Guadalupe Mountains National Park is one of the least visited National Park in the lower 48 and it’s one that many people have never heard of. The desert landscape and mountain range here remind us a lot of Big Bend National Park. If you’re planning a visit to Carlsbad Caverns, take a day to do a hike at Guadalupe Mountains National Park too!
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Where to Stay in Guadalupe Mountains National Park
No Guadalupe Mountains National Park lodging inside the park is available, but the park does have a couple of campgrounds. Half of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park camping is backcountry camping for multi-day hikers. The remote Dog Canyon area of the park also has a small Guadalupe Mountains National Park camping area. That leaves the Pine Springs Campground for most of the people interested in Guadalupe Mountains National Park camping. Pine Springs has 20 tent sites and a paved parking lot area for 13 RV sites.
Where to Stay Near Guadalupe Mountains National Park
The other camping near Guadalupe Mountains National Park is split between campgrounds and RV parks near Carlsbad NM and campgrounds in Salt Flat, TX.
The best Guadalupe Mountains National Park lodging options are hotels in Carlsbad, NM. While it is nearly an hour drive away from the Pine Springs Visitor Center, this remote area doesn’t have a lot of other options.
When is the Best Time to Visit Guadalupe Mountains National Park?
The ‘busy season’ at this remote national park is during spring months of March to May and fall months of September to December. While many people would consider these months to be the best time to visit Guadalupe Mountains National Park because of the weather, this is also when the small parking lots and trailheads will be most crowded, especially in the Pine Springs area.
We decided the best time to visit Guadalupe Mountains National Park was in February. Although nights can be close to freezing at this time of year, the highs are usually in the 60s and we had a stretch of days in the 80s! In contrast, the town of Carlsbad NM sees temperatures in the 90s and higher from May to September, which we wanted to avoid while camping and hiking.
Tips for Visiting Guadalupe Mountains National Park
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Sun protection – In addition to a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses, we’d recommend wearing long sleeve hiking shirts (or this women’s one) while exploring the park. We did one canyon hike in the evening, which put us in the shade for most of the hike, but it’s best to come prepared for full sun.
Water Storage – Carrying plenty of water is crucial to enjoying your visit to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Park rangers recommend carrying a gallon of water per person for longer hikes and share the advice that once you drink half of your water supply, you need to turn around even if you’re not at the end of your hike. Even if you’re just taking a short trail, you’ll need to carry more than just a single water bottle. We recommend hydration backpacks for adults and kids hydration backpack. If you’re carrying a larger pack, this Platypus water bladder will allow you to bring more water. Each visitor center has a water fill station.
Sturdy hiking shoes – You’ll find a lot of rocky terrain in Guadalupe Mountains, so you’ll want good ankle support. Here are our favorite men’s hiking boots and women’s hiking boots and affordable kids’ hiking sandals.
Trekking poles – We always take trekking poles on hikes with elevation.
Hiking backpack – Ryan carries a 44 liter hiking backpack on all our day hikes, which gives us enough room for snacks, jackets, and extra water (in the Platypus water bladder). That allows the rest of us to wear the smaller hydration backpacks I linked above.
First aid kit – Remote parks mean fewer people on trails, so you’ll want to pack basic first aid supplies and assume that you’ll be on your own on the trail.
Your camera – Even in a desert park, I find things I want to photograph, from cactus flowers to mule deer.
Plenty of food – Guadalupe Mountains is a pretty remote park, so if you’re visiting for an entire day (or camping here), you’ll want to bring all your own food.
If this is your first time visiting a US National Park, here are some additional tips and tricks.
Things to do in Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Backpacking
Multi-day hikes are very popular in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, with 10 different wilderness campgrounds available for backpackers to reserve. However, backpacking is not something our family has experienced yet, so we’ll stick to day hikes and other recommendations.
Best Hikes in Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Out of all the Guadalupe Mountains National Park trails, we’ve narrowed it down to the top 5 to recommend to you. Since most people only spend a day or two here, listing out all the Guadalupe Mountains National Park hiking seemed a little overwhelming.
The Pinery – Easy
Located behind the Pine Springs Visitor Center, this short paved trail is less than a mile round trip and leads to the ruins of the old Pinery Mail Route Station. We enjoyed learning some of the history of the Butterfield Overland Mail Route (which interestingly enough is what the monument on top of Guadalupe Peak commemorates).
Manzanita Spring Trail – Easy
Starting at the Frijole Ranch site, this .5 mile paved trail ends at a wide pool that is a great birdwatching spot. Hikers can continue from this spot an additional .9 miles to Smith Spring.
McKittrick Canyon Nature Loop – Easy
Located just behind the McKittrick Canyon Visitor Center, this nature loop is less than 1 mile long and provides visitors with trailside exhibits about native plants.
