Many of the best things to do in Guadalupe Mountains National Park involve hiking, making this park a hiker’s paradise. So, if you’re planning a trip to this park, make sure to pack your hiking shoes. You’re going to need them.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in Texas and sits right on the New Mexico-Texas state line. Rather than one main road that goes through the entire park, this national park is broken up into different sections.
Because there are several different areas to visit, you may find it difficult to figure out where to start and where you should focus your time. So, in this guide, I’m going to give a quick overview of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Hopefully this will give you some insight on how to start planning your trip.
Things to Do in Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is broken down by different sections, or areas, of the park. So that’s how I’m going to break down this post.
McKittrick Canyon
Some of the best things to do in Guadalupe Mountains National Park are found in the McKittrick Canyon section of the park. This section has several hikes for visitors to choose from, each at varying levels of difficulty.
The McKittrick Nature Trail is a short 1.0 mile loop. This will be one of the few short hikes you’ll find at Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
The McKittrick Canyon Trail is a popular out and back trail. The trail extends for over 12 miles one way (making it over 24 miles round trip). Because of its length, many people choose to hike only a section of this trail. Popular turn around points include the Pratt Cabin (2.75 miles one way, 5.5 miles round trip), The Grotto (3.5 miles one way, 7 miles round trip), and The Notch (4.5 miles one way, 9 miles round trip).
The Permian Reef Geology Trail is a lesser traveled 9 mile out and back hike.
On my visit, my mom and I hiked to The Grotto on the McKittrick Canyon Trail. It’s a easy hike most of the way, but has a few semi-rocky sections closer to The Grotto. From my research, the trail gets a little more challenging after The Grotto, so we decided The Grotto would be the best turn around point (since this was not our first hike of the day and we were saving up for a longer hike the next day).
My mom and I are pretty average hikers and it took us about 3 hours to hike to The Grotto and back. This includes time to stop for some pictures and a short break.
Pine Springs
Pine Springs is another very popular area for hiking and it’s here that you’ll find one of the most epic things to do in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
Despite the overall low visitor numbers at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, this parking lot can fill up. There are overflow lots, but if you have to use the overflow lots, you’ll be adding more time onto some already long hikes. My mom and I visited in mid November and had no problems getting a parking spot.
Guadalupe Peak is one of the most popular trails, and therefore one of the most popular things to do in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Guadalupe Peak is the highest point in Texas, so for many people, it’s a bucket list item to climb all the way to the top. This is a challenging hike because of the 3000 feet of elevation gain, the 8 miles of hiking, and the uneven terrain.
I’ve written a separate post that goes into more detail about hiking Guadalupe Peak, so be sure to check that out if this sounds like something you want to do.
The Devil’s Hall Trail is a shorter trail that takes you out to a slot canyon. The entire trail is only 3.8 miles, so it’s short compared to many of the other hikes at Guadalupe Mountains. But don’t let that length fool you, it’s still a difficult trail because of the rock scrambling and uneven terrain. My mom and I had a little time before we headed back to our hotel in Carlsbad, so we hiked a portion of this trail.
The first mile is pretty easy, but after that, the trail gets rockier and more difficult. If you’re looking for some nice views and a not too difficult trail, consider hiking just the first mile of this trail (for a two mile round trip).
The Tejas Trail is another hiking trail. This is another long one, coming in at 12 miles one way, or 24 miles round trip. My mom hiked a portion of this trail while I hiked to Guadalupe Peak. She said it was very nice and the pictures show some great views. She recommends this for people who want to do some hiking, but don’t want to tackle Guadalupe Peak.
Finally, there is the El Capitan Trail, which also departs from Pine Springs. El Capitan is the southern most point at Guadalupe Mountains National Park and is the eighth highest peak in Texas at 8,085 feet. The National Park Service states that there is no formal trail to the summit of the mountain, but many people have hiked it.
Frijole Ranch
Located between McKittrick Canyon and Pine Springs, Frijole Ranch has a few shorter hiking options. There is also a museum at the old ranch headquarters that tells the history of the area. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to stop here, but I want to pass on my research to help your planning.
