Big Bend National Park is one of our favorite locations to explore. It is remote, rugged, and spectacularly beautiful. Trekking in the mountains and deserts of Big Bend is a unique challenge. The weather can range from at or below freezing at night to brutal heat all in the same day. This trek is not for the faint of heart. There are virtually zero flat sections of the trek, but the views, especially the star filled skies at night, are spectacular. Our team has led 5 different trekking adventures in the park, but for the first time, we will be including a trip to the summit of Emory Peak to our trek.
Dates: February 17-20, 2023
The trip will depart from the Dallas area on the morning of February 17th and will return late evening on the 20th. Team members are responsible for arranging their own transport to and from Dallas on February 16th/21st respectively. We can help you arrange accommodations in Dallas on the 16th and 20th if needed. We will be departing the Dallas area very early on the morning of the 17th (~4:00AM).
Cost: $850
- A non-refundable $250 deposit is required at the time of registration to secure your spot on the team.
- $850 is due before January 10th, 2023.
What is included:
- All meals along the trail, including camp style hot breakfast and dinners and cold trail meals for lunch each day. Upon completion of the trek, we will enjoy a celebratory lunch at a steakhouse, which is also included.
- All transportation to and from the Dallas area and within Big Bend National Park.
- Tents, trekking permits, campground fees, etc. are all included.
What is NOT included:
- Food on the drive to and from Big Bend, with the exception of the celebratory lunch on the return drive.
- You are required to bring your own trekking gear (sleeping bag, backpack, clothes, hiking shoes/boots, trekking poles, etc.). We will provide an extensive and detailed packing/gear list for all of our participants.
- You are responsible for your own trekking snacks (we will provide a sample list of what most trekkers will be bringing).
Trek Difficulty: Moderately Difficult
We rate our proposed itinerary in Big Bend National Park as “Moderately Difficult.” It is not as rigorous as our Kilimanjaro or Whitney treks, but it is still a huge undertaking. Some look at the total mileage and the lack of extreme elevation and underestimate the challenges presented in Big Bend, but this is a mistake. We have found that those who complete our Big Bend treks often describe it as one of the most physically demanding things that they have accomplished. There is still significant elevation gain and loss and traversing the exposed desert, even in winter, can be grueling. That said, unlike Kilimanjaro and Whitney, we are open to taking novice trekkers on this adventure, provided they put in the work to ready themselves for what is waiting for them at Big Bend. We suggest that all members of our team devote themselves to a season of physical training that should include a mix of smaller training hikes, strength work, and significant cardiovascular exercise.
Itinerary:
Day 1 (Feb. 17)
We will depart the Dallas area very early in the morning (between 4:00 and 5:00AM) and make the 8 hour drive to Big Bend National Park. We will check in at the Panther Junction ranger station to pick up our backcountry permits and then proceed by car to the Homer Wilson Ranch to stash water. We will then drive another 1.5 hours to the Juniper Canyon trailhead which will serve as the start/finish location of our trek and make camp where we will enjoy a camp style dinner and a beautiful night under the stars.
Day 2 (Feb. 18)
We will wake up early (~6:00AM), eat a simple breakfast of oatmeal and coffee before setting out on our traverse of the Dodson trail. In the image above, the Dodson trail is the dotted line from Juniper Canyon Trail westbound to the Homer Wilson Ranch. This is a very long day and the trail is completely exposed. There will be zero shade on this day, so if there are no clouds, it can be quite rough. We will arrive at our water stash in the late afternoon, refill all of our bottles, and proceed another couple of miles up the Blue Creek trail before making camp.
Day 3 (Feb. 19)
We will have another very early start on this day, and after breakfast, we will take on the most difficult stretch of trail on the trek, the climb up Blue Creek. This will be very very difficult morning, made more so by the fact that we will be toting a significant amount of water (approximately 4 liters per person) since we will have no ability to resupply until we finish on the morning of day 4. After the morning ascent, we will make our way to our camp sites on the mountain, setup camp, then proceed with minimal packs/supplies to summit Emory Peak. The approach to Emory Peak is a simple hike, but the last 40 feet of elevation to reach the summit will require a short rock scramble with some exposure. After the summit, we will head back to camp for a nice dinner and a beautiful desert sunset.
Day 4 (Feb. 20)
We will wake up around 6:00AM for another simple camp breakfast before hitting the trail to finish up our trek. This is by far the shortest day of trekking, and after a steep descent into Juniper Canyon, it is an almost flat 4 miles of trail back to our cars. We will load up our gear and drive 2 hours north from the park to Fort Stockton where we will be stopping at K-Bob’s steakhouse for a post hike celebratory feast (eat whatever you want…included in your trip cost), before making our way back to Dallas by late evening.