McKittrick Canyon Trail to the Guadalupe Mountains Peak of West Texas [Highest summit in Texas]
Guadalupe Mountains Peak of West Texas, located near Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Video Edited By: Chris Alexis Jr.
Footage Captured by: GoPro Hero Session 5
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Guadalupe Mountains, Texas -- Hiking, backpacking in one of the nation's most pristine wilderness parks. With over 100 sq. miles, this park has the highest peaks in Texas. These water-less flatlands in west Texas, have an above ground ocean reef. Find out the history of the park that had once been an ocean floor.
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Van Horn, Texas to Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Texas 54 exits tiny Van Horn, heading north. The road gives you a great look at El Capitan and Guadalupe Peak for about a half hour before finally turning onto US 62/180 for the final few miles into Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Serious road geeks will also notice that this video begins at the western terminus of US Highway 90, which finishes its cross-country journey at Van Horn.
Salt Basin Loop - Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Part 1 of 3 of my September trip to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. I hiked the Salt Basin Loop. I parked my car off the highway and walked up the old road to a wash and then connected to the Salt Basin Loop. This loop is a walk along the foothills of the Guads and under El Capitan. Some great views of the park. Very underrated section. The trail was overgrown but doable. Found some old Mescalero Apache signs in the rocks at the overlook.
Be sure and check out part 2 of my trip The Permian Reef Trail.
And part 3 of my trip McKittrick Canyon and McKittrick Ridge.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park: scenery, camping, and hiking in West Texas
Guadalupe Mountains National Park, located in Salt Flat, West Texas, has some of the best hiking, camping, and scenery.
This was taken over a weekend camping trip in Guadalupe Mountains National Park in January 2018. My girlfriend and I had a lot of fun camping at the base of the mountains and also hiking to Guadalupe peak, which happens to be the highest elevation in Texas at 8750 ft. above sea level.
Featured Background music: Put in headphones and pick your own gat damn song!
The hike length was about 8 hours out and back. The day was extremely windy... I would definitely recommend bringing extra layers.
Camping at the Guadalupe Mountains is incredible because you're at campsites in the middle of the Chihuahuan desert and are surrounded by shoulder-high cactuses and other desert brush. There are cheap campsites for both RV and tent camping. There are trails to and from the campsites, where the Guadalupe mountains are literally staring down at you. It's quite a scene. Once you get to the top you can see for miles.
For more information on camping or visiting Guadalupe Mountains National Park, visit the National Park Service website here:
Texas: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is in the Guadalupe Mountains of Texas, east of El Paso. The mountain range includes Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet (2,667 m), and El Capitan which was used as a landmark by travelers along the route later followed by the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach line. The ruins of an old stagecoach station stand near the Pine Springs visitor center. The restored Frijole Ranch contains a small museum of local ranching history and is the trailhead for Smith Spring. The park covers 86,367 acres (134.9 sq mi; 349.5 km2) in the same mountain range as Carlsbad Caverns National Park, about 25 miles (40 km) to the north in New Mexico. The Guadalupe Peak Trail winds through pinyon pine and Douglas-fir forests as it ascends over 3,000 feet (910 m) to the summit of Guadalupe Peak, with views of El Capitan and the Chihuahuan Desert.
The park also contains McKittrick Canyon. A trail in the canyon leads to a stone cabin built in the early 1930s as the vacation home of Wallace Pratt, a petroleum geologist who donated land to establish the park.
Dog Canyon, on the northern park boundary at the Texas-New Mexico State line, is accessed via Carlsbad, New Mexico or Dell City, Texas. Camping is available at the Pine Springs campground and at Dog Canyon. A public corral for livestock is available by reservation.
Gypsum sand dunes lie on the west side of the park near Dell City. A rough four-wheel drive road leads to the Williams Ranch.
Archaeological evidence has shown that people lived over 10,000 years ago in and among the many caves and alcoves. Hunter-gatherers followed large game and collected edible vegetation. This conclusion is supported by the discovery of projectile points, baskets, pottery, and rock art.
