'Literally one of a kind': Guadalupe Mountains National Park is Texas' best kept secret

Guadalupe Mountains National Park probably isn’t on your bucket list. 

With fewer than 220,000 visitors last year, it’s among America’s least-visited national parks, but it’s not for lack of sights.

The West Texas gem is home to the highest point in the state, Guadalupe Peak, and an array of striking scenery across its more than 86,000 acres. 

“It is literally one of a kind,” said the park’s acting superintendent and Visitor Services manager Theresa Moore.

Here’s why and what you should know about Guadalupe Mountains, the latest national park in USA TODAY’s yearlong series.

Why are the Guadalupe Mountains special? 

“So many reasons,” Moore said. “It is a fossilized sponge reef that’s over 260 million years old. So that is incredibly unique ... And if you look at it, we have the Chihuahuan Desert. Go up 3,000 feet and you’re in the middle of a ponderosa pine forest. The biodiversity of the park is amazing and breathtaking.”

Which Native Americans lived in the Guadalupe Mountains?

The following tribes have historic ties to Guadalupe Mountains, according to Moore:

• Mescalero Apache Tribe in New Mexico 
• Comanche Nation in Oklahoma 
• Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma 
• Apache Tribe of Oklahoma 
• Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma 
• Hopi Tribe of Arizona 
• Jicarilla Apache Nation in New Mexico 
• Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma 
• Pueblo of Isleta in New Mexico 
• Pueblo of Zia in New Mexico 
• Pueblo of Zuni inNew Mexico 
• San Carlos Apache Tribe in Arizona 
• Tonto Apache Tribe in Arizona 
• White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation in Arizona 
• Yavapai-Apache Nation of the Camp Verde Indian Reservation in Arizona 
• Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo of Texas 

How many days do you need for the Guadalupe Mountains? 

Moore suggests spending two to three days in the park, noting a roundtrip hike to Guadalupe Peak would take a day on its own. 

“If you would like to explore more than just the top of Texas, we are Texas' largest and oldest designated wilderness,” she said. 

Two of three days also give travelers a chance to visit the park’s cultural sites.

“We have the ruins of the Butterfield stage(coach) route at the Pine Springs and Pinery. We have the Frijole History Ranch Museum,” she said. “Then if you hike up into McKittrick Canyon to the Pratt Cabin and onto the Hunter Line Shack, it’s only about seven miles round trip, but you're going to stop and enjoy the scenery a lot.”

Entrance passes cost $10 and are good for seven days at the park.

What shouldn’t visitors miss at Guadalupe Mountains?

Moore recommends visiting the Frijole Ranch area and hiking to Manzanita Spring.

“This is water that is flowing water in the desert. Water,” she repeated for emphasis. “In addition to that, if you hike from Frijole, behind the ranch house and do the Smith Spring Trail, that takes you into our designated Wilderness. So in a little 2.3-mile loop trail, you not only get to experience the historical cultural side of the park, but you get to walk into the wilderness and it's a flowing spring. It's this little oasis.”

She added that it’s a great place for birdwatching and one of the more accessible areas in the park. 

Moore also suggests seeing Dog Canyon and the Salt Basin Dunes.

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Can you do Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains in one day?

Technically travelers can visit both national parks in one day. Carlsbad Caverns is only 30 minutes away by car, just over the border in New Mexico.

However, to truly experience both parks, more time is required.

What is the best time of year to visit Guadalupe Mountains?

Any time of year is good for a visit, according to Moore.

“In the spring, it's beautiful. The desert is in bloom,” she said. “In the summer, it's hot, but it's still amazing and stunning.”

“If you want to be amazed, come to the park in the fall. We have fall foliage. If you hike McKittrick Canyon, there are maple trees and oak trees, and you get the reds and the yellows and the oranges,” she added. “Then in the winter, if you're a weather geek … our weather is a lot of fun. We have some pretty strong winds that come through the pass there.”

She urges travelers to check the weather whenever they visit, but especially in the winter.

What is the closest city to Guadalupe Mountains National Park?

The closest major city is El Paso, Texas, which is about one hour and 45 minutes away by car. El Paso International Airport is the nearest major airport.

What should visitors know about Guadalupe Mountains National Park?

Moore reminded visitors to come to the park with plenty of gas for their cars and food and water for themselves.

“There is no gas,” she said. “Our park store does sell some little snacks, we do have water refill stations, but be prepared.”

She said phone service can be random, though there is Wi-Fi in the visitor’s center. Moore also noted cell phones sometimes pick up service from towers in Central Time, though the park is in Mountain Time, so it can be confusing. 

Visitors who want to spend the night in the wilderness will need a permit, which they can reserve in advance at Recreation.gov or try for in person with a walk-up. They will need to something they may not expect.

“You must show the ranger one human waste bag per person, per night that you will be in the wilderness,” she said before adding with a laugh. “We're sitting on a 260-plus million-year-old fossilized sponge reef. You can't dig a hole.”