Guadalupe Mountains - Texas
Date Walked: 16th February 2009
Distance: 4.3 miles (7 km)
Actual Ascent: 465ft (142m)
Time Taken: 2 hours
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in West Texas and crosses the border to the north with New Mexico. It is a fantastic place to walk and I took the opportunity to do so in February 2009.
there is an excellent visitor centre with free maps of the area and hikes and excellent facilities
there are some fantastic trails and a beautiful February day is just about the best time to see them (without the heat of summer)
El Capitan is the name of the tallest peak in the park and it is visible from many of the hikes.
El Capitan is the name of the tallest peak in the park and it is visible from many of the hikes.
the trails are great, well maintained whilst still sympathetic to their surroundings
after taking a look around I opted to walk the 'Devils Hall Trail' starting from a 4 point trail-head.
Right from the start you are surrounded by typical Texan landscapes with cacti and dry grasses making up most of the surroundings
the few trees in the area are somehow managing to survive the heat of summer and producing blooms in early spring
the colours of the desert are spectacular, with stunning blue skies, lush green plants and red cacti
the ''waterfall' on my map is lacking in its main requirement today, but that leaves me a nice walk along the dry stream bed
the cliffs now towering above leave me constantly glancing upward ...though I'm not sure what I expect to see
up ahead I see the cutting that is known as the Devils Hall
the shade means there is a little chill in the air as I start to walk through the 'devils hall' ...... well either that or the name gives me the shivers
looking directly upward give me little reassurance, what a wonderful place for a trap I think to myself as I speed up the pace a little
out of the 'hall' and back into the sunshine
suddenly the chills are gone (so it must be the shade ....right) I stop for a drink and a bite to eat
the dry stream bed on the way out is covered in dried leaves and pine needles making a glorious golden carpet through the rocks
soon I am back on the official trail heading back to the visitor centre
This is a great park and just a few miles north of here in New Mexico lies Carlsbad Caverns, home to some enormous underground rooms and stalactites / stalagmites and of course ...bats. Really worth combining these two locations in one visit.