Laguna Meadow Trail is a 7.8 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Terlingua, Texas that features beautiful wild flowers. The trail is rated as moderate and is primarily used for hiking, walking, camping, and bird watching.
Big Bend National Park charges a fee to enter. Fees are $30 per vehicle or $25 per motorcycle. If you are entering on foot, horse, or bike the fee is $15 per person. You can also purchase a park specific annual pass for $55.
Beauty in every direction, tricky on the way down with ice on trail
This hike was great! We started from the Chisos Basin visitor center around 2pm and went a little over halfway and then turned back around 4:30pm because it was starting to get darker, and we got back to the visitor center around 6:15pm. We took our time and took a couple breaks throughout the hike. The hike was mostly an incline all the way up and it can tire you out if you’re not in good shape, we used trekking poles and it helped a lot. There were many steps and switchbacks throughout the trail, and it was cool to look back and see the trail that you walked up along side of the mountain, looked like a mountain road that you could travel up from a distance. It was icy and muddy in the shaded areas so be mindful of where you’re stepping. We saw and heard many Mexican Jay’s, sometimes it scared us after seeing the mountain lion and bear sign but we didn’t see any big animals. Throughout the trail there were many trees forming canopies that you walk through with really pretty leaves and colors everywhere. If you enjoy Camping and Hiking Adventures, check out our travel blog website to 43 National Parks in 1yr :) www.NationalParkAdventureGuide.com
I hiked up the Pinnacles Trail to my campsite in Boot Canyon, and based on a recommendation from the ranger, in the morning I took Laguna Meadows back down to the trailhead. Pinnacles Trail was an icy, muddy mess and going down looked much more painful than it had been to go up - Laguna Meadows was also icy and muddy, but much, much less so. If you're planning to do the full loop, I strongly recommend going clockwise up Pinnacles and down Laguna, but given the current conditions I don't really recommend attempting it as a day hike unless you like hiking on ice in the dark. From the Boot Canyon campsites via Colima trail, it took me about 3 hours to make it back to the trail head. Great views, and lots of great birdwatching along the way.
Icy trails up pinnacles and down laguna. skipped the peak from the terrain and took south rim instead - highly recommend it the views were beautiful
Great trip Emory peak was worth it plan ahead if you want a campsite
Easier way to the south rim in my opinion than pinnacles trail!! Both are very pretty and the campsites on the east rim are highly recommended
I went up Laguna and down Pinnacle making it about a 10 mile loop. Going up is a steady incline but not too steep and pretty smooth. Coming down was steeper and rocky
Pinnacles was super tough on the way up. Was exhausted, made the rest of the trail tough. Wasn’t sure we’d make it. It was much tougher than we expected.
Came to Big Bend last November on Thanksgiving weekend (first mistake) to go backpacking for the first time and I was terribly underprepared for the journey ahead of me. Got a camp site for the first night along Colima trail and took Laguna Meadow to get there. We started at around 1pm (second mistake) and didn’t make it to the campsite until around 8pm. Regardless of my mistakes, the hike was amazing. The views got better and better as we went along. It was definitely a challenge though. Not a route I’d recommend for a beginner hiker, but it’s still doable. Give yourself plenty of time and as always remember to stay hydrated!
I started this hike before sunrise to avoid the June heat. Lovely watching the sun rise over the mountains. They do have a bear box to put your bag in as you go up to emory peak!