We are a family of six who love to go on adventures. One of our more recent adventures was when we took our Boston Terrier, Hannah, to Big Bend Ranch State Park. We had lots of fun! One of the most fun things we did was hike the Closed Canyon trail!
The Closed Canyon trail is 22 miles west of the Barton Warnock Visitors Center. Dogs are allowed as long as they are on a leash. The trail is about 1.4 miles round-trip and easy to navigate. There are some fairly large rocks that you have to climb over or slide down. This is a really fun trail as long as you don't mind the climb.
Another thing to enjoy on the trail is the wildlife and foliage. There were quite a few plants, even in the dead of winter! One of the plants we were able to identify was the Ox Eye Daisy, which is known for its medicinal purposes. We also found a few cacti growing in some peculiar spots. It's amazing how resilient they can be.
Some cool geological highlights to note were an abundance of quartz veins in the Canyon walls and the amazing smoothness of color variations in the rocks and canyon walls.
True to it's name it is unfortunately closed once you reach a certain point. It is tempting to want to venture beyond the taunting chain and no trespassing signs but safety first because unfortunately, the reason it's closed before the end of the Canyon is because it gets too dangerous and there is a cliff and dangerous drop off.
Legend has it (on the internet) that there may be a deep water hole swarmed by angry hornets located on the trail beyond the chain. So please heed the warning signs.
It took a family of six and an incredibly old Boston terrier about one hour to complete the trail. We like to stop and investigate and play along the way so it can be done quicker but I would make sure to bring plenty of water. You may also want to bring some snacks for energy.
We went in the afternoon in the dead of winter and the temperatures were maybe in the sixties. We'd definitely suggest going in the late winter or in the springtime. It gets very hot in the summer so it may be a good idea to plan accordingly. Please be careful going in bad weather as the Canyon is subject to flash floods, please check local weather and parks before heading to enjoy the trail!
It's easy to see what makes this trail one of our family's favorite hiking adventures. We hope you get a chance to experience it.
Closed Canyon trail is Cannon approved and a must see if you're in the Big Bend area!
Written by: Marley Ruth Cannon, age 11, and Ever Nyx Cannon, age 10.
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