点评:If you only do one hike in Big Bend, do this one. There are so many great views along the way. In my opinion, some of the most beautiful ones in the park. You'll see volcanic peaks, deep valleys, and views that stretch out into the plains. And to top it off, the very last part of the trail has an element of adventure fun as you reach the peak and find places to sit or stand while you take in the great views.
I would agree with the Park Service's rating of this trail as "moderate". It's a well maintained 4.8 mile (total round-trip), out and back, mostly single-track trail, with about 1130 feet (344 merers) of elevation gain over 2.4 miles. The first half is all up. The way back is down. But the Park Service has done a great job with steps and switchbacks along the way. So none of the grades are very steep. I hiked it starting around 9:30 am, and found that most of the trail had shade. I stopped a lot to look around, take in the sites, and hang out at the top - it took me about 3 hours. But you can do it in about 2.5 hours if you want to.
Some advice. Parking is limited, and it's a popular trail. The parking is often full. So you may need to get your non-hiking friend to drop you off and then take themselves for coffee at the park lodge (which is only a few miles away) while you hike. I was able to get Verizon cell reception at the trailhead. So you can call your friend to pick you up when you're done.
Like I said, this is a great hike. Do it if you get the chance.
翻译:如果您只能在大弯徒步一次,那就选择这条路吧。沿途有许多美景。在我看来,这是公园里最美的风景之一。您将看到火山峰、深谷和延伸到平原的景色。最重要的是,当您到达山顶并找到可以坐下来或站着欣赏美景的地方时,这条小径的最后一部分充满了冒险的乐趣。
我同意公园管理局对这条小径的“中等”评级。这是一条维护良好的 4.8 英里(往返总长)的往返小径,大部分是单轨小径,在 2.4 英里内海拔上升了约 1130 英尺(344 米)。前半段全是上坡。回程是下坡。但公园管理局在沿途的台阶和急转弯方面做得很好。所以没有一个坡度非常陡峭。我从上午 9:30 左右开始徒步,发现大部分小径都有树荫。我停了很多次,四处张望,欣赏美景,在山顶闲逛——花了我大约 3 个小时。但如果你愿意,你可以在大约 2.5 小时内完成。
一些建议。停车位有限,这是一条受欢迎的路线。停车场经常爆满。所以你可能需要让你不徒步旅行的朋友送你,然后在你徒步旅行的时候带他们去公园小屋(只有几英里远)喝咖啡。我在小径入口处能收到 Verizon 手机信号。所以当你完成时,你可以打电话给你的朋友来接你。
就像我说的,这是一次很棒的徒步旅行。如果有机会,就去吧。