Chimneys Trail
in Texas
Roundtrip Distance to the Chimneys: 4.8 miles (7.7 km) One-way Distance to Old Maverick Road: 7.5 miles (12.0 km) Elevation Change: 400 ft. (121m) (to the Chimneys) Average Walking Time: 2.5 hours (to the Chimneys) Dogs and other pets are not allowed on any trails in the park. A 2.5-mile hike through desert grassland and across sandy washes will take you to a volcanic dike that stretches across the desert floor.
Both pictographs (painted images) and petroglyphs (images carved into rock) decorate the southernmost chimney. The oldest images are several thousand years old. Barbed wire and fence posts mark the more recent ranching history.
Most people hike to the chimneys and back, a moderate 4.8-mile hike. However, the trail does continue beyond the chimneys for another 5.1 miles. This hike option is best if you have two vehicles or can arrange a pickup on the Old Maverick Road end of the trail.
- States
- Texas
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid coords
- 29.2057°, -103.4234°
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/chimneys-trailhead.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 Chimneys 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
Burro Spring Trail
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Mule Ears Trail
3 miles from this trail's centroid
Upper Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail
3 miles from this trail's centroid
Homer Wilson Ranch Trail
3 miles from this trail's centroid
Blue Creek 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.