South Rim Trail
in Texas
Roundtrip distance: 12.5 miles (20.2 km) Elevation change: 1,700 feet (518 m) Average hiking time: 6 to 7 hours The hike to the South Rim is one of the most strenuous in the park, but well worth the effort. On clear days, the views encompass a good portion of the Big Bend country as well as mountains in northern Mexico. A loop can be completed by combining the steeper Pinnacles Trail with the more gradual Laguna Meadow Trail.
It is best to get an early start for the strenuous hike out of the Basin. Plan on carrying all the water that you will need for this hike, as Boot Spring is not reliable year-round. Accessibility Both the Pinnacles and the Laguna Meadows trails switchback up and out of the Basin and lead to the South Rim, but the Pinnacles trail is steeper with more log steps.
Some people choose to make a loop by combining the two trails. An easier alternative involves both ascending and descending the Laguna Meadow trail. Hike Smart Bring plenty of water! Carry 1 liter of water per person per hour that you plan to hike.
- States
- Texas
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid coords
- 29.2702°, -103.3011°
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/south-rim-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 South Rim Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
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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.