mule ears spring trail

Easy trail through various different desert terrains and well marked. We saw many little lizards which no one was like another. There is a spring in the desert which created a type of “oasis” with green trees, shrubbery and birds. An unusual thing to see on this hot dusty walk. The Mule Ears change shape and perspective as you walk along. We hiked in May and it was very hot. Be sure to carry water and a snack.

The trail head for the Mules Ears trail is off the Ross Maxwell Drive. The trail is relatively flat and short trail and offers many different views of the Mules Ears Peaks. There were only a few hikers on the trail and that made our hike all the more enjoyable.

The Mule Ears Spring hike was very scenic and relaxing, with an interesting variety if deserts plants and of course the Mule Ears formation. We took dozens of photos of plants and lizards we don't see in the Sonoran desert. The spring itself is a lush oasis with ferns, rushes and many other plants. This is a great place to have lunch, enjoy the sound of the wind, a gurgling spring and birds just singing their little hearts out. Approximately 50 feet before the springs, we noticed a sign directing us to Smokey Creek trail. We felt like extending our hike and are glad we did. This trail takes you around behind (and up close if you want) the "mule ears" for a very different view. Apparently, there is enough of a change in rainfall or elevation that the plants were surprisingly different from those we had seen between the parking lot and the spring. Along the trail we found a number of deposits of calcite crystals which looked to us like smokey quartz. We didn't meet anyone on either leg of the hike. We highly recommend the hike to the springs and encourage you continue on the Smokey Creek trail.

We asked the Ranger at Chisos Basin for a recommendation and he gave us this one. A wonderful hike through desert -- in late April lots of things in bloom, great long views, and interesting rocks. We saw colorful lizards and dragonflies, including a bizarre red dragonfly near the spring. The trail head is at the Mule Ears Vista parking lot.

After you leave the craziness of the trail head overlook, this becomes a neat desert hike. Along the way we had a collard lizard lead us up a hill, posing for pictures. The spring area was very interesting. From a few hundreds yards away you can see the bright green tree and underbrush. We lingered until the birds and small critters returned. They left as noise came from down the trail. When we returned to the trailhead, we were in the middle of a lot of campers who were pushed out to the zones when the campgrounds filled. Only one group seemed prepared for backpacking. I hope the aren't ruined for camping.