John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

Location

Western Texas, on US62/180 southwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico, just over the state line.

Size

135 square miles. For comparison, the size of the Isle of Wight is 147 square miles.

What to See and Do

The excellent views of the imposing Guadalupe mountains, including the massive El Capitan, from US62/180 are probably the main attraction for most visitors to this park. Although this road crosses the Guadalupe Pass it is a good fast and mainly straight road which presents no problems. South of the park the road descends but again this will be no problem to drivers. Northbound there is a wonderful view for miles on this road and Texas State Highway 54 of the mountains ahead.

For those with plenty of energy the lengthy and strenuous hike to McKittrick Canyon is said to be very rewarding. This hike would probably be much easier in late autumn, winter or early spring rather than in the full heat of summer. The spur road from US62 to the McKittrick Canyon trailhead is paved.

Unfortunately the spur road from US62 to Frijoles Ranch is unpaved, so we haven't explored this area.

Entrance Fee

No entrance fee (Apr-01).

Some Ideas for Places to Stay

Artesia, New Mexico is a pleasant small town, except for the oil refinery on the north side. However, because of its size it only has a limited range of facilities for visitors.
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico
Whites City, near the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, is a expensive tourist trap with a limited range of facilities and is not recommended.

In the Area

Texas

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As with all the other pages on this personal web site, all the information on this page is solely the opinion of the author, who has no connection whatsoever with any of the companies and organisations mentioned other than as an actual or potential customer.

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Most recently modified 29-Mar-02