Guided Backpacking Trips in Chinati Mountains State Natural Area

Angell Expeditions offers day hikes, mountain bike trips, or overnight backpacking trips into the new Chinati Mountains State Natural Area.

Chinati Mountains State Natural Area is newly open to the public, by guided tour only. Hiking the old dirt roads to see the various points
of interest is a typical day trip/hike. Seeing the historic cabins, various archeological sites, and natural springs are possible on these day
trips.

Guests MUST be fit, and willing to bushwhack! Bad knees? Bad feet? Bad back? Bad heart? This is not your trip. It’s a brand new State park, and infrastructure has not been established, so we will follow game trails and old mining trails, or no trails at all. Visitors must be guided.

The Chinati park is 40,000 acres, and is very remote and rugged, but amazing!  At higher elevations are pinon pine, oaks, juniper, and agave. There are cottonwood groves with springs, and a large water tank called a “pila”. Home of a Agave Nector Bat Sanctuary as well.

The highest peak in the park is Sierra Parda at 7400 ft. and is a challenging overnight trip. There are lots of archaeological sites, and your guide Charlie is very knowledgeable.

There are cabins (not yet habitable) we can camp nearby, and we can hike from cabin to cabin. They were built by friends of Donald Judd, whose land abuts the new park. The closest cabins are about two hours in by foot.

Hiking the higher elevations, where the old silver mines and high forests are, is primarily bushwhacking, with no defined trails. The high elevation hikes are best done as an overnight backpacking trip. Anyone not in a high level of fitness will not do well on this – anyone with bad knees, bad back, bad balance, overweight, or other health issues should not participate. This park is not accessible by vehicle.

“The Chinati Mountains State Natural Area offers solitude and a primitive experience in an important part of the Chihuahuan Desert in Far West Texas. The majority of the state natural area is dedicated to the conservation of natural, cultural, and historic resources, which can be visited through a number of low impact recreational facilities. Public use prioritizes regulated trail access and primitive camping.”
Texas Parks and Wildlife

Chinati Mountains State Natural Area

Pila or Water Tank in Chinati Mountains