Located in western Texas, Guadalupe Mountains National Park is one of the most pristine wilderness areas in the country. Established as a national park in 1972, it contains over 86,000 acres of desert, canyons, and mountains offering an abundance of activities for visitors.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park holds over 80 miles of hiking trails from easy to strenuous, enough to suit any fitness level. The Guadalupe Peak trail will take you 8,751 feet up to the highest point in Texas. For a little learning along the way, take the McKittrick Canyon Nature trail and enjoy the trailside exhibits describing plants and geology of the area. Exquisite views into McKittrick Canyon can be found while hiking the Permian Reef trail. These are just a few of the hikes you can experience in this vast and beautiful park. Guided hikes led by volunteers or park rangers are offered as well throughout the year.
Bird watching and wildlife viewing are popular activities throughout the park. Over 300 species of birds call this area home or migrate through it, and the diverse ecosystem supports a variety of wildlife. Visitors may encounter Cooper’s hawks flying overhead and horned lizards scuttling on the ground below. Mule deer, coyotes, and other mammals are also often seen throughout the park. Incredibly, this desert expanse was once the bed of an ancient inland sea, and the mountains of the regions are standing fossils of the coral reefs that were once submerged within, the limestone rubble the only indication of the region’s formerly aquatic nature.
If you have more time to spend, backpacking and camping are excellent ways to enjoy the park as well. Two campgrounds with facilities for tents and RVs are available for use. Overnight visits allow time to see more sights and also provide amazing stargazing opportunities under the dark Texas skies.
Several recent historic sites in the park offer a glimpse into the activities of the late 19th and early 20th century in the land that is now Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Pratt Cabin, the Pinery Station, and the Ship-On-The-Desert feature relics of the past settlement of the area. A 4WD trip down a gravel road leads to the Williams Ranch, constructed in 1908. And the Frijole Ranch, on the National Register of Historic Sites, takes the visitor back in time to experience life in the Guadalupe Mountains in days gone by.
Featured Image from Eric Dekker/Unsplash
