Home to Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas, and McKittrick Canyon’s fall foliage — a rugged, lightly visited park in the Chihuahuan Desert.

Park Pass

Join the National Parks Club

A single day covers the main trailheads, while 1 to 2 lets you attempt the Guadalupe Peak summit.

No special permit is required to enter.

Van Horn and Carlsbad, New Mexico are the closest towns with real services.

The entrance fee is $10/person (7-day), or purchase a National Parks Yearly Pass.

Why Visit?:

Guadalupe Mountains is a rugged, lightly visited park in the Chihuahuan Desert, home to Guadalupe Peak — the highest point in Texas — and McKittrick Canyon, which puts on a genuinely surprising fall foliage display for a desert park. It sees far fewer visitors than nearby Carlsbad Caverns, which makes for a quieter, more solitary hiking experience.

The elevation change here is dramatic, from desert floor to pine-forested peaks, giving the park more ecological variety than its size might suggest.

Things to Do:

Summiting Guadalupe Peak is the park's marquee hike — strenuous, about 8.5 miles round trip, but it rewards you with the highest point in Texas and a metal pyramid marker at the top. McKittrick Canyon's trail is a gentler option, especially rewarding in late October and early November for fall color.

If you're short on time, the Devil's Hall Trail offers a shorter but still rewarding taste of the park's canyon scenery without the full commitment of the peak summit.

Get the Full Itinerary

Closest airports: El Paso International Airport (ELP) is the most practical option, about 2 hours away with solid flight connections.

Nearby Attractions:

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is about an hour away and pairs naturally with a Guadalupe Mountains visit, and Big Bend National Park is roughly 3.5 hours south for anyone building a bigger West Texas parks trip.