Guadalupe Mountains National Park

See the NPS website for Guadalupe Mtns NP to get detailed trail information - this is my impression of the hike.

Make sure you wear sturdy hiking boots and have plenty of water - no water is available other than at the trailhead. 

This hike is the main reason I came to the park and I'm glad I did!  Originally, I planned to hike this route the day prior but with 50 mph winds predicted, I delayed this hike by a day and instead went to McKittrick Canyon (see other report).  Anyway, the trail is 90% rocky - small, medium and large rocks of varied shapes. As can be imagined, you are climbing most of the way up along a trail that is not very wide but wide enough to walk easily on.  The trail is easy to see and you cannot get lost.

I stopped numerous times to take photos and just look around.  The altitude didn't bother me too much (I'm used to 2000 ft elevation) but a couple of times, I had to stop and take some deep breaths.  The wind was blowing the entire time yet I was soaked in sweat by the time I reached the summit 3 hours and 45 minutes after I started. 

I found a nice flat piece of rock and sat with some bushes behind me letting the sun dry my jacket and shirt.  There were hikers already at the peak when I got there but when they left 20 minutes or so after I arrived, I had the peak to myself for 10 minutes before the next group arrived - solitude was not to be had.  Nonetheless, I stayed another 5 - 10 minutes before heading back down myself.  The return time was much shorter and I encountered no difficulties heading back. 

Of note - while walking back, I was in a section of the trail that has coniferous trees on both sides when I smelled "cat".  Looking around, I did not see either a bobcat or mountain lion but the smell was definitely in the air.  The smell had not been there on my way up so I can only assume a cat of some size had passed by and marked his turf at two places separated by about a half mile or so.

I strongly suggest to anyone contemplating this hike to be as physically prepared as possible - hike as much as possible in rocky terrain with hills.  Make sure you have plenty of water!!  Unless you are trying to set some personal speed record, remember you are there to enjoy Nature - stop, look around and enjoy the sights!

Please look at the NPS website for Guadalupe Mtns NP for trail descriptions.  This is my impression of the hike.

Make sure you wear hiking boots and have plenty of water - there is no water available other than at the trailhead.

There are three portions of this hike - the Pratt Lodge, The Grotto and The Notch.  If you go all the way to The Notch, you will see all three sights.  The first portion to Pratt's Lodge is fairly level and relatively easy to hike on mostly gravel/rock, nice wide trail in most places.  The second leg to The Grotto/Hunter Line Shack is mostly level and a mixture of dirt and rock.  LOTS of Fall color when I hikes and the main reason I wanted to see the canyon.  At The Grotto, there are tables to relax at.

Prior to going to the notch, the trail branches left to The Grotto and right to The Notch.  When you go right, you will be on a series of switchbacks going mostly up for about 1.75 miles.  The trail is rocky but as you climb higher you can see down the canyon quite a ways.  When you get to The Notch, the trail continues on the other side of the crest but I didn't go any further.  The attached photo shows the view of South McKittrick Canyon from The Notch.

This route was very enjoyable and this hike was one of the reasons I went to the park.  Nice Fall colors as well!

We started at Pine Springs Campsite and hike the Frijole Trail for 3.1 miles... starting elevation of 5,750 and climbed to 6,000 feet.  Along the way we saw golden eagles and red-tail hawks flying above us... the trail was a mixture of dirt/grass, rocks and step-like rocks that ascended and descended and a few switchbacks.  The trail led to the Frijoles Ranch History Museum which includes a springhouse, milkhouse, schoolhouse, bunkhouse and a barn.  From the Ranch, we hiked to the Smith and Manzanita Springs (another 1.88 miles)...The Smith Spring sits back against the mountain and hidden under the canopy of trees.... clear spring water with the soothing sound of the water flowing downstream along the streambed and rocks.  From the Smith Spring trail, we hiked along the Foothills trail back to the Pine Springs campsite (another 2.57 miles) that was mostly dirt/grass with few rocky trail.... and few uphill/downhill hikes.... during the entire hike, we saw only a handful of hikers, but very sporadic....

The Devil's Hall trail follows the Guadalupe Peak horse trail for about a mile and then follows the rocky streambed leading to the dry streambed of Pine Canyon.  The trail is dirt/grass and rocky with stair-step layers of rock.  We only saw one couple at Devil's Hall, but were the only ones on the trail.