Hi there! Today we will be taking a trip out to West Texas to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

 

This National Park is remote, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t garner the attention it deserves!

The Guadalupe Mountains National Park protects the world’s most extensive Permian fossil reef, the four highest peaks in Texas, an environmentally diverse collection of flora and fauna, and some of the best hiking trails in the Southwest.

 

Without further ado, let’s jump into the article!

 

 

For more information on this National Park, here is a link to their website.

 

 

 

 

 

Guadalupe Mountains National Park: A Complete Review

 

 

The old saying goes, everything is bigger in Texas.

Even the mountains.

 

My wife Dawna and daughter Maddy had the pleasure of enjoying this beautiful park on our Spring Break trip. After exploring the marvelous Carlsbad Caverns the day before, we made sure to knock out two parks in a week.

And if I’m being honest here, one day didn’t do this place any justice at all.

Which is why we will make it back and explore more of the rugged trails that are here.

If you like remote, this is your park.

And secondly, if you don’t like enormous crowds, this is also your park.

I really like West Texas. I like the flora and fauna. I love the remoteness.

But thirdly, I really love the hiking trails here. We hiked two of the trails here, The Devil’s Hall Trail and the McKittrick Canyon Trail.

 

 

The Devil’s Hall Trail

 

The most popular trail in the park is Guadalupe Peak. Unfortunately for us, this wasn’t in the cards because we have our 4-year-old daughter Maddy with us. So, we opted for a kid-friendly trail which was the Devil’s Hall Trail.

This trail had both beauty and ruggedness. Furthermore, this route showcased the scenic high desert landscapes along the entirety of the route. Also, springtime in West Texas completely shows off. You get a chance to witness many beautiful blooms from the surrounding flora.

After hiking this for about an hour, it was time for lunch.

Let’s talk about lunch for a minute while we are on the subject.

You don’t have any food options here. Knowing this beforehand, we came prepared. We packed our favorite sandwiches and snacks and loaded up our ice-chest full of the necessities.

 

McKittrick Canyon

 

So, we finished up the first half of our day at the Devil’s Hall Trail. Now it was time for the 2nd half.

McKittrick Canyon.

 

In addition, our daughter Maddy was a trooper on this trail as well.

Maddy is our foster daughter and unfortunately, I cannot post any pictures of her here due to DHS stipulations. But someday I will.

Being four years old, she did more than held her own. She was hiking with two avid hikers in some pretty rugged conditions even for a couple of grown adults.

But let’s get back to the trail, no pun intended.

 

The McKittrick Canyon Trail follows the floor of South McKittrick Canyon for four miles before climbing steeply to gain the ridge on the north side of the canyon.

This is an arduous climb provides spectacular views into the canyon and to the ridges that border it.

It’s not a question of “if” but more so of “when” we make it back, we will do the Guadalupe Peak. That is the highest point of Texas. When visiting this park, do me a huge favor and knock out both the caverns and the Guadalupe Mountains. They are only 30 minutes apart, and if you’re a National Park junkie like me, you will want to experience both for yourself.

 

Getting to the Park

We stayed in Artesia, NM. I don’t regret this one bit. And I will tell you why.

It was centrally located, and it had the amenities of a small city.

The nearest city with major air service is El Paso, about 80 miles west. US highways 62 and 180 lead from El Paso to the park, on good road.

If you decide to go to the Dog Canyon Park entrance should be sure to fill up in Carlsbad (or Artesia), as the two-hour round trip between these towns and the park is somewhat fuel-intensive (due to alternating grades) and devoid of filling stations.

Take care on the road to Dog Canyon and do not drive it in the dark — New Mexico seems to think guardrails are for sissies.

 

 

Thoughts & Takeaways

And that will wrap things up for today. The Guadalupe Mountains National Park is a beautiful and remote outdoor playground for people of all ages. Even for a four-year-old. Come prepared, take lots of pictures, and be ready to take in the views that West Texas has to offer. Like I said before, everything is bigger in Texas.

 

 

 

-CT