Guadalupe Mountains National Park

We were able to spend a day and a half exploring Guadalupe Mtns NP on our big West Texas Road trip where we visited 4 national parks in a week!

Guadalupe Mountains is one of the least visited national parks, but we loved its unique landscape!

• The NP is perhaps most well known for the hike up to the tallest peak in Texas sitting at 8751 ft high. The Guadalupe Peak hike is no joke, but earns you bragging rights and an amazing view!
• Be prepared for strong winds here, especially if you’re planning to hike the high elevation trails!
• We also recommend the Devils Hall, Smith Springs, and McKittrick Canyon trails if you’re looking for something easy to moderate.
• If you’re planning on visiting Guadalupe Mountains, be sure to also visit the nearby Carlsbad Caverns NP only 30 min away.

We had time to complete two hikes on our trip. Follow along with this map of the park. Click the links below to find detailed descriptions of our hikes.

• Devil’s Hall Trail
• Guadalupe Peak Hike
• More Hikes

Detailed descriptions of the other hikes at Guadalupe Mtns. NP can be found here

• Easy
  • The Pinery Trail – 0.75 mi
  • Smith Spring Trail – 2.3 mi, 1-2 hrs
  • Indian Meadow Nature Trail – 0.6 mi
  • McKittrick Canyon Nature Trail – 0.9 mi, <1 hr
• Moderate
  • Devil’s Hall – 4.2 mi, 2.5-3 hrs
  • Frijole & Foothills Trail – 5.5 mi, 3-4 hrs
  • McKittrick Canyon – can be taken to Pratt Canyon (4.8 mi, 2-3 hrs) or further The Grotto and Hunter Line Cabin (6.8 mi round trip, 4-5 hrs)
  • Salt Basin Dunes – 3-4 mi
• Strenuous
  • Guadalupe Peak – 8.4 mi, 6-8 hrs
  • The Bowl – 8.5 mi, 6-8 hrs
  • El Capitan – 11.3 mi, 6-8 hrs
  • Permian Reef Trail – 8.4 mi

Read more about our High Yield West Texas road trip , National Parks

#htxtravelers