Guadalupe Mountains National Park — Attraction in Carlsbad

I really enjoyed the natural beauty and wildlife in this park. The hiking trails were great and the flora and Fana of the area really made this a unique West Texas experience. The Rangers I met were great, The visitor center was really informative, definitely worth checking out if you’re into geology or wildlife. Also, if you’re from Texas, this place is a bit cooler than the rest of the state in Summer so if you don’t mind mid 80s to low 90s in the afternoon, this is a decent place to beat the heat. Nighttime temperatures were perfect for camping under the stars.

That being said, there are a couple reasons I didn’t give this place a five star. The first and most obvious reason is that while the park is preserved very nicely, The campgrounds are so close to the highway that you don’t really get to enjoy the sounds of nature until after sunset. Another thing is that at night, you can see you all the lights of the oil fields between Carlsbad and Pecos. I know the park can’t control that but it’s really depressing to see, the smog was pretty terrible too.

Finally, I had a couple gripes with the campground. The first one is that the tent sites are made up of the hardest and most uncomfortable rock you will ever sleep on. If you plan to camp in a tent, be sure to bring extra padding because there is no give in the ground. On top of that, it rained a couple inches one afternoon while we were there and the tent pad site puddled up and flooded all of our gear. I understand preserving the area but being forced into a little camping space that collects water was not ideal.

With that being said, the hikes were fun and engaging, the geology of the area was very interesting, and there is plenty of desert nature to gawk at. Don’t let anyone tell you that there’s no life in the desert, this place was absolutely packed with insects, vegetation, frogs, snakes, mammals (watch out for skunks though), and birds. Would...

Gorgeous national park. Park Ranger at the visitor center was incredibly sweet and helpful. $10 to visit and the pass is good for 7 days, incredible deal.

I hiked up to the peak of the Guadalupe Mountain. The path is marked as strenuous, I didn't find it that physically demanding. Took me 2 hours to reach the peak, that was with stopping to take multiple pictures.

I made the grave mistake of hiking in running shoes which provided no foot protection and my feet were ok. The hike up is rocky but not treacherous. I didn't roll my foot not a single time. As long as you wear proper foot protection, your feet will be fine.

On my way up to the peak, I just couldn't take my eyes off the mountain adjacent of Guadalupe. That mountain is such a pretty marvel.

I also forgot to spray myself with insect repellent. Bugs don't really bother until you reach the mountain peak... Once you at the peak, be prepared to be attacked by an endless army of flies.

Take off your sunglasses sometimes so you can fully take in all the beauty that surrounds you. This hike has 2 false summits. The first one got me good. You got quite a ways to go buddy. 😄

Once you reach the peak itself, you'll be rewarded by a jaw dropping absolutely stunning panoramic view. It does get crowded up there. Fellow hikers are quite friendly making light conversation and offering to take photos. You may even make a new friend. ☺️

Hiking back down the mountain is going to test how strong your knees really are. The rocky terrain will be brutal on your knees and feet. I highly recommend walking sticks for this.

I saw a young child and a dog at the peak. Because of how rough the terrain is going down, I wouldn't bring a young child or a dog to...

Here is why I give this park 4 stars instead of 5. The only issue I had with this place is that you have to park your vehicle in the parking spots, then carry your gear to your campsite. The campsite distance ranges from 50 feet to 150 feet from your car. Now our spot was #12. Our tent (12x16) fit perfectly there. Any bigger tent than that wouldn't work for us. Now, there was a lot of strong wind (about 20 to 30 mph) all night long. Our tent stood the test. The 2 tents behind us didn't. So, both campers slept in their cars. So, make sure you have a good tent, a dome tent will be better. Ok. Now, let's talk about the good things about this park. There is a garbage dumpster next to each set of campsites. There is also a parking spot per site. They also have bathrooms relatively close to each set of groups of campgrounds. The bathrooms don't have power so bring your flashlight. The toilets were vault toilets. The restrooms are wheelchair ♿ accessible. They also had hand sanitizer in each restroom. Restrooms were clean. There is a good amount of hiking to do here. If you want to experience some awesome hiking, this place is good for it. Trails range from 1 hour to 5 hours. Those are out and back trials, very beautiful scenery and well-maintained trails. The park ranger was nice, courteous, and helpful in telling us about the area, trails, and things to do. Overall, I would camp there again. I wouldn't go in the month of February because of the wind factor. It was loud. I would go in the spring as the ranger said because it isn't windy. I would go back and do more hiking there for sure. I would recommend you camp more than one day to enjoy the trails and hike more than one....