Homer Wilson Ranch Trail
in Texas
Trail Information: Roundtrip Distance: 1 mile (1.6 km) Elevation Change: 200 feet (61 m) Average walking time: 30 minutes A short walk down the hill from the overlook leads to the early-20th-century Homer Wilson Blue Creek Ranch line camp. Hidden in the brush are the remains of a corral with a central snubbing post, a dipping vat for sheep and goats, and a ranch house with a shady porch. Accessibility The rock and gravel trail follows the old road down a steep hill and across two drainages that may flood during the rainy season.
The trail climbs the bank of Blue Creek and leads to the ranchhouse. Other features of the line camp are hidden in thick brush, connected by an indistinct trail. Hike Smart Bring plenty of water! Carry 1 liter of water per person per hour that you plan to hike.
The importance of carrying enough water in this hot, dry climate cannot be overstated! Eat Your body needs food for energy and salts and electrolytes to replace what it's losing from perspiration. The dry climate at Big Bend means that sweat often evaporates almost instantly; your body is likely losing lots of moisture and salts without you even realizing it.
- States
- Texas
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid coords
- 29.2166°, -103.3693°
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/homer-wilson-ranch-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 Homer Wilson Ranch 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
Blue Creek 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.