pine canyon trail

Drive in 4-5 miles on a rugged dirt road to the trail head. (A high clearance vehicle is mandatory!). The trail was gorgeous, as the desert had received a lot of rain in the prior weeks, and everything was in bloom. When you hit the Chisos Mountain, expect a steep hike up 1000' feet.

This is a fantastic dirt road and hiking experience in Big Bend NP. Drive about 2 miles south on Glenn Springs dirt road, turn right onto Pine Canyon road for another 4+ miles. There are a couple of challenging washes on these dirt road and a vehicle with high ground clearance and off road rated tires is required. There is a small parking area at the trailhead. The trail is more than 2 miles up into the foothills and into Pine Canyon. The last half mile of which is mostly an uphill scramble in a narrow canyon. The falls only flows immediately after a rain. However, the varied views of the valley and looking east from the trail are worth the hike even if the falls is not flowing.

This is not one do do in summer, but was nice in March. Hike up to the place where the falls would be if we had rain. Still there is shade and great views ahead and behind you on the trail.

We loved the varied terrain. From the sotol grasslands to the rocky areas dotted with pine trees. There are some areas where hikers need to pay close attention to their footing, especially coming down. We arrived at e falls just as the sun was hitting a perfectly placed by God boulder to sit against and have lunch. We took a leisurely three hours, stopping often to see new sights.

A "Jewel of Big Bend"! You need a high clearance vehicle to reach the trailhead, which I have twice rented just to get to this delightful hike. First a mostly uphill walk through 1.5 miles of desert country surrounded by foothills of the Chisos Mountains, until you enter the cool, densely wooded beautiful canyon.Then about another mile through the canyon until the trail ends at a high pouroff, or waterfall, where there is water providing there has been some recent rain. Plenty of Texas Madrone trees with their bright pink bark in the canyon.One of the attractions of this trail is the scarcity of people, probably because of the vehicle restrictions in reaching the trailhead. A fairly easy hike, a bit rugged in the canyon.

This hike has about 1.5 miles of desert floor gradual elevation before crossing dry/wet (depending on recent rain) stream-beds and climbing into the forested area of deciduous and evergreen trees. It's a seldom used trail which makes it especially pleasant. After crossing the (two?) stream-beds, the elevation begins to increase and the steepness can be a challenge. The trail is mostly dirt with some gravel and small rocks that have to be negotiated. As the hiker approaches the end of the trail, the sound of water running down the side of the trail in the canyon may be heard. The waterfall at the end is well worth the hike, especially during periods of rain. The road to the trailhead is full of dips and bends--high clearance suggested. During the warm Texas heat, starting out at sunup is suggested in order to return before the noonday sun. Caution: Rattlesnakes may be on and near trail.

Ca. 1200 Höhenmeter (Hin- und Rücktour), im Sommer recht anstrengend. Sehr schöne Aussichten und ein sehr schöner Wanderweg, Bären, Deers und manchmal ein Puma sind möglich. Der Trail geht in weitere Trails bzw. eine Rundtour über, dann sollte man aber sehr früh morgens starten. Gut ausgeschildert.