Hiking Big Bend National Park: Outer Mountain Loop

Nice report Luke.  Never under estimate the water needed on the OML, the lower desert really takes it out of folks, especially people not used to it.  They no longer let you cache food in the bear boxes at Homer Wilson (where you cached water) or Juniper canyon trailhead.  There are several sources of water besides Fresno creek but it is the best and usually clearer just a few hundred feet down stream of the trail.

Here is one of the best pieces of info on hiking the OML and Big Bend Chat is the place for all information on the park and the area.

Nice write-up, Luke! Glad you got to experience the Outer Mountain Loop. Thanksgiving is a nice time for it, though I’ve had better luck being a little further away from the winter solstice so there’s more daylight to take advantage of (but obviously, not so far that it’s summertime).

Both times I’ve done the OML I’ve been lucky enough to be in the park (or real close) in order to get a nice early start and spend the entire full day hiking. That usually has put me down at the junction with the Dodson Trail for the first night’s camp, or even slightly past it. I’m sure you know this, but if you had been able to get an earlier start on Day 1, then you probably would have been able to enjoy Day 2 a little more (wouldn’t have had to hike so far / sweat so hard / drink so much).

I hope you’ve also gotten a chance to see the South Rim (perhaps on some other trip to Big Bend). IMHO it is the best view in the whole park, and perhaps one of the best in the whole region. If you get a head start on Day 1 of the OML, then it’s easy to camp on the South Rim at the end of Day 3, and then have an easy hike back down to the Basin on the morning of Day 4.

Anyway, I’m just tooting my own horn, but glad you got to check out this classic route.

The cafe/gas station at the Adventure Motel in Study Butte has amazing burgers n fries!  they also have what I would call the absolute best bacon on the planet if you get there early enough for their all you can eat breakfast buffet…..

just saying….