Guadalupe Mountains National Park is a hidden gem of a national park. The Pine Springs Visitor Center is located just under 2 hours east of El Paso, TX or about an hour southwest of Carlsbad, NM. I always recommend a trip to the visitor center when you visit a national park, but this was actually one of my favorites. It focuses a lot on the wildlife in the area, featuring mounted specimens in a replica of their natural habitat.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is actually the remnants of an underwater seascape that previously inhabited the area. The visitor center also talks about the sea life that existed there and shows what they look like fossilized.
As for the rest of the park, this is a great option if you want to get in a good hike with some elevation gain. There is a lot of undeveloped back country on El Capitan, and if you want to reach the highest point in Texas, you’ll have to be willing to backpack in. My friend Melissa and I hiked the Smith Spring and Manzanita Spring Loop trail.
This trail is 2.5 miles with 393 feet of elevation gain and rated as moderate. The trailhead is next to a picnic area with views of Nipple Mountain (aptly named). It starts by taking you past the Frijole Ranch Cultural Museum. Off to the right, you’ll find Manzanita Spring before eventually peaking at Smith Spring. We were under threat of rain and were going to be driving on to Carlsbad afterward, so we didn’t stop at the museum for more than a couple of minutes to read the sign.
Speaking of rain, we were very happy to have light rain and cloud cover for the entire first half of our hike. It was a nice respite from the western Texas heat. Manzanita Spring itself is quite small, so don’t be surprised if you miss it. Along the trail we saw multiple Greater Earless Lizards, several varieties of wildflowers, and the Texas Madrone (a really cool peeling tree).
Once we arrived at Smith Spring, the desert felt a million miles away. In what can only be called a mountain oasis, we rested on the rocks in the spring and I dipped my toes in the cold mountain water.
To protect the habitat, the mouth of the spring is blocked off, but there’s ample space to hang out near the water as it travels down the mountainside. I also had a couple of new experiences while hanging out at the spring – we saw a Hepatic Tanager and I got stung by a bee.
Unfortunately, as we headed down the mountain I also stepped on a rock wrong and twisted my ankle. Still healing, but overall it wasn’t too bad of a sprain. I was able to make it down just fine. Note to self – this is why I wear Chaco’s when I hike and not sneakers. I never hurt myself in Chaco’s!
Smith Spring was absolutely gorgeous and I could have spent hours there. Unfortunately, we had other places to be, but I had a great time. Guadalupe Mountains National Park definitely surprised me and if you’re in the area, its worth the extra drive time!
Next up, Carlsbad Caverns!
Leave a Reply