First-Come, First-Served5/10
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South Rim Loop Permit
Big Bend National Park · Texas
Each entry point carries its own quota
Chisos Mountains high route.
70% of the openings our scanner caught on South Rim were gone within 10 minutes.
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South Rim Quick Facts
Permit RequiredYes
Booking MethodFirst-Come, First-Served
Demand LevelModerate6/10
SeasonNovember 1 - online permits open for the Chisos backpacking sites - April 15 - after that, Chisos permits are in person only until October 31
Cost$10 per night for overnight backcountry use, or $5 with a Senior or Access pass.
Max Group Size15 people
South Rim Permit Facts
- As of September 2026, South Rim in Big Bend National Park, Texas requires a permit issued via first-come, first-served.
- The South Rim route covers 12.5 miles with 1,700 feet of elevation gain, rated strenuous.
- Cancelled South Rim permits are re-released on the booking system; PermitSnag monitors availability and alerts watchers when dates open.
Key Information
Key Dates
SeasonNovember 1 - online permits open for the Chisos backpacking sites - April 15 - after that, Chisos permits are in person only until October 31
Permit Details
TypeOvernight
Booking MethodFirst-Come, First-Served
Demand Level6/10
LocationChihuahuan Desert, TX
Pro Tips
- •Check the calendar before you plan a booking. Online permits exist only from November 1 to April 15; the rest of the year you show up in person, at most 24 hours ahead.
- •Carry all your water. The park says Boot Spring is unreliable and usually dry - treat the high country as having none.
- •A gallon per person per day is the park's published summer minimum. Work out the weight before you commit to a two-night trip.
- •Buy the toilet bag system in advance. It is required at every South Rim and East Rim site and is not something you can improvise.
- •The East Rim is open in 2026 - the usual February-to-May peregrine closure was not imposed this year.
What to Expect
Route Details
Distance
12.5 miles
Elevation Gain
1,700 ft
Route Type
Loop
Duration
6 to 7 hours
Difficulty
StrenuousHighlights
- •$10 per night for overnight backcountry use, or $5 with a Senior or Access pass
- •Online permits only from November 1 to April 15; in person only, 24 hours ahead, from April 16 to October 31
- •42 designated backpacking campsites in 14 areas, one to eight miles from the trailhead
- •Cleared tent spots and animal-proof food storage boxes at each site
- •Pack-out toilet bag systems required at all South Rim and East Rim sites
- •No water in the high country you can rely on - Boot Spring is usually dry
- •The peregrine falcon closure is suspended for 2026; the East Rim is open
Best Time to Visit
The park publishes no best-season recommendation for the Chisos high country, so we are not going to invent one. What it does publish is the permit structure: online through Recreation.gov from November 1 to April 15, and in person only, up to 24 hours ahead, from April 16 to October 31. Note that the online window is a permit window and not a statement about conditions.
Hazards & Considerations
- !No reliable water. Boot Spring is unreliable and usually dry, in the park's own words, and other Chisos sources may be dry or stagnant and unsuitable for filtering
- !Heat, at a park where a gallon per person per day is the published minimum
- !Long distances to help - sites sit one to eight miles from the trailhead in country with no water
- !Cold nights at elevation, which surprise people who packed for a desert
- !Mountain lions and black bears, which is why the food storage rule is written the way it is
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (5,000 ft)
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Backcountry Tips
- UV index 8. High altitude sun is intense—sunscreen and hat essential.
Today
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89°
73°
Mon
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88°
70°
Tue
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89°
70°
Wed
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88°
69°
Thu
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86°
71°
Fri
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85°
72°
Sat
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82°
71°
View full NWS forecast →Mountain weather changes rapidly. This forecast is a guide—always be prepared for worse conditions.
How to Get This Permit
1
Create a Recreation.gov account
Sign up at Recreation.gov if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.
2
Know the release schedule
Permits typically release on a rolling basis. Check the specific release time for your desired dates.
3
Be ready when permits drop
Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.
4
Monitor for cancellations
If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.
Difficulty Assessment
Physical Demand4/5
Fitness and endurance required
Technical Skill1/5
Climbing, scrambling, or specialized skills
Exposure Risk3/5
Steep dropoffs and fall potential
Navigation2/5
Route finding and trail clarity
Commitment4/5
Difficulty of bailing out mid-route
Best For
Backpackers who will carry every drop of water they need and are comfortable in remote desert mountains.
Recommended Experience
Desert backpacking and honest water management. The exposure rating covers the rim edge, which is a 2,000-foot drop with no railing, and the consequences of running dry.
Not Recommended For
Anyone planning to refill at Boot Spring, and anyone attempting it in summer heat without the full gallon-per-day load.
About This Permit
A backcountry permit is required for all backcountry camping in Big Bend National Park, at $10 per night for overnight use, or $5 with a Senior or Access pass.
How you get one depends on the date, and this catches people out. Permits for Chisos Mountains backpacking campsites are available online through Recreation.gov from November 1 to April 15. From April 16 to October 31 - which includes all of summer - Chisos backpacking permits can only be obtained in person at visitor centers, up to 24 hours in advance. An older park page still describes a flat 180-day online window; the April 2026 page with the seasonal split is the newer one.
