Ward Spring Trail
in Texas
Trail Information Roundtrip Distance: 3.5 miles (5.6 km) Elevation Change: 500 feet (152 m) Average Hiking Time: 2 hours Dogs and other pets are not allowed on any trails in the park. The Ward Spring Trail is a relatively easy hike through the desert foothills of the Chisos Mountains to a small spring at the base of a volcanic dike. The spring was once part of the Homer Wilson Ranch.
Water for livestock was piped to a stock tank located just north of the present parking lot. You may see sections of the old pipe along the trail. The spring is marked by a dense thicket of willow, walnuts, and sumac.
Depending on rainfall, the spring may create shallow pools of water as it flows a short distance across the surface. Accessibility The trail is narrow and rocky with several short, but steep, descents and ascents that take you across drainages. The entire trail is exposed until you come to the spring.
- States
- Texas
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid coords
- 29.2496°, -103.3722°
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/ward-spring-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 Ward Spring 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
Upper Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Homer Wilson Ranch Trail
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Blue Creek Trail
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Burro Spring Trail
3 miles from this trail's centroid
Window Trail Stop #15
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.