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

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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.

To use this map - use the buttons on the bottom right to toggle between the Parks, Places to stay (lodging), and Spots to visit in the parks (Spots)

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.