Route: Emory Peak (TX)

Location
Texas, US
Distance
9.5 mi
Vertical Gain
2,500 ft
Description

At 7825 feet, Emory Peak is the highest point in Big Bend National Park, and the 5th highest point in Texas. Pinnacles Trail to Emory Peak Trail is the standard route. The pinnacle on the right is the true summit. First step off pavement until you touch the tower and back.  The 15km out & back has a Strava segment, as does the ascent.

GPS Track

Comments

I propose a slight amendment to the current description--which proposes "touching the radio tower" as the summit. This isn't inherently a bad criteria considering many people choose to climb the left pinnacle (because it's easier and often less crowded), or even turn around at the base of the pinnacle not wanting to take the time or effort to "climb" to the actual summit. Using GPX files for verification can become problematic as the final pinnacle climb is a near vertical class 3-4 scramble and is not well captured by GPS data--this is why the Strava segment is incorrect as you don't have to spend the significant time or effort climbing the final vertical meters to the true summit--or summit the wrong pinnancle--and Strava can't differentiate with GPS alone. Since even "touching the radio tower" can also be done without standing on the summit, I propose that future efforts should provide, as additional verification, a geotagged and timestamped photo of themselves with the benchmark (it is located a little to the northeast of the radio tower). This will provide much better evidence that you actually stood on the true summit of Emory Peak.