Dorgan Sublett Trail
in Texas
Trail Information Roundtrip distance: 1 mile (1.6 km) Elevation Change: 56 feet (17 m) Average Hiking Time: 30 minutes Dogs and other pets are not allowed on any trails in the park. This trail leads to the remains of four structures that were part of the Grand Canyon Farms operation in the early 1900s. The first structure is a stone farmhouse with an exhibit detailing the significance of the farm and the families that lived here.
The wide dirt trail continues east through grasses and desert scrub to a small grove of mesquites with a shaded bench, then proceeds to the second structure, La Casita. From here, the trail ascends a moderately steep hill. At the top of the hill, the trail forks.
What remains of the Sublett house is to the right (this area is especially fragile - stay on the trail). The left fork leads to the Dorgan house, where the fireplace and part of the walls are still standing. Take a look through the windows and enjoy a spectacular view of several Big Bend landmarks - the Chisos Mountains, Emory Peak, and Mule Ears to the north and east; Santa Elena Canyon to the southwest.
- States
- Texas
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid coords
- 29.1548°, -103.5768°
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/dorgan-sublett-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 Dorgan Sublett 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
Santa Elena Canyon Trail
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Mule Ears Trail
9 miles from this trail's centroid
Chimneys Trail
10 miles from this trail's centroid
Burro Spring Trail
11 miles from this trail's centroid
Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail
12 miles from this trail's centroid
Upper Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail
13 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.