A Hiker’s Guide to the Guadalupe Peak Hike at Guadalupe Mountains National Park
The Guadalupe Peak Hike is a strenuous, 8.4 mile hike that takes 6-8 hours to complete. The elevation gain is 2942 ft for a total elevation of 8750 ft (making this the highest point in Texas)!
What to pack? 2L of water, food, hiking poles, hiking shoes, light jacket and thicker winter clothes if climbing in the winter (it may be cold and windy at the summit). Our recommended gear can be found on our How to Plan the Perfect National Park Trip post.
To appreciate the route the trail takes you, follow along with this hiking guide provided by NPS.
We are at novice to moderate level hikers. This hike took 7 hours to complete – 4 hours up, 3 hours down. The hike itself was very difficult, but it was rewarding and worth it to reach the top of Texas!
We did the hike in January and were concerned that the weather would be too cold and windy to be safe. However, it turned out to be the perfect time to hike. A light jacket was enough to keep us warm.
As you climb up, it will get progressively cooler, but it’s not until you reach the last 1/3 of the hike that you are exposed to strong winds. At the summit, we needed to put on our winter hats and extra jacket that we had in our backpacks. There’s nothing to block the wind when you’re at the highest point in Texas!
Read more about our hike below:
DESCRIPTION OF THE HIKE:
The hike begins at the Pine Springs Canyon campground. This campground provides access the trailhead for Guadalupe Peak, Devil’s Hall, The Bowl, and El Capitan trails.
The first 1.5 mile is said to be the most strenuous part of the hike and involves numerous steep switchbacks as you gain elevation.
As you hike up the face of the mountain, the parking lot at the Pine Springs Campground will still be in view.
You will eventually turn the mountain corner, and enter the Ponderosa Forest portion of the trail.
This side of the mountain gets less sunlight, and in January there was still unmelted snow on the ground despite no recent snowstorms.
This middle portion is the “easiest” part of the hike. Although you will still be gaining elevation, the incline is slightly more flat and involves less switchbacks.
This portion of the hike felt very long, possibly because it was hard to appreciate the elevation you were gaining while covered by the forest.
Eventually, you will reach the backcountry campsite located at ~8000 ft elevation.
This campsite is very close to the wooden bridge, which marks the location of about 2/3 of the way up to the peak.
After you cross the bridge, the hike again gets a little bit more rocky and steep.
There’s still quite a way to go – eventually the wooden bridge you crossed will look like a tiny speck in the distance.
At this point in the hike, you can visualize the true elevation that you have gained.
Expect more winds here as well as exciting views as there is little tree or mountain cover to protect you from the elements (including wind). Eventually, “El Capitan” will come into view.
Once you see this Guadalupe Peak sign, there’s only two more switchbacks to go!
The views from the top are so rewarding! Even on this slightly cloudy day, we could see for miles out.
The winds were very strong at the top, and although our original plan was to have lunch at the peak, we realized we couldn’t spend too long up there. We ended up having lunch at the Backcountry Campsite on our way down.
We had heard that there was a metal box containing a book to sign at the top, but were disappointed to find that the metal box was missing! We signed the book at the trailhead on our way down to document that we had completed the hike!
The hike down is quicker than the hike up but still very long. It took us 3 hours (including lunch break). Make sure you pack enough water and food!
Find more details about our visit to Guadalupe Mountains National Park