Day 20: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
National Park #5
Guadalupe Mountains is one of the best National Parks you’ve probably never heard of. Nestled in a remote region near the Texas/New Mexico border, the park boasts the highest peak in Texas along with the worlds largest Permian fossil reef. Coming off of heavily trafficked Big Bend, it was a nice break to be in a place that isn’t overrun with humans. The trails here are fun, rugged, and picturesque.
This was only a half day stopover for us, so we only had time to do the Devil’s Hall Trail, which was one of my favorite hikes of the trip so far. The colors are vibrant, the panoramic views of the mountains are spectacular, and the hike has just enough rocks and obstacles to make you feel like you accomplished something at the end. Sondra has more mixed feelings about it after she twisted her ankle and had to turn back (she insisted that I go on and take all the pictures). If we had another a full day here we would have done the McKittrick Canyon Trail which was highly recommended to us by park staff and fellow hikers.
What you need to know:
Texas’s other National Park, but with great trails and views all its own. And way less people.
Pair it with a trip to Carlsbad Caverns National Park - only 30 minutes away to the Northeast.
There’s a great first-come first-serve campsite ($15) near the Pine Springs Visitor Center right off the main highway. It also serves as the trailhead for some of the best trails in the park.
If the campsite is full and you have an RV, there’s a great pull-off area just up Hwy 62/180 from the park.
Cell service is very spotty and non-existent in many parts of the park. There is Wi-Fi at the Pine Springs Visitor Center.
If you really want to push yourself, try the Guadalupe Peak Texas Highpoint Trail which takes you to the highest point in Texas. It’s a challenging 9 hour trip that we didn’t have the time (or stamina?) for.