Guadalupe Mountains National Park

We travelled deep into West Texas in the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert on our route to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The park provided us an unforgettable experience with its diverse landscapes and panoramic views. Between the rich stargazing in the evening and the challenging hiking in the daytime, Guadalupe National Park truly has something for everyone.

McKittrick Canyon Trail to Pratt’s Cabin was a delightful hike. The hike itself was super flat and easy. The adventure was a nice escape for us as the hike provided both tranquility and diverse surroundings. The hike starts off in a desert like landscape until you come upon a small running stream (which you need to cross). The water was so clear and seemed like an oasis based on the desert landscape all around. Shortly, after crossing the stream, you enter into a forest area, which ultimately leads to Pratt’s cabin.

The cabin is tucked away in a grove of trees and is a historic gem. Built in the early 1900’s, it served as a summer retreat for Wallace Pratt, a petroleum geologist. The cabin is maintained by the Park Service and you can look into the cozy rooms and imagine spending time in this remote cabin. Overall, the hike was 5 miles in length, 2.5 miles out and back route with a well-defined path.

Devil’s Hall Trail is a unique and captivating hiking experience. This was a first of its kind hike for me. You really need to be an adventurous rock scrambler to get through this hike and to enjoy it. The overall hike was not long at 2.1 miles and there is minimal elevation gain, however 90% of the hike requires you to scramble over large rocks and boulders. There is no path, as the sign says follow the wash. The wash does indeed lead to Devil’s Hall.

At the trail’s end, you reach Devil’s Hall, which is a vertical walled ravine carved through a thin layered stratum. The narrow passage between 100-foot limestone walls is awesome. The rock formations are something to admire. Of course we have pictures below to share. One last point, since the distance was so short at 2.1 miles and the elevation was minimal, we got a late start, thinking this would be an easy hike. Do not make that mistake. Because of the rocks, boulders and wash terrain it will take 3x as long as normal (both ways) to complete this hike.

Hiking to the top of Guadalupe Peak was more than conquering a summit, it was connecting with Texas’ rugged beauty. The summit also is the high point in the state of Texas. The summit measure 8,751 feet high and the views from the top are breathtaking. We have included both pictures and video from the summit.

The first mile or so was straight up vertical over a rugged trail. There is beauty all along the trail. The hike offers iconic peaks and a number of hidden gems to experience. Around 6,500 feet up we encountered a snow packed trail on the south face of the mountain. As we wound around the mountain to the north face the sun had the trail cleared of any snow. The final assent to the summit was steep with an angled drop off, but doable for sure. The reward was reaching the summit and the marker signifying you have reached the highest point in Texas. In total the hike was 8.5 miles with 3,012 feet of elevation gain. The total hike took us 5 hours (to reach the top and return back down to the trail head). This was one of the best hikes we have ever experienced.

We loved our time in Guadalupe Mountains National Park and this was surprisingly one of the better parks we have visited thus far.