The Smith Spring Loop is 2.3 miles, while the hike to Manzanita Spring is 0.5 miles. You will also find the Foothills Loop at 4.5 miles. The most challenging hike is the strenuous 8.7 mile hike to Hunter Peak. If you are interested in hiking to Hunter Peak, I recommend doing some more research on the NPS website since you have several options to reach the summit.
Salt Basin Dunes
Due to its remoteness, this is one of the least visited areas, but still offers something to do. The main reason to come here is not to hike, but to see the gypsum fields. But due to its remoteness, I didn’t make it out here. It was just too far out of the way to incorporate into my itinerary.
Dog Canyon
Dog Canyon is also remote, but offers some nice hikes. However it’s important to note that the trails are not maintained so it’s a really good idea to have a map. I also did not make it out to this area of the park.
You’ll find numerous hiking trails out here. There’s one short trail: the 0.6 mile Indian Meadow Trail. All of the other trails in Dog Canyon will take you a minimum of three hours, so make sure to budget your time accordingly before heading out to this area of the park.
While there are several trails that are exclusive to just Dog Canyon, you’ll also be able to access some other trails. Both the Tejas Trail and the McKittrick Ridge Trail (said to be the toughest hike in Texas) can be accessed either from McKittrick Canyon or Dog Canyon. If you plan to do McKittrick Ridge, you can make it easier by starting at Dog Canyon where you’ll still get the same awesome views, but will save 800 feet of climbing and a half mile of hiking (but it’s still 1,900 feet of elevation gain and 14.8 miles—so it’s still not exactly an easy hike).
Finally, you’ll also be able to hike the 5.2 mile trail to Marcus Overlook and the 6.4 mile Lost Peak Saddle Trail. Both of these are listed as moderate.
How Long Do You Need at Guadalupe Mountains National Park?
Now that we’ve talked about all of the things to do in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, you need to decide how much hiking you want to do. That’s really going to dictate how long you need.
For people who aren’t big hikers, one day will be sufficient. You can do a little hiking at McKittrick Canyon and a little hiking at Pine Springs.
For people who love hiking, give yourself at least two days. You can use day one as a warm up day and then on your second day, conquer one of the longer hikes, such as Guadalupe Peak.
My mom and I spread our visit across three days. On day 1, we arrived at Guadalupe Mountains and hiked a short section of the Devil’s Hall Trail. On day 2, we visited Carlsbad Caverns in the morning and hiked to The Grotto in the afternoon. Finally, on day 3, I hiked Guadalupe Peak while my mom did a portion of the Tejas Trail.
Getting to Guadalupe Mountains National Park
You’ll need to have your own vehicle to get here. Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in a very rural area. The most convenient town to base yourself in is Carlsbad, New Mexico. However, you’ll still have 45 to 60 minutes of driving one way to reach most areas of Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
In addition, you’ll also need a car to get around the park. In 2022, there were less than 250,000 visitors to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, making it the 13th least visited park of 2022. Because of these numbers, don’t expect to find a shuttle to help you move around.
When To Visit
Summers can be uncomfortably hot, plus you’ll be weighed down carrying extra water. Winters can be cold and snow is possible, particularly at the higher elevations. This makes spring and fall are great times to visit.
I visited in mid November and while chilly in the morning, it ended up being the perfect temperature for hiking in the park.
Where to Stay
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is kind of in the middle of nowhere. That works out well because there’s fewer visitors to this park. The closest town is Carlsbad, which is actually located across the state line in New Mexico. There are plenty of hotel and restaurant options here. From Carlsbad, NM, it’s a 45 to 60 minute drive (depending on where you stay in Carlsbad).
Final Thoughts
The best things to do in Guadalupe Mountains National Park involve hiking, so prepare yourself. I found myself doing more hiking at this park, than I have at other national parks. Maybe it’s because I put in more effort, but there is something nice about this park. From is nice mountain views to its many hiking trails, I had a great visit.
Continue Your Adventure
Guadalupe Peak: While at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, you can hike to Guadalupe Peak – the highest point in Texas.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park: If you’re staying in Carlsbad, NM, you’ll pass right by Carlsbad Caverns National Park on your way to Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
White Sands National Park: With some extra driving, you could loop through Alamogordo, NM to visit White Sands National Park.
Itineraries: In one five day road trip, you can visit White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks.