Colima Loop

Colima Loop is the National Park Service’s 9.5-mile loop from Chisos Basin through Pinnacles, Boot Canyon, Colima and Laguna Meadow. It makes a demanding day of the Chisos high country without adding the separate South Rim route. Plan on about seven hours; allow more if you take long breaks. The climb is steep in places, and there is no reliable water along the loop. Start early and carry your full supply.

The marked circuit links several named trails rather than following one path throughout. Pinnacles climbs out of the Basin on very steep switchbacks. Boot Canyon carries you across the high country to the Colima junction; Colima crosses a saddle on Emory Peak’s south side, then the loop turns onto Laguna Meadow to return to the Basin. Laguna Meadow is the more gradual climbing side, so walking the loop this way puts the steeper Pinnacles ascent uphill and the gentler grade on the return. You can walk the loop in reverse if you would rather climb more gradually and descend the steeper Pinnacles switchbacks.

Boot Canyon is the lushest part of the Chisos, with Arizona cypress found nowhere else in the park. Small pools can appear after rain, but they are seasonal; do not count on them for drinking water. In spring and summer, the canyon is a good place to look for Colima Warblers. Boot Rock, a narrow pillar above the canyon, is another landmark along this stretch; frame it above the trees for a distinctive canyon view.

Colima Trail is only one connector within this loop, not the whole hike. It crosses a saddle along the south side of Emory Peak, rising and dropping about 300 feet. The NPS map names this full Basin circuit separately from the South Rim Loop, so keep following the Basin loop’s connection through Laguna Meadow instead of adding a South Rim detour.