Just down the road from Carlsbad Caverns awaits Guadalupe Mountains, a hiker’s paradise. There are no scenic drives or overlooks, the only way to access this park is to lace up your hiking boots. The rangers joked about using 4-wheel drive, meaning you’ll need your hands and feet to navigate some rocky terrain. The scenery is beautiful, on par with Glacier or Big Bend, just a smaller scale.
Hiking Trails
The most popular trail in the park is to Guadalupe Peak (the highest peak in Texas). However, if a 10 mile strenuous hike does not sound appealing to you, Devil’s Hall is a great alternative. This 4.2 mile hike starts off as a regular trail for the first mile, then you climb your way through the “wash” (dry creek bed) the rest of the way to Hiker’s Staircase and Devil’s Hall. Our kids loved all the rock climbing and dubbed this hike “nature’s playground”.
Visitor Centers / Picnic Areas
The two main parking areas are at Pine Springs Visitor Center, the main center, and McKittrick Canyon. There are some other trails to McKittrick Canyon, which is supposed to be beautiful. The best picnic area is at the Pine Springs trailhead, it offered shaded tables. Both centers have limited parking so on a holiday or weekend definitely get there early, or take your chances after lunch that the morning crowd is on their way out.
One thing we do for school on the road is have the boys journal as we go. For Guadalupe we changed things up a bit and had them write a simple poem. I thought it would be fun to share them here. Of course, they had some help from their creative Dad.
Devil’s Hall By: Joshua (9)
Devil’s Hall hike was long and tough
The rocky river wash was really rough
Up the hiker’s staircase we had to climb
To a steep canyon made out of lime
After 4.2 miles I’d had enough!
Devil’s Hall By: Samuel (7)
On our hike up to the Devil’s Hall,
Over boulders we had to crawl.
Be sure not to race
Up the hiker’s staircase.
Be careful not to fall.
Best time to visit:
Fall is supposed to be the ideal time to visit due to the beautiful foliage colors in McKittrick Canyon, however we enjoyed our early Spring visit as well.
Where we stayed:
We rented an Airbnb in Carlsbad, NM. The best thing about it is the proximity to see three National Parks, and the list pretty much ends there. We were busy seeing Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, and Guadalupe Mountains so we didn’t spend any time in Carlsbad. There are some newer hotels on the western side of the city that could be good options. If you prefer Airbnb, I would recommend focusing your search to the north by the river. Its always a good practice to check Zillow when you’re renting in an unfamiliar city.
Other things to do:
Two other National Parks nearby shouldn’t be missed. See our post on Carlsbad Caverns NP and White Sands NP.
