We Visited All 63 U.S. National Parks

When visited:            July, 2009 and November, 2021

When Established:   September 30, 1972

Park ranking:            47 out of 63

Highlight:                  Highest point in Texas – ancient sea reef – fossils

Why not to go:          Hot, dry, not a lot of accommodations – the nearest gas station is 30 miles away

We have been to Guadalupe Mountains National Park on two different occasions.  The first occasion was on a family trip that swung through Texas that included a stop at Big Bend National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico.  Carlsbad Caverns National Park is about 30 miles from Guadalupe Mountains National Park and the town of Carlsbad, New Mexico can make a good base to visit both parks.  Guadalupe Mountains is also about 4.5 to 5 hours from Big Bend National Park and 3.5 hours from White Sands National Park.

Cacti blooming in the park

Our visit in 2009 was a hike through the park on a stopover from our drive from Big Bend to Carlsbad.  We had an amazing time in Big Bend despite the summer heat and were amped for more national park experiences.  At Guadalupe Mountains, we began to hike from the Pine Springs Trailhead on a 4-mile hike to Devil’s Hall. A three to four hour round trip hike seemed like the right amount to stretch the legs.  We began our hike and were enjoying the desert landscape under a cloudless sky.  About 30 minutes into the hike one cloud appeared and we believed we heard thunder.  Due to the warning signs about hiking in a wash during a thunderstorm, we became uneasy.  After a few more minutes we decided the risk was too great. 

It never did begin to rain which added to our disappointment, but we did rock scrambling and continued to explore the park near the visitor center.

Views from the trail to Guadalupe Peak

The park is not what I would call pretty or beautiful.  In fact, many people probably would drive right past it.  The area became a national park because it is an ancient marine fossil reef.  Millions of years ago, this area was covered with a tropical sea that housed sponges, algae, and marine organisms.  These organisms built up a reef along 400 miles of the shoreline.  As the sea evaporated, the reef was buried in sediment and salt and covered up.  Eventually uplift exposed the massive portions of the reef leaving the mountains of today.

On our return visit in 2021, I travelled to Santa Fe, New Mexico for work and Missy came along.  We used this as a means to visit White Sands National Park and do a return visit to Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns national parks.  Guadalupe to White Sands is about a three and a half hour drive – so one looking to combine a several day trip could easily knock off these national parks. 

I should note that not all of the amazement comes from national parks.  My favorite NPS site in Texas and New Mexico by far is Chaco Canyon National Monument.  The Monument is about 3.5 hours west of Santa Fe and Albuquerque but definitely worth seeing the mind-blowing remnants of the giant city of the Chaco people.  It is a spiritual experience and is one of the best national monuments I have visited. You can feel the ghosts and be filled with a sense of awe regarding the precision of construction and the massive size of the cities truly in the middle of the desert. Historians remain split into the purpose of the buildings, why people left and marvel and the astronomical precision and alignment with the equinoxes. To me this is one of the sites in the US that makes me feel small and our time here so fleeting. If Chaco Canyon were a national park it would be higher up in my rankings — not sure where it would be but it is a top 40 site at least for the history and spirituality.

Chaco Canyon National Monument — a must see while in New Mexico

On our November 2021, trip we decided to hike to the “Top of Texas” or Guadalupe Peak.  The hike is a very strenuous, 8.4-mile round trip hike with a 3,000-foot elevation gain. It takes from six to eight hours to complete the hike.  The elevation at the peak is 8,751 feet. The trail passes through high desert and high elevation forests.

The hike departs from the Pine Springs Trailhead which is near the Visitor Center.  We got an early start to beat the heat and had a beautiful day – we hiked in multiple layers and made sure to wear long sleeves for sun protection.  The trail is steep and includes several switchbacks and stone steps– an early morning hike will help ensure that you are in the shade of the adjacent hill.  Whenever you feel like it, pause to take a look at the valley below as your views are almost always unimpeded.  It took us about 4 hours of hiking to reach the summit – we had beautiful views of cacti, some wild flowers and views that allowed you to see for miles across Texas.

Wildflowers along the Guadalupe Peaks trail

The summit is marked by a large triangular marker which makes it impossible to miss. We joined about a dozen people at the summit — so you won’t be all alone, but you won’t experience large crowds!

Summit marker at Guadalupe Peak

It took us less time to return to hike down the mountain with a feeling of accomplishment by having reached the roof of Texas.  Don’t underestimate how tiring on the legs it can be to hike down steep trails where footing can be a little loose – we didn’t have our hiking poles but in some spots, we wish we did!

Views for miles from the Guadalupe Peak Trail

We stopped at the Visitor Center before we left and appreciated our achievement.  It wasn’t the prettiest hike, but it was challenging and rewarding. We left appreciating why Guadalupe Mountains was a national park.  We returned back to Carlsbad and had enough time to catch the evening bat show to see the bats exit the Carlsbad Caverns National Park cave entrance for the second time.  It was definitely worth the return visit.