Devil’s Hall Trail – Moderate
Devil’s Hall Guadalupe Mountains is one of the best things to do in Guadalupe Mountains National Park with kids. This 4.2 mile hike is half dirt trail and half rock scrambling through the wash, ending in a natural rock staircase and steep canyon walls. The rocky terrain makes for a very fun and interesting hike with kids, although it does also slow you down a lot. We made it about halfway through the mile of rock scrambling, before we had to turn back. I would recommend allowing at least 3 hours to do this hike with kids.
Guadalupe Peak Trail – Hard
The highest point in Texas, Guadalupe Peak is a popular spot for Guadalupe Mountains National Park hiking. This strenuous 8.5 mile hike ascends 3,000 feet to the summit and will take hikers between 6 and 8 hours. Ryan and our 8 year old took on this challenge one day and made it to the monument at the summit.
In addition to Guadalupe Peak, several other peaks in the mountain range can also be climbed. Rangers recommend hiking with at least a gallon of water and share a list of essential items to bring on your hike.
Pine Springs
The most visited portion of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Pine Springs provides visitors with trailheads to some of the best hikes in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
McKittrick Canyon
This area of Guadalupe Mountains National Park is well known for spectacular fall color which stands in stark contrast to the surrounding desert landscape. If you’d like to see fall leaves here, the best time to visit Guadalupe Mountains National Park is in late October to mid November. Ask the rangers for the best Guadalupe Mountains National Park trails to take for fall color during your visit.
Frijole Ranch
The Frijole Ranch Museum and one-room schoolhouse educates visitors on the history of people in this area from the Indigenous people to the early ranching community. This area of the park is open seasonally and one of the short best hikes in Guadalupe Mountains National Park starts here.
Scenic Drives
While there isn’t much roadway inside the park, the roads around Guadalupe Mountains National Park offer beautiful views of the Chihuahuan Desert and mountain range.
Pull-offs on Highway 62/180 provide viewpoints of both Guadalupe Peak and El Capitan.
The remote drives to Dog Canyon and Five Points Vista are both surrounded by Chihuahuan Desert and mountain landscape.
Rangers also recommend a drive to the Salt Basin Dunes and the views that you’ll see of El Capitan on the way.
Dog Canyon
Dog Canyon Guadalupe Mountains National Park is a more remote area than Pine Springs and McKittrick Canyon. Visiting Dog Canyon requires a 2 hour drive around the park from these main visitor areas and 70 miles from the town of Carlsbad. Dog Canyon has a small campground and a selection of day hikes, but we didn’t visit this area of the park.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park Visitor Center
Pine Springs, McKittrick Canyon, and Dog Canyon all have visitor centers, although the Pine Springs Visitor Center is the only one that is staffed throughout the entire year. Park exhibits can be viewed at Pine Springs and McKittrick Canyon.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park Things To Do Nearby
Carlsbad Caverns National Park – Whether you take a ranger-guided tour or a self-guided one, give yourself a couple of hours to wander this large cave. Driving from Guadalupe Mountains to Carlsbad Caverns will take about 45 minutes.
White Sands National Park – While not as close as Carlsbad Caverns, you can drive to White Sands National Park in just about 3 hours and you’ll pass the scenic lookout points for Guadalupe Mountains on Highway 62/180 along the way.
Sitting Bull Falls – A small desert waterfall and popular picnic area.
Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park – If you don’t see any animals during your visit to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, check them out at this small zoo.
Carlsbad Museum and Art Center – A free museum with local art and history displays.
Lake Carlsbad Recreation Area – Enjoy boating, swimming, fishing or biking.
Carlsbad Water Park – Cool off after a long hike at this local water park.
1 Day Guadalupe Mountains National Park Itinerary
Many visitors to Guadalupe Mountains spend just a few hours here, so we’ll share our best recommendations for top Guadalupe Mountains National Park things to do.
If you just have half a day to spend here, the best things to do in Guadalupe Mountains National Park are to visit Pine Springs Visitor Center, take the Pinery Trail to the old stagecoach station, and visit the Frijole Ranch Museum. If time allows, you might also enjoy the Manzanita Spring Trail.
2 Day Guadalupe Mountains National Park Itinerary
Like I mentioned above, our family doesn’t plan backpacking trips in the National Parks, so our 2 day itinerary of things to do in Guadalupe Mountains National Park will focus on short hikes and other sight-seeing.
On your second day in the park, take 3 to 4 hours to hike Devil’s Hall Guadalupe Mountains. We recommend taking along plenty of snacks or even a sandwich, so you don’t have to rush through the hike. We did the hike in the afternoon, which gave us a mostly shaded walk through the canyon, but we did have to watch the clock so we’d be back at the truck by sunset.
3 Day Guadalupe Mountains National Park Itinerary
On your third day in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, spend the day hiking Guadalupe Peak. If yesterday’s Devil’s Hall trail felt like a good warmup, this trail will certainly be a challenge.
Alternatively, if you’d like a more hiking-focused 2 day Guadalupe Mountains National Park itinerary, feel free to take just day 2 and 3 from this itinerary. That’s what we chose for our trip and we really enjoyed it.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park with Kids – 2025 Guide
