The Grotto, Guadalupe Mountains National Park

National GeographicAug 4

Everything You Should Know About Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Texas’s highest peak crowns a 260-million-year-old fossil reef in this remote park, where the Chihuahuan Desert gives way to limestone canyons, dark skies, and the finest fall foliage in the Southwest ...

Open face of a small cave with stone tables and benches

23 things in this story

Guadalupe Peak TrailTrailSand-to-summit trek gaining 3,000 feet, allow six to eight hours
Devil's HallTrailThreads up a limestone wash into a narrow slot canyon
McKittrick Canyon TrailTrailFollows a gentle, shaded canyon floor to the Pratt Cabin
Pratt CabinSightHistoric stone cabin tucked in a limestone grotto
The NotchSightOffers sweeping ridge views
Smith Spring TrailTrailPark's best easy walk, ending at a spring-fed oasis
The Bowl TrailTrailClimbs to a sheltered, pine-forested basin above 8,000 feet
El Capitan OverlookSightStraight-on view of the park’s iconic limestone face
Salt Basin DunesSightOffer exceptional sunrise and sunset photography
Frijole Ranch History MuseumMuseumOffers interpretive exhibits on Mescalero Apache history
Tejas TrailTrailPermit required for backcountry camping
The GrottoSightOpen face of a small cave with stone tables and benches
Pinery TrailTrailStroller-friendly trail to Butterfield Station Ruins
Frijole Ranch Cultural MuseumMuseumEngaging history from Native American and early ranching generations
Pine Springs CampgroundPlaceTent and RV sites adjacent to visitor center
Dog Canyon CampgroundPlaceOffers solitude and cooler temperatures in remote north section
Pine Springs Visitor CenterSightEntrance fee collected here, issues backcountry permits
Manzanita SpringSightDraws concentrations of birds
Manzanita Spring spurTrailShort, suitable for all ages, reliable for wildlife sightings
Hunter Line ShackSight
Butterfield Station RuinsSight
Elsewhere
White’s City Cavern InnHotelWhite's City, United StatesNearest lodging option, basic but functional
Carlsbad Caverns National ParkPlaceCarlsbad, United StatesPair with Guadalupe Mountains for a longer trip

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The Grotto

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Everything You Should Know About Guadalupe Mountains National Park