In addition to being Texas’s highest point, Guadalupe Mountains National Park is home to breathtaking natural beauty, winding trails through serene forests, fascinating local history, and the world’s largest Permian fossil reef. At Guadalupe Mountains National Park, you can see deserts and dunes, canyons and mountains, as well as a diverse range of flora and fauna, among other things. Camping, hiking, and thrill-seeking enthusiasts are all welcome. Over the course of the last 10,000 years, these mountains have witnessed a great deal of activity. Early hunter-gatherers lived in the area’s numerous caves, and later the Mescalero Apaches discovered the land’s game hunting opportunities and established themselves there. Artifacts from their time in the area, such as agave roasting pits, can still be found in various locations throughout the region. There’s a small museum at the nearby Frijole Ranch that tells the story of the people who came and went the conflicts and conquests that took place, and everything that led up to the establishment of a national park on this incredible mountain range.
For hikers, Guadalupe Mountains National Park is a must-visit destination, offering more than 80 miles of trails that wind through everything from woodland canyons to lush springs. Trekkers with some experience can reach the more rugged parts of the park by ascending steep switchbacks that zigzag up the mountains, where they will find breathtaking photo opportunities.
Entrances and how to reach Guadalupe Mountains National Park
U.S. Highway 62/180 connects Guadalupe Mountains National Park to the rest of the state in Far West Texas. A major city with an international airport is El Paso, Texas, which is less than two hours away and serves as the closest major city to the area. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located directly across the border from New Mexico. In part because of the parks’ close proximity to one another and their isolation from the rest of the world, most visitors choose to visit them both while already in the vicinity.
Traveling by Car
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in far western Texas on United States Route 180/Hwy 62. On Highway 54, the driving distance is 110 miles east of El Paso, Texas; 56 miles southwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico; and 62 miles north of Van Horn.
Visitors traveling to Dog Canyon, which is located on the park’s northern edge, can reach the area by taking New Mexico State Road 137.
Traveling by Plane
El Paso, Texas, is the closest large commercial airport with regular commercial airline service. Other airlines provide service to cities such as Albuquerque, New Mexico, Lubbock, and Midland, Texas, and Mesa Airlines provides service between Albuquerque and Carlsbad, New Mexico, among other destinations.
Public Transportation
In the park, there are no public transportation options or shuttle services.
Getting around the park
However, while the drive into Guadalupe Mountains National Park is scenic from any direction, there are no paved driving tours available within the park itself. Several park roads provide access to various locations, including the Pine Springs Visitor Center and Pine Springs Campground, as well as the McKittrick Canyon Contact Station, Frijole Ranch, Williams Ranch, the Salt Basin Dunes day-use area, and trailheads.
The majority of visitors enjoy the park by hiking along one of its more than 80 miles of trails, which range in difficulty from easy to strenuous in difficulty. Many of the trails are rocky, steep, and rugged in nature. Guadalupe Peak, around the base of El Capitan, up into the high country, and into McKittrick Canyon are all accessible via hiking trails. McKittrick Canyon (McKittrick Canyon Nature Trail), the Headquarters Visitor Center (Pinery Trail), and Dog Canyon are all places where you can go on a self-guided nature trail (Indian Meadow Trail).