Situated in remote west Texas at the extreme southern end of the 50-mile long mountain range from which it takes its name, Guadalupe Mountains National Park preserves an area that has long been a crossroads for travelers making their way across the vast reaches of the desert southwest.
Guide to Guadalupe Mountains
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
This little-known park is home to an incredibly intricate mountain range that rises abruptly from the desert confines of the Chihuahuan Desert. Within the park boundary are the four highest peaks in Texas, the world’s largest Permian Reef, and a legendary landscape that once tempted fortune seeking explorers with fabled tales of buried gold.
The massive cliffs of these wind swept mountains served as a navigational landmark for centuries and today provide an opportunity for adventure in an otherwise forgotten area. There is truly not much out in this region… except an incredibly cool national park.
The park is home to Guadalupe Peak, which at 8,751 feet is the highest point in Texas. While this peak takes the prize for the tallest, its southern sub-peak El Capitan (8,085′) is the more obvious from most vantage points and has guided American Natives, Spanish explorers and settlers journeying across this rugged landscape for centuries. The sheer wall of El Capitan, rising vertically above the surrounding terrain can be seen from far away, appearing as a large monolith and a beacon in the Chihauhaun Desert.
Where is Guadalupe Mountains National Park?
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is found in western Texas, about 90 miles due east of El Paso. The park runs north to the New Mexico state line, which acts as the northern boundary. The mountain range continues northeastward however, spanning a distance of nearly 50 miles before reaching its northern terminus, just north of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, which is also located within the Guadalupe Mountain Range.
Most visitors will access the park via US Hwy 62/180. The Pine Springs Visitor Center is located just off the highway, about 35 miles south of Whites City, New Mexico, which is the entry point for Carlsbad Caverns.
Exploring Guadalupe Mountains
Guadalupe Mountains offers a multitude of interesting scenery, historic structures and geologic attractions that will provide curious visitors an array of daily destinations. While there are plenty of attractions in Guadalupe Mountains, the primary objective of many visitors will be the mountains themselves.
Pine Springs
The center of the universe in Guadalupe Mountains would definitely be Pine Springs. This area is home to the park’s most popular trails, as well as the Pine Springs Visitor Center and the Pine Springs Campground.
Located right on US Hwy 62/180, Pine Spings is the jumping off point for hikes into The Bowl, the Devil’s Hallway and of course, Guadalupe Peak. Other options exist here too, such as the El Capitan Trail, and routes that lead toward the Frijole Ranch.
Frijole Ranch
Just up the highway, to the north of Pine Springs, visitors can stop by the Frijole Ranch, which dates back to 1876. The original structure was built by the Rader brothers, who chose this area to ranch a small herd of cattle due to its proximity to five separate springs.
The ranch house sits a mere 40 feet from Frijole Spring, and holds a nice arrangement of cottonwood trees, which provide a bounty of shade. Water runs from the springhouse across the lawn and into a series of swales that feed water to a number of the larger trees.
A small picnic area is found in the parking lot, as well as a trailhead with access to the Smith Spring Trail, the Foothills Trail and the Frijole Trail, which leads to the Pine Springs Visitor Center.
McKittrick Canyon
McKittrick Canyon lies in the geographic heart of the park and is designated as a day-use only area. The canyon becomes insanely popular in the fall months, when the area’s deciduous big tooth maples, oaks and various desert shrubs blast off into an incredibly diverse array of red, yellow and orange. Consider car-pooling to this scene, as the parking lots during the fall are usually an auto version of musical chairs.
Numerous lengths of trail exist here, but most people make their way up to the Pratt Cabin, which is about 2.5 miles up-canyon from the parking lot. This cabin was a summer home to geologist Wallace Pratt, whose 5,632 acre donation in 1957 paved the way for the formation of Guadalupe Mountains National Park in 1972.
For the leaf peeping crowd, a fall hike to Pratt Cabin will usually satisfy the desire to see some of the most colorful fall foliage outside of New England.
Salt Basin Sand Dunes
Guadalupe Mountains is also home to a large field of Gypsum sand dunes, which covers about 2,000 acres and reaches heights of about 60 feet. Gypsum sand is white sand, formed from calcium sulfate. It is the same type of sand that is found at White Sands National Park, nearby in southern New Mexico, which forms the world’s largest gypsum dunes.
The dunes at Guadalupe are nowhere near the size found in White Sands, but they are certainly worth a visit. A sunset view of these dunes in the foreground with the sharp abutment of El Capitan in the background makes for a perfect end to a long day in the park.
The dunes are not hard to access, but are a substantial distance from most of the park’s highlights. Located at the far western edge of the park, it is about a 45 mile drive one-way from Pine Springs to the dunes.
William’s Ranch
For those who drive a 4×4, or don’t mind a rocky road mountain bike ride, a day trip to Williams Ranch is possible. This small ranch house is located on the western front of the Guadalupe Mountains, and stands as a testament to the fortitude of early ranchers and pioneers who carved a living out of the rugged landscape of the Chihuahuan Desert in centuries past.