The first Europeans to arrive in the area were the Spanish in the 16th century, introducing horses; nomadic indigenous tribes like the Apaches soon found them an asset for hunting and migrating. Mescalero Apaches followed game and harvested the agave (or mescal) for food and fiber (Mescalero is Spanish for mescal-maker). Agave roasting pits and other artifacts of Mescalero culture can be found in the park.
The Mescalero Apaches remained in the mountains through the mid-19th century, but they were challenged by an American transportation route at the end of the American Civil War. During the 1840s and 1850s many people immigrating west crossed the area. In 1858, Pinery Station was constructed near Pine Springs for the Butterfield Overland Mail. The Butterfield Overland Mail traveled over Guadalupe Pass located at 5,534 ft (1,687 m) above sea level. The 9th Cavalry Regiment was ordered to the area to stop Indian raids on settlements and mail stage route. During the winter of 1869, Lt. H.B. Cushing led his troops into the Guadalupe Mountains and destroyed two Mescalero Apache camps. They were eventually driven out of the area and into US reservations.
Felix McKittrick was one of the first European settlers in the Guadalupe Mountains; he worked cattle during the 1870s. McKittrick Canyon is thought to be named after him.
In 1921, Wallace Pratt, a geologist for Humble Oil and Refining Company, was impressed by the beauty of McKittrick Canyon and bought the land to build two houses there. Both were used as summer homes by Pratt and his family up until 1960. Wallace Pratt donated about 6,000 acres (9.4 sq mi; 24.3 km2) of McKittrick Canyon which became part of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, which was dedicated and formally opened to the public in September, 1972.
There are three major ecosystems contained within the mountain range. First of all, deserts exhibit salt flats on the western side of the National Park and creosote desert, with low elevations on the east covered with grassland, pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) and junipers such as alligator juniper (J. deppeana) and one-seeded juniper (J. monosperma). Secondly, canyon interiors such as McKittrick, Bear, and Pine Springs Canyon on the southeast end exhibit maple, ash, chinquapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii), and other deciduous trees. These trees are able to grow in the desert due to springs of water recharged by wet uplands. Finally, alpine uplands known as 'The Bowl' exceeding elevations of 7,000 ft (2,100 m) are clothed with denser forests of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), southwestern white pine (Pinus strobiformis), and Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii subsp. glauca), with small stands of aspen.
The range contains many large cave systems, including Carlsbad Caverns and Lechuguilla Cave.
Tikohikes Tejas trail Guadalupe Mountians National Park, Salt Flat,TX
Big thank you to Isaac, for the awesome camera shots, and making it out there, and up
Salt Flats Texas
Salt Flats just west of the Guadalupe Mountains in West Texas right on the border with New Mexico
A Day at Devils Hall- Guadalupe Mountains
Went for a little hike in the Guadalupe Mountains so I made a video of the view I had!
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Texas Hwy 180: Approaching Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Guadalupe Mountains National Park - Sunrise and Sunset Hikes (#2/419)
On Day 3 of exploring Guadalupe Mountains National Park, we did two hikes - Smith Spring hike at sunrise and Salt Basin dunes at sunset. We were hoping to see more wildlife, but only saw a rabbit and some birds. We also saw a beautiful Christmas Cholla cactus.
We are Matt & Diana and we live in an RV full time and are on a journey to visit all 400+ National Park Units. To follow us along subscribe to our channel here
Guadalupe Mountains National Park was unit #2 out of #419 on our journey to visit them all. See a detailed write up here:
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Approaching the Guadalupe Mountains
Driving west towards the Guadalupe Mountains on US highway 62/180 in Texas.
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El Paso + Guadalupe Mountains National Park | US Road Trip Days 7-9
We road tripped from Seattle to Texas for the holidays and during days 7-9 of the trip we spent time in El Paso, Texas and Guadalupe Mountains National Park where we found some hidden gems: awesome coffee shops, delicious food, amazing Texas hospitality, and completely secluded sand dunes!
