"Amazing hike! It was really windy and cold at the top, and of course, I forgot to bring a jacket. But honestly, I preferred the chill over the heat. Celebrated with a summit beer!" — BrotherGoldenHair • Oct 19, 2024

"This was a fun climb to the highest point in Big Bend National Park. I completed this climb with my friends Jayden, Jeremy, and Chloee. Three of us made it to the summit, but Jeremy was unable to summit due to a fear of heights. We completed this hike as an extension of the South Rim Trail. We first took the Laguna Meadows Trail to the Pinnacles Trail. Then, we took the Emory Peak Trail to the summit before returning to the Pinnacles Trail and completing the South Rim Trail. The Laguna Meadow Trail is gradual and only needs followed for 0.3 miles until you reach the fork in the trail. The Pinnacles Trail is pretty easy but does steadily gain elevation leading up to the Emory Peak Trail. Lastly, the Emory Peak trail has a toilet and bear boxes where you can store your gear. The trail is quite steep (1000 ft. elevation gain in 1.5 miles), so be prepared. The last section of the trail is an exposed 25-foot rock scramble. It is not a particularly difficult scramble, but you must pay close attention to what you are doing. The views at the summit are gorgeous. We made it to the summit of Emory Peak in 2 hours. We finished the whole South Rim Trail in 8 hours. Overall, this is a goo..." — Noodles • Dec 20, 2020

"Started before sunlight. Lost the trail and ended up going down a blocked old leg of the trail full of branches. Really nice, interesting (differently landscapes) hike - view from the top frames the full glory of the fossil caldera - and you realize your car is sitting in the fire pit. The wind blowing over the ridge from the south felt like a hairdryer to the face. I knew it would be hot and started early. The people coming up as I was descending I genuinely felt for. 4h car to car. " — fish • Aug 24, 2019

"8:00 AM start up the Pinnacles Trail. Took our time. The last few hundred yards require some scrambling over large rocks. There our two peaks on top, right next to each other. The taller of the two is a little tougher and has the geological survey marker, and logbook. I ran into a nice 6 point buck near the top. Notable: The bar in the basin restaurant doesn't open until 4:00 PM, but has a nice patio for hike recovery, libations and watching the sunset." — Randall • Oct 26, 2016

"It was a nice hike to Emory Peak with a nice little climb at the end. The views were decent, although to the south it was more overcast. I started around 6:55 am with not too much light. I was alone for the entire hike up and back down to the trail crest. This was my first of three summits this day. I went down and did Townsend Point, and then back and did Toll Mountain, then descended back to the trailhead." — ZachTeich • Aug 28, 2016