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| Fall Colors | Frijole Ranch Museum | Ranger Program |
| Tribute to the Buffalo Soldiers | Visitation | Visitor Centers |
Activities to consider while here are but not limited to: backpacking, camping, hiking, photography, star gazing, wildlife watching, ranger-led activities, natural history exhibits, desert wild flowers, horseback riding-day use only (bring your own stock). Stock may not be kept in the backcountry overnight but corrals are available for visitor use at Frijole Ranch and Dog Canyon.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is open year-round. Peak visitation is in March with 223,485 people visiting the park in 1996 and 219,591 recreation visits in 1999.
Rising from the desert, this mountain mass contains portions of the world's most extensive and significant Permian limestone fossil reef. Also featured are a tremendous earth fault, lofty peaks, unusual flora and fauna, and a colorful record of the past. Guadalupe Peak, highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet; El Capitan, a massive limestone formation; McKittrick Canyon, with its unique flora and fauna; and the "