Check out the rest of our Road Trip vlogs here:
Plan your own Guadalupe Mountains National Park adventure with our Travel Guide:
FOOD
L & J Cafe:
El Taquito:
COFFEE
District Coffee:
Mas y Menos:
HIKES
Franklin Mountains State Park:
Salt Basin Dunes--Guadalupe Mountains National Park:
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ABOUT US
Hi y'all! We’re Adam and Kathryn, an adventurous married couple living in a Sprinter van! You can often find us scoping out the best coffee shops, eating tacos, climbing mountains, cuddling our fur child Kona, and dreaming about Hawaii.
We created Adventures of A+K to help busy, budget conscious, and adventurous travelers maximize their vacation time and money wherever they go through detailed travel guides, vlogs, and resources. Our goal: to help you spend less time (and stress!) planning your trip and more time enjoying it!
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The Best Places to Visit in Texas, USA
The Best Places to Visit in Texas, USA
Texas, the Lone Star State, is the second largest as well as the second most populated state in the US. It holds some of the most beautiful spots in the world. Beautiful sights, lovely people and amazing places make this a must visit destination.
#1.Palo Duro Canyon
#2.The Alamo
#3.Trinity River Park & Dallas Skyline
#4.Hamilton Pool (Dripping Springs)
#5.Guadalupe Peak Trail(Salt Flat)
#6.Devil’s Waterhole,Burnet
#7.Caverns of Sonora,Sonora
#8.Big Bend National Park
#9.Six Flags Fiesta Texas
#10.Moody Gardens
Shooting The Light: Guadalupe Mountains National Park Salt Basin Dunes EP3
Day 3 of my trip to GMNP and we went to the west side of the park the Salt Basin Dunes. It is a hour and half drive to get there and another 2 mile hike in to the dunes. Taking the Ebony and shooting Velvia 50. The light was incredible and right as the sun was going down the sand went reddish, of course Velvia just made it explode with color. A few minutes later it completely changed. It was a wonderful end to the day and I hope to get back out there again to photograph more.
Music: Piano Moment: Bensound.com
Slow Motion: Bensound.com
Pine Springs Campground Overview - Guadalupe Mountains National Park
This is just a quick overview of the Pine Springs Campground in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It is located between Carlsbad, NM and El Paso, TX. It is in a desert environment and is very exposed to the sun and wind.
Take a look around and what the Pine Springs area looks like. As of posting this video, entrance into the park is $5 and campsites are $8 per night.
Desert Gardens Oasis, Lobo Texas, get away from everything...
Cheap and great place where you can truly get away from everything.
Take your camper, car, bicycle and come here for total peace and tranquility.
US-180 west,west of Pine Springs Texas
abandoned buildings on side of highway south of new Mexico border
Hiking the Highest Point in Texas: Guadalupe Peak
Jake Struck and I drive 6 hours, so that we can hike to the tallest point in Texas. Guadalupe Peak is in Salt Flat, Texas and it 8,750 feet above sea level.
Music (in order of appearance):
(I do not own the rights nor am I making any profits off of the music used in this video)
Simple & Sweet- Jon Bellion
Swimming in the Moonlight- Bad Suns
Paul Simon- Wild Rivers
Pull Your Weight- Vinyl Theatre
No Story Time- Smallpools
Fade Away- Vinyl Theatre
You & Me- The Hunna
Saint Raymond- As We Are Now
Doing It For The Money- Foster The People
little light- lewis watson
Passenger Side- Smallpools
Where the Skies Are Blue- The Lumineers
If you are interested in hiking Guadalupe Peak:
Important information to know before hiking Guadalupe Peak:
Inquiries: highpointingbird@gmail.com
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10 Acres Raw Land - Outside of El Paso, TX
BlackBeardLand.com brings this beautiful 10 Acre raw land parcel to you at a reasonable price. It offers beautiful views of the Guadalupe Mountains and close enough to explore Carlsbad Caverns. Imagine exploring Mother Nature'ss secrets right out your front door? Just an 1.5 hours outside of El Paso, TX this could be your getaway. If you enjoy camping, hunting, fishing, birdwatching, horse back riding, golf and so much more...then this Hudspeth County, Texas lot is MEANT for YOU! Make me an offer, it WON'T last long. All offers will be considered, Phil@BlackBeardLand.com or 910-805-1255.
PS. Get your FREE Land Buying Report (valued at $99) at