Parking
From Panther Junction, continue north about a mile, then take the half-mile gravel access road to Lone Mountain Trailhead’s small parking area.
Overview
About Lone Mountain Trail
Why go
- Wide views toward the Chisos, Rosillos, and Dead Horse Mountains.
- A short loop with little elevation gain and a close look at Lone Mountain’s volcanic base.
Heads up
- No shade, and loose pebbles make footing rougher than the grade.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Big Bend map
Full mapElevation3,442–3,648 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Big Bend alerts
- ClosureWeather-related road closuresMentions this trailDo not use these closed roads; NPS lists the closures as in effect until further notice.Official details
- InfoBoquillas Crossing schedule changeBoquillas Crossing is open Friday through Monday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; NPS says it will not change to winter hours at this time. Check current park conditions before planning a crossing.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Big Bend Tour Guide
Your drive to Lone Mountain Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Big Bend National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Big Bend audio tourRecorded for this area
Panther Junction0:00 / 0:30
“You're approaching Panther Junction, the park's central visitor hub.”
Plays on the road 0.5 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Big Bend Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Ocotillo’s Quick Change
- Three Fish Kept a Species Going
- An Oven Under the Ground
- Prickly Pear’s Night Shift
- 110 audio storiesacross Big Bend’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Collared Peccary, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 45 trails, 64 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Lone Mountain Trail
A short desert loopLone Mountain Trail circles the base of an isolated volcanic peak in a 2.
Lone Mountain Trail circles the base of an isolated volcanic peak in a 2.7-mile loop, about a mile north of Panther Junction. Expect about 200 feet of elevation change and one to two hours on the trail. It is a good leg-stretch if you are already nearby and want a broad Chihuahuan Desert view; the payoff is open space and mountain scenery, not a long climb or a shaded walk.
Mostly level, sometimes rockyMost of the loop is fairly level, with a few gradual rises and dips.
Most of the loop is fairly level, with a few gradual rises and dips. The tread sits slightly above the surrounding desert in many places, and the rough sections were built up with local stone. Expect rocks and loose pebbles underfoot; a boulder-field stretch is rougher than the modest elevation suggests. Follow the marked trail rather than cutting across the desert.
The mountain and the viewThe route passes close to Lone Mountain and opens toward the Chisos, Rosillos, and Dead Horse…
The route passes close to Lone Mountain and opens toward the Chisos, Rosillos, and Dead Horse Mountains. Lone Mountain is an isolated peak at the north end of the Chisos, capped with igneous rock over softer shale. The park crew and Texas Conservation Corps shaped the route by hand, moving boulders and rubble to smooth low or steep spots and saving native plants for revegetation.
Plan for sun and waterThere is no shade along the loop.
There is no shade along the loop. Bring water and sun protection; the park recommends one liter of water per person per hour of hiking. Pets are not allowed on park trails. Start at Lone Mountain Trailhead, reached by a half-mile gravel access road about a mile north of Panther Junction; the parking area is small.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Big Bend
377 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
329 sightingsCollared PeccaryMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
500 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
985 sightingsRoadrunnerMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
228 sightingsRavenMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
264 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around noonSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Big Bend. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
