Emory Peak Trail

This is the big one — the highest point in Big Bend, and the trail makes you earn every inch of it. You'll start on the Pinnacles Trail through shaded oak and juniper woodland, gaining elevation steadily as the Chisos Basin drops away behind you. The middle section winds through pine forest that feels almost out of place in the Texas desert. Then comes the final push: a scramble up exposed rock that requires using your hands in a few spots. Nearly three thousand feet of climbing over five-plus miles means your legs will be having a serious conversation with you by the top. But that summit view — a full 360-degree panorama stretching into Mexico, across the vast Chihuahuan Desert, and over the jagged Chisos range — is the kind of reward that makes you forget the suffering. This trail belongs to hikers who want to stand on top of something and know they worked for it.