We woke to damp ground and low clouds drifting through the Chisos Basin, the result of light rain overnight. It wasn’t the most promising start for a hike on one of our favorite trails—Lost Mine—but in Big Bend, patience is often rewarded.
The drive up to the trailhead at Panther Pass did little to boost our confidence. The sky stayed gray, and expectations were modest. Still, we found a parking spot—no small victory these days—and decided to take our chances. It turned out to be the right call.
The Lost Mine Trail begins with a steady, moderate climb, and almost immediately delivers. The first three-quarters of a mile wind upward through welcome shade, offering expanding views into Green Gulch and the Basin Road climbing into the Chisos. The oak, juniper, and pine woodland here feels worlds away from the dry scrub of the Chihuahuan Desert below, a reminder of how dramatically Big Bend’s landscapes can shift with elevation.
At the three-quarter-mile mark, the trail tops out on a ridge above Juniper Canyon, where the views begin to open and the work really starts. A seemingly endless series of switchbacks carries you higher, each turn revealing a little more of the park. At the top, the reward is one of the finest panoramas in Big Bend: Juniper and Pine Canyons and the southern Chisos to the south, the vast Chihuahuan Desert stretching east, Casa Grande rising to the west, and Lost Mine Peak to the north—its name tied to legends of Spanish prospectors searching for riches in these mountains.
Just as we reached the summit, the clouds parted. The views were clear, dramatic, and fleeting. On the descent, the clouds rolled back in, and by the time we reached the parking lot, light rain had returned. Once again, our timing felt just about perfect.
After lunch, we headed east toward Boquillas Canyon, one of the three major canyons carved by the Rio Grande. Rain followed us most of the way, falling harder as we drove, but as luck would have it, it stopped just as we arrived at the trailhead.
The half-mile trail into the canyon is short and mostly easy, with a brief climb at the start. Inside the canyon, steep limestone walls close in, creating a quiet, intimate space that contrasts sharply with the openness of the desert. Twenty years ago, we brought two of our boys here, where they spent endless time climbing and sliding down a large sand hill. Today, that hill has been narrowed by a rockslide—time leaving its mark, as it always does.
As we headed back toward the car, the rain returned, heavier this time. Fortunately, the trail is short, and we made it back without getting completely soaked.
Back in the Chisos Basin, the day wound down quietly. Dinner on our balcony came with a front-row seat to sunset colors washing over Emory Peak, the clouds finally beginning to thin. But the day wasn’t quite finished.
AThat evening, we drove down to Panther Junction for a ranger-led Star Talk. As an International Dark Sky Park, Big Bend delivers night skies that still feel overwhelming. Telescopes were set up, celestial objects came into focus, and stars filled every dark space above us.
Tomorrow, we look forward to more hiking. If today was any indication, Big Bend still has plenty to offer.
Watch our YouTube Short of the day:
