Guadalupe National Park - Guadalupe Peak Hike

If anyone was worried about my heart condition you can relax a bit. 

The hike up Guadalupe Peak is a very strenuous 8 ½ mile round trip hike with a 3,000 foot gain in elevation.  It takes 6 to 8 hours to complete the round trip hike. The hike provides fantastic views from the highest point in the state of Texas (8,724)

The trail starts at the RV section of the Pine Springs Campground (1/2) mile from the Pine Springs Visitor Center.

You will encounter the steepest part of the hike in the first mile and a half, as the trail switchbacks up the first steep slope. 

They say that after about a mile and a half, the trail will become less steep as it passes a cliff and then turns around to the north-facing slope.  Kathy and I both have reservations about that statement. 

This is the last time we see the campground during our hike up the mountain.

After nearly three miles the trail will top out at a false summit. It is still a little more than a mile to the actual summit.

The trail will flatten out for a short distance as it passes through a sparse forest of ponderosa pine. Yeah right....

After passing the backcountry campsite, the trail descends slightly and crosses a wooden bridge. After the bridge, the trail begins the final climb to the summit.  You can see the wooden bridge if click on this photo to enlarge.

Eventually you will pass the horse hitching posts and arrive at the summit, where on a clear day you will be rewarded with a tremendous view of the surrounding mountains and desert.

A monument commemorating overland stage and air travel marks the summit. The monument was installed in1958, before this became a national park. We stopped for a while to enjoy the view and have some lunch before beginning the hike back down. We also signed the register in the green ammo box below the monument. 

At the top, the salt flats to the south look like distant glaciers in their whiteness and a metal pyramid commemorating the highest point in the state stands defiantly in the wind.

The first part of the hike up to the highest point in Texas was as “strenuous” as the guidebooks had reported. Hiking up a vertical trail that gains 3000 feet before reaching the summit is one thing, but doing it with 15-20 pounds strapped to your back is quite another story.

View of El Capitan dominates the view to the south. 

We begin our descent back down the mountain.   

The 4.5 hike back down the mountain was no picnic at all.  The path was sloped severely with many loose rocks and stones. 

This is the first view of the campground and we are still some 1.5 miles away. Instead of resting after the hike, Kathy decides to compile our stats. 

Started the hike at 7:45

Reached campsite in 1 hour 50 minutes – 3.43 miles – elevation 8072

Reached Peak at 11:15 – 4.51 miles – 2.21 hours MOVING time – 3 hours 30 minutes total time – elevation 8703 –

Return hike – distances FROM the peak

Departed at 11:45

Bridge - .89 miles

Campsite – 1.0 mile

1.5 miles took 46 minutes

First view of Campground – 2.72 miles – elevation 7140

Upper horse trail – 3.57 miles – elevation 6610

End – 4.40 miles – 2 hr 2 mins moving – 23 minutes stopped – elevation 5887 – approximately 2.5 hours total

Summary

3 ½ hrs up

½ hr lunch at top

2 ½ hrs down

6 ½ hrs total

2816 elevation change