bend desert. Looking at this zone map made me want to tear my hair out when trying to figure out where exactly each zone was in relation to the trails. 

Completing Juniper Canyon Trail

At the “begin zone camping” area, the surroundings are still lush (for a desert). As an added bonus, the trail became even more flat. In an effort to get into the right zone and find a perfect camping spot, I jogged in sections here. 

To the left as you roll through the desert, you can see Hayes Ridge and Crown Mountain. Sotol is abundant along this last section of the trail, along with yucca and all kinds of pokey plants. Underfoot, the trail is rocky – my feet definitely didn’t love that. 

Juniper Canyon Trail is steep (both up and down), remote, and offers lovely views as you hike down to the desert floor. While it was a little challenging to navigate the trail for the first mile, it was a breeze to stay on trail after that. It offers an abundance of plant life, from the lush flora of upper elevations to the desert scrub below. 

Glorious desert peace on Juniper Canyon Trail

Be Mindful of the Sun

The last 2-3 miles on Juniper Canyon have very little shade cover and aren’t the place to be on hot, summer days. 

Too Long: Didn’t Read;

I really enjoyed my time on Juniper and would definitely recommend. However, due to the difficulty in even getting to this fucking trail,  I’d recommend experienced hikers do this as part of the Outer Mountain Loop. It’s a serious commitment, but worth your while.

• Take plenty of water and food! Know your needs!
• Remember to plan for the weather, including sun, heat, wind, and cold.
• Do not count on the Spring for water. (Duh, this is Big Bend, but it has to be said.)
• Diverse landscapes and beautiful views await those brave, bold, and tough enough to make this trek – but it’s not for the faint of heart. Or kids. Or novice hikers. Or anyone with a health condition. You get it.

Further Reading

https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7009926/juniper-canyon-trail

https://www.highpoweredplanet.com/2013/12/juniper-canyon-trail-big-bend-national.html

https://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/oml-itinerary.htm