The gated road to the ranch is rocky and rough, but is straightforward and passable by a standard 4×4. It is located about 7 miles north of US Hwy 62/180. In order to visit the ranch, acquire a key to the gate from the Pine Springs Visitor Center, where you will also receive directions to the ranch. It is not hard to find. Williams Ranch is a day use area, and the key must be returned by the end of business hours.
Dog Canyon
For those who must see each area of the park, no matter how remote, a trip to Dog Canyon is in order. This canyon is situated on the northern boundary of the park, just south of the New Mexico state line.
There is a small campground, in addition to a small visitor center. Numerous trails lead from Dog Canyon into the heights of the park, and this can be a good area to stage a trip into the more remote northern area’s of the park’s mountains.
Dog Canyon sits at an elevation of 6,300 feet, making it a bit cooler in the summers, and its canyon location offers a greater degree of protection from winter and spring winds, which can become somewhat bothersome in the Pine Springs Campground.
Playtime
Guadalupe Mountains offers numerous opportunities for outdoor activity. Short trails lead into low-lying canyons and to historic ranches that tell tales of old. Many guests find their way into such areas during the fall months, when golden deciduous leaves display incredible sights in these remote areas.
For the more motivated, mountain trails lead into another world, high above the desolate reaches of the Chihuahuan Desert. In addition to hiking to the top of the tallest peak, backcountry enthusiasts can thoroughly explore the park’s high country.
Over 80 miles of trail lead from cactus and shrub-lined desert lowlands into the upper regions, where thick coniferous forests, much like those found hundreds of miles north in the Rockies, stretch across the tops of the Guadalupe Mountains and north into New Mexico.
Backpackers and horseback riders can access remote regions of the park and wander through the heart of Guadalupes, where they find lush forests, vast canyons, and flowing streams in a welcoming wilderness.
Backcountry camps are situated throughout the mountains and overnight stays in areas such as “the Bowl” offer unique views of the rising and setting sun while many sites found deeper in the mountains guarantee solitude and an escape from the worries of everyday life.
Remote areas of the park can be accessed by vehicle as well. A drive to the Williams Ranch provides a historic lesson for those with a high-clearance 4×4, or a journey to Dog Canyon takes visitors to the park’s lesser-known northern outpost, which offers a campground and a small visitor in a very remote canyon.
Geology of Guadalupe Mountains
An ancient Permian Reef, covered by a tropical sea some 260 million years ago, this mountain range was formed of the bodies of deceased aquatic life combined with minerals and sand while underwater.
Upon the water’s eventual retreat, sediment added to the complexity of the soil and over millions of years led to the formation of thick layers of limestone rock which were slowly thrust skyward by tectonic plate movements, beginning around 25 million years ago.
In the years since this uplift, erosion has had its way on both the surfaces and the depths of these mountains, forming the beautiful peaks of Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns below the mountains, in the northern realm of the same range.
Services in Guadalupe Mountains
This 86,000 acre park is virtually unknown to most all but true Park Junkies, receiving less that 188,000 recorded visitors in 2019. Although the Visitor Center has a small number of trinkets and t-shirts, there is virtually nothing of societal creation nearby, save the highway that passes by the park, so bring everything you’ll need.
Those who wish to visit Guadalupe Mountains would be wise to check weather forecasts, as the area receives massive winds which may frustrate travel into the upper regions of the park.
Park Junkie Verdict
This is one of my favorite parks among those which remain relatively unknown to the masses. While crowds fight for parking spaces in other parks, hikers in Guadalupe Mountains cruise peaceful miles in solitude and wonder why there is no one here.
My first visit to the park was a drive-by, and I really found no reason to return for about 20 years. When I did return with the desire to hike Guadalupe Peak in December of 2016, the ever-present winter wind blew me back into my car, and back to on the road southward.
My third visit was a charm however. I forced myself to the summit of the highest point in Texas, despite the wind, which was still blowing like mad. I made my way up the trail, to the summit and the shiny pinnacle atop the mountain. I had perspired so heavily that I stripped my upper layers, pulled dry ones from my pack, and relayered before retreating from the wind with a quickness, accidentally leaving my favorite beanie drying on a bush at the top of the mountain.
The fact that I left my hat on the summit meant that I climbed the peak again the very next day. Being slightly warmer and less windy this time, I stayed for one of the most memorable sunsets of my life, and descended during a full moon that brought me to my knees, with tears of gratitude streaming from my eyes. I am not sure that I saw God that evening, but I certainly left that mountain a better soul.
I have returned yearly ever since, and make a pilgrimage to the top of Texas, with my hat… which I make sure to have on my person when I make my way down from the peak.
Get out here, explore the Guadalupes for yourself! You’ll be glad you did.
See ya there…
Guide to Guadalupe Mountains
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