Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail is a great introductory trail in Big Bend National Park. The Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail starts off of Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and follows a dirt path to a creek bed. Continue up the creek bed until you reach the 100-foot wall of the pouroff.
Most of the time, the trail is dry, but it can fill with water during a rainstorm and cause flash flooding. Rainwater rushes down from the nearby Chisos Mountains along the Upper Burro Mesa Pouroff and over the mesa to the creek bed below where it flows to the Rio Grande.
The pouroff is a deep channel cut into the side of the cliff wall and the end of the hike. From the lower trail, you will be looking up at it. From the upper trail, you will be looking down from the 100-foot wall. The boys were shocked when we told them it took enough water running over the edge to make the indent in the wall. The Javelina Creek, when full of water from a rainstorm, fills the upper trail and it flows over to the lower trail.
Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail Basics
30 Minutes
1 Mile Round Trip
Out-And-Back
120 Feet
Duration: Under 1 Hour
It doesn’t take long to get to the end of this easy hike. You are following the wash and a dirt path that makes it pretty easy to move at a normal walking pace. The average hiking time is less than one hour, close to about 30 minutes.
Distance: 1 Mile Roundtrip
The trail back to the pouroff is only about half of a mile with the first half on a dirt path and the second following the river bed.
Type: Out-and-Back Trail
Once you get to the cliff with the pour off, turn around and retrace your steps back to the parking lot.
Elevation Change: 120 Feet
Most of this change is as you transition from the dirt path to the gravel of the water washout area. Overall, the elevation change is gradual so it is easy to manage.
Season: Spring, Fall, Winter
While the trail can be done in any season, it is safest to avoid June through September. Not only are those the hottest months in the park with temperatures flying past 100 degrees some days, but that’s also the rainy season. Flash floods can and do happen in the dry climate mountains, and you don’t want to be in the pouroff if water comes crashing over the top of the mesa.
Time of Day: Any
Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail can be navigated at any time during the day. If you go early, the cliff face will provide you with some shade as you walk through the creek bed.
Amount of Shade: Minimal
The amount of shade on the trail depends on what time of the day you hike. Sunrise is behind the cliff wall to the Upper Burro Mesa Pouroff, so at least half of your walk will be in the shade of the wall if you go early enough in the morning.
Difficulty: Easy
Overall, this is an easy trail to navigate. It could be a little harder if there was recent rain as the creek bed may be wet and the rocks on the short hike through the creek bed might be slippery.
What Makes Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail a Great Hike?
Lower Burro is a perfect introductory hike to the area. The trail is fairly easy to follow, and the 100-foot cliff wall is a neat sight after a short walk. Because of the water that occasionally rushes through here, the trail is a great place to see many of the plants that grow in the Big Bend desert.
At the end, when you come to the base of the pouroff, there is an opportunity to climb up just a little bit. The boys, of course, had to climb after seeing the hikers before us try the climb. They couldn’t get too far, but still enjoyed the challenge.
The Upper Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail is a moderate 3-mile trail that brings you to the top of the pouroff. Because of the steep cliff face and canyon walls, though, the two Burro Mesa Trails do not connect with each other.
Scenery on the Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail
Start of the Trail
Near the beginning of the trail
Cool looking rock formations
On the Trail
Some of the plant life on the trail
The gravel wash of the creek bed
End of the Trail
The pouroff (and the end of the trail)
Exploring the pouroff
Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trailhead Information
Park Name: Big Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park is home to the Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail. The park is in the southernmost area of West Texas along the Rio Grande River and the border between Mexico and the United States.
Finding the Trailhead
The trailhead is at the end of the parking area. It’s marked by a large sign with information about the trail.
Markers Along the Trail
After passing the trailhead sign, there are no other markers along the trail.
Other Trails at this Trailhead
While there aren’t any other trails from the parking lot, the Burro Springs Trail is on the Burro Mesa Pouroff Road.
Nearest Restrooms: Sotol Vista
This is one of the trailheads in the park that does not have a restroom. The closest restroom is at Sotol Vista, about 5 miles from the trailhead.
Burro Mesa Pouroff Parking
As you drive south on Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive towards the Santa Elena Canyon, after about 11 miles, there will be a turn for Burro Mesa Pouroff Road on the right side. Drive to the end of Burro Mesa Spur Road. Don’t get mixed up with the Upper Burro Mesa Pour-Off Trail parking area which is just a pull-off from the main road.
Tips for Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail
- Take time to admire the many species of plants that grow around the water basin.
- Bring plenty of water and sunscreen if you are doing this trail in the warmer months or later in the day with no shade.
- Check weather forecasts before entering the park since this area is prone to flash floods.
- Complete the Upper Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail for a walk through a box canyon and a view of the pouroff from above.
Accessibility Information for Lower Burro Mesa Pouroff Trail
Dirt, Gravel & Rock
Paved
Trail Type: Dirt, Gravel & Rock
The trail starts as a dirt and gravel walk then becomes very rocky once you hit the washout area.
Parking: Paved
The parking lot is a paved lot at the end of a paved road.