The high country holds 42 designated backpacking campsites divided into 14 campsite areas, with distances varying from one to eight miles each way. Each site has one or more cleared tent spots and one or more animal-proof food storage boxes. Party size across the park may not exceed 15 people. Campers at the South Rim (SR) and East Rim (ER) sites must pack out human waste using a landfill-safe commercial toilet bag system. Ground fires and wood fires are prohibited throughout Big Bend, and in the High Chisos you use containerized fuel stoves only.
Water is the whole planning problem. The park recommends carrying a minimum of one gallon of water per person per day in summer, slightly less in winter, and at least 2 quarts per person for half-day hikes; its South Rim Trail page puts it as one litre per person per hour of hiking. On Boot Spring it is unusually blunt: regardless of what you may have heard, Boot Spring is unreliable and usually dry. It adds that water in the Chisos may be abundant following summer rains, but for much of the year the same locations may be dry or hold stagnant water not suitable for filtering.
One correction worth making explicitly. The park's seasonal peregrine falcon closure applies to the East Rim - a portion of the East Rim Trail from the southern junction of the Boot Canyon Trail to a point just north of campsite ER-4, plus campsites ER-4 through ER-9 - and runs February 1 to May 31 each year. For 2026 it is not in effect: the park states that due to a lack of evidence of nesting by peregrine falcons, the East Rim Trail and campsites will remain open for the 2026 season.
The South Rim loop itself is 12.5 miles with 1,700 feet of elevation change and a 6-to-7-hour estimate from the Chisos Basin. We do not publish a best-season recommendation because the park does not make one - the November 1 to April 15 online window is a permit window, not a season.
The Experience
Why It Matters
The South Rim is the best walking in Texas and the campsites strung along it are the only way to see sunrise from that escarpment. It is also the trip most often underestimated: the park says outright that Boot Spring, the one water source people plan around, is unreliable and usually dry.
The Route
The park publishes the South Rim loop at 12.5 miles round trip with 1,700 feet of elevation change - its word, change, not gain - and 6 to 7 hours, starting near the Chisos Basin parking lot.
Camping is at 42 designated backpacking campsites divided into 14 campsite areas along the trail system in the High Chisos Mountains, with distances varying from one to eight miles each way. Each has one or more cleared tent spots and one or more animal-proof food storage boxes. Campers at the South Rim (SR) and East Rim (ER) sites must pack out human waste using a landfill-safe commercial toilet bag system.
The Feeling
Oak and juniper in Boot Canyon, then the ground simply stops and you are standing on the edge of a 2,000-foot drop with Mexico filling the horizon. Nights are cold at 7,000 feet, even in a desert.
Trailhead Information
Chisos Basin Trailhead
Near the Chisos Basin parking lot. NPS lists the Pinnacles Trail to Emory Peak Trail, Boot Canyon, Juniper Canyon Trail and Northeast Rim, plus the Laguna Meadow Trail to the South Rim and Blue Creek Trail, as departing here.
Restrooms
No water
Parking
When the Basin is open, Recreation.gov says overnight backpackers may park in the large amphitheater lot adjacent to the Chisos Basin Campground.
Notes
Work is scheduled to begin May 1, 2026 and continue for approximately 2 years. NPS says the Chisos Basin Road will be closed at the bottom of the hill with no visitor access to the Chisos Basin developed area, including the store, restaurant, lodge, visitor center and campground, and that trails beginning in the Chisos Basin will not be accessible.
Blue Creek Trail
One of the two approaches NPS names for reaching the high Chisos trails and campsites while the Basin is closed.
Restrooms
No water
Notes
NPS says this adds considerable distance and elevation to any hike into the high Chisos areas.
Juniper Canyon Trail
The other approach NPS names for reaching the South Rim, East Rim, Colima and Boot Canyon trails and their campsites from outside the Chisos Basin.
Restrooms
No water
Notes
NPS gives the same warning: considerable extra distance and elevation compared with starting in the Basin.
Panther Junction Visitor Center
Not a trailhead. This is where the permit is issued in person, up to 24 hours before your first night. NPS lists it open daily 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Restrooms
No water
Getting There
Several highways reach the park: TX 118 from Alpine to Study Butte, or FM 170 from Presidio to Study Butte then 26 miles east to park headquarters, or US 90 or US 385 to Marathon then 70 miles south to headquarters. There is no public transportation to or within the park.
Nearest Services
Recreation.gov says the park has four camp stores but supply and selection can be limited, there are small stores in the communities outside the park, and the last major grocery and hardware shopping is Alpine, Fort Stockton and Del Rio.
