Blue Creek Trail
in Texas
Trail Information One-way Distance: 5.5 miles (8.8 km) to the Laguna Meadow Trail Elevation Change: 2,693 feet (820 m) Average Hiking Time: 3 hours Dogs and other pets are not allowed on any trails in the park. The 5.5 mile, one-way, Blue Creek trail starts at the Homer Wilson Ranch and climbs into the Chisos Mountains. The beginning of the trail follows the Blue Creek drainage towards the mountains.
As you climb, the trail passes through open grassland and eventually the pine woodlands of the Chisos Mountains. The Blue Creek trail ends at the junction with the Laguna Meadow Trail. From there, it's another 3.75 miles down to the parking area in the Chisos Basin, or a return of 5.5 miles.
You can hike this trail either direction—starting in the mountains and hiking down to Homer Wilson Ranch or starting at the ranch and hiking up. It's best if you have two vehicles and can leave one at either end of the trail. For a pleasant day trip, walk up the Blue Creek drainage to the red rocks and return (about 3 miles round-trip, with 240 feet elevation gain).
- States
- Texas
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid coords
- 29.2147°, -103.3667°
About Big Bend National Park
This trail is inside Big Bend National Park, a national park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Entrance fee: $30 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/blue-creek-trail.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Blue Creek Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Other trails within 50 miles
Homer Wilson Ranch Trail
0 miles from this trail's centroid
Upper Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Ward Spring Trail
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail
3 miles from this trail's centroid
Burro Spring Trail
3 miles from this trail's centroid
Chimneys Trail
3 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.