Guadalupe Mountains National Park

After we left Big Bend we traveled north to Guadelupe Mountains National Park which was at the very top of Texas, just under the border with New Mexico. All around this mountain range is just relatively flat desert, then the Guadelupe's suddenly rise 5000 ft from the desert floor. This was actually once a reef under the sea, called Capitan Reef. Because of this it is composed mainly of limestone, and all around, you are able to see fossils of sea life in the rocks.


We stayed here for four nights... The first night we simply arrived and picked a spot to sleep. The next three nights we camped on the mountain. First, we hiked up to Guadalupe Peak, which is the highest peak in Texas at 8749 ft. From here you can look east, south, and west, and see the flat desert 5000 ft below. We spent the night at a campsite a little ways below the summit.


The next day, we woke up and went back down the mountain to the visitor center, replenished our food and water, and headed back up the other side of the valley to our campsite (Pine Top).


The following morning, this time with thankfully lighter packs, we hiked the Bowl Trail, which took us up Hunter Peak, then around into "the bowl", which was a very nice hike through a region between the mountain peaks where the vegitation and life are more characteristic of regions much further north. This happened because the climate in this area used to be much wetter and cooler many years ago, and when the climate turned warmer and drier, this area in the higher altitude and protected by the surrounding mountians still remains as it used to be.


We spent one more night at the Pine Top campsite, and the following morning hiked back down and left to come to Carlsbad.