Rules & Regulations
- •A backcountry permit is required for ALL backcountry camping in Big Bend National Park
- •Chisos backpacking permits are online November 1 to April 15, and in person only April 16 to October 31, up to 24 hours in advance
- •An organized group or individual party may not exceed a 15 person limit
- •Campers at South Rim (SR) and East Rim (ER) campsites must pack out human waste using a landfill-safe commercial toilet bag system
- •Ground fires and wood fires are prohibited in Big Bend; use containerized fuel stoves only in the High Chisos
- •All food, water, food products, food trash, unclean cooking utensils and other aromatic items must be stored in a hard-sided vehicle or, where provided, a bear resistant storage locker
- •The East Rim seasonal closure runs February 1 to May 31 in years it is imposed; it is not in effect for 2026
Gear Checklist
Required
- Water. The park recommends a minimum of one gallon per person per day in summer, slightly less in winter
- A landfill-safe commercial toilet bag system for South Rim and East Rim sites
- A containerized fuel stove - wood and ground fires are prohibited park-wide
- Sun protection for exposed desert ridgeline
- Warm layers; the Chisos high country gets genuinely cold at night
Recommended
- Extra water capacity beyond the daily minimum, in case a source you hoped for is dry
- A filter, for the rare occasions there is something to filter
- Trekking poles for the descent back into the Basin
- A headlamp for early starts in the heat
Plan Your Trip
🎒
Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for South Rim
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Key Landmarks
↑
1,700ft
Gain↓
1,700ft
Loss⛰️
7,447ft
High📏
6.0mi
Distance📐
5.4%
Avg GradeClick on a marker to view details•4 landmarks
Landmarks (4)
South Rim FAQ
Do I need a permit to backpack the South Rim in Big Bend?
Yes. A backcountry permit is required for all backcountry camping in Big Bend National Park, at $10 per night, or $5 with a Senior or Access pass.
How do I get a Chisos backcountry permit in summer?
In person. Permits for Chisos Mountains backpacking campsites are available online through Recreation.gov only from November 1 to April 15. From April 16 to October 31 they can only be obtained in person at visitor centers, up to 24 hours in advance.
Is there water on the South Rim trail in Big Bend?
Not reliably. The park's own wording is that regardless of what you may have heard, Boot Spring is unreliable and usually dry, and that water in the Chisos may be abundant after summer rains but for much of the year the same locations may be dry or hold stagnant water not suitable for filtering. It recommends carrying a minimum of one gallon of water per person per day in summer.
Is the East Rim closed for peregrine falcons?
Not in 2026. The closure normally runs February 1 to May 31 and covers a portion of the East Rim Trail from the southern junction of the Boot Canyon Trail to a point just north of campsite ER-4, plus campsites ER-4 through ER-9. For this season the park states that due to a lack of evidence of nesting by peregrine falcons, the East Rim Trail and campsites will remain open for the 2026 season.
How long is the South Rim loop in Big Bend?
12.5 miles round trip with 1,700 feet of elevation change - the park's own word is change rather than gain - and an estimated 6 to 7 hours, starting near the Chisos Basin parking lot.
How many campsites are in the Chisos high country?
42 designated backpacking campsites divided into 14 campsite areas along the trail system, with distances varying from one to eight miles each way. Each has one or more cleared tent spots and one or more animal-proof food storage boxes.
Do I have to pack out human waste in the Chisos Mountains?
At the South Rim and East Rim sites, yes. The park requires campers at SR and ER campsites to pack out human waste using a landfill-safe commercial toilet bag system.
👥Community
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Trip Reports
Write ReportPhotography Guide
Golden Hour
The rim looks south and west over Mexico, so late afternoon and sunset are what people carry a pack up here for.
Best Light
Clear days. NPS ties the view to them: on clear days the views take in a good portion of the Big Bend country as well as mountains in northern Mexico.
Beat the Crowds
Recreation.gov says the spring months of March and April are the busiest, along with the Thanksgiving and New Year holidays, and that the park is open and visited year round. Through the construction closure the high Chisos are reached on foot from Blue Creek or Juniper Canyon rather than by driving to the Basin.
Classic Shots
- 📍The drop off the South Rim with the mountains of northern Mexico behind it
- 📍The Pinnacles switchbacks and log steps seen back down toward the Basin
- 📍The forested climb up the Pinnacles Trail, which does not look like Texas at all
- 📍Camp at an SR site with the desert going dark below
Can't Get a South Rim Permit?
Consider these alternatives if your preferred dates aren't available.
Great Smoky Backcountry Overnight
Similar ExperienceDesignated-site backpacking in the southern Appalachians, with water everywhere and bear cables at every site.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
The opposite problem set - too much water rather than none - and a one-month booking window that is open year-round.
Grand Canyon Backcountry Permit
Similar ExperienceBelow-rim desert backpacking on a monthly early access lottery.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
The same heat-and-water discipline on a bigger scale, with taps at the corridor campgrounds whose status the park publishes live.
Old Rag Mountain
Similar ExperienceShenandoah's 9.4-mile ticketed scramble circuit.
Permit required
Tradeoffs
A day trip rather than an overnight, at $2 a head - but capped at 800 people a day and released in two waves.
🏕️
Where to Stay
Nearby campgrounds to complete your South Rim trip
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