13 Best Sights in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

Wind through a Chihuahuan Desert habitat thick with spiked agave plants, prickly pear cacti, ponderosa pines, and a dry riverbed strewn with giant boulders to Devil's Hall, a narrow 10-foot-wide canyon with walls that soar to more than 100 feet. At a leisurely pace, this 4.2-mile round-trip jaunt will take three or four hours. Moderate.

Thirteen campsites have picnic tables, which you can use during the day for free. This is a lovely shaded area at 6,300 elevation where you're likely to see mule deer. Drinking water and restrooms are available on the grounds, about a two-hour drive from the Headquarters Visitor Center.

With its grassy, tree-shaded grounds, you could almost imagine this handsome and peaceful little 1876 ranch house somewhere other than the harsh Chihuahuan Desert. Inside what's believed to be the region's oldest intact structure, displays and photographs depict ranch life and early park history. Easy, family-friendly hiking trails lead to wildlife oases at Manzanita Spring and Smith Spring. Hours are sporadic, so check with the visitor center if you wish to go inside. Still, it's good fun just to explore the ranch grounds and outbuildings, orchard, and still-functioning irrigation system.

View stream and canyon woodlands along a 4.8-mile round-trip excursion that leads to the vacant Pratt Cabin (sometimes called Pratt Lodge), which was built of stone during the Great Depression in the "most beautiful spot in Texas," according to its original owner, Wallace Pratt. Perhaps he was enthralled by an oasis of running water carving through the canyon floor or a colorful riot of autumn foliage. Continue another mile each way to reach the Grotto, where you'll discover a picnic area overlooking a flowing stream and surface rock that resembles formations in an underground cave with jagged overhangs. Just beyond the Grotto is the historic Hunter Line Cabin. Allow two to three hours to visit Pratt Cabin and another hour or two if you go to the Grotto. Moderate.

Drinking water, restrooms, and a picnic area are available at this central campground with sweeping mountain views. Shade, however, can be sparse and summer heat intense. You can walk off that hearty lunch along one of the several nearby hiking trails.

Departing from the Frijole Ranch, the trail heads for a shady oasis where you may spot mule deer and elk drawn to the miracle of water in the desert. As a bonus, the route passes Manzanita Spring, another wildlife refuge only 0.2 mile past Frijole Ranch. Allow 1½ hours to complete the 2.3-mile round-trip walk. This is a good hike for older kids whose legs won't tire as easily, but it's not wheelchair accessible past Manzanita Spring. Easy–Moderate.

It's not very secluded, but Frijole sports attractive picnic shelters near the parking area, which also has restrooms. Two picnic tables are also set up under tall trees near Frijole Ranch History Museum.

Branching off the Frijole Ranch Trail, this relatively flat hike leads to Pine Springs Campground and Visitor Center. The 5½-mile round-trip through desert vistas takes about four hours. Moderate.

This mostly level 0.6-mile round-trip hike crosses an arroyo into meadowlands and offers a relaxing way to savor Dog Canyon's peaceful countryside in less than an hour. Easy.

The park offers a self-guided Junior Ranger Program: kids choose activities from a workbook—including nature hikes and answering questions based on park exhibits—and earn a badge once they've completed four. If they complete six, they earn an additional patch. Workbooks are available at the visitor center or at the park website.

A 4½-mile round-trip with an 800-foot elevation gain rewards you with a panoramic view of West Dog Canyon. Set aside about half a day for it. Moderate.

Signs along this nearly 1-mile loop explain the geological and botanical history of the area, and the views, while not spectacular, are engaging enough to hold your interest. You can take the loop in either of two directions when you come to a fork in the trail. Easy–Moderate.

In the mid-1800s passengers en route from St. Louis to California on the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach route stopped here for rest and refreshment. At more than a mile in elevation, the station was the highest on the journey, but it operated for only about a year. The ruins provide a peek into the past: the bare remains of a few buildings with rock walls (but no roofs) layered on the desert floor. Do not touch. You can drive here from U.S. 62/180, but it's more interesting to stroll over via the paved ¾-mile round-trip natural trail from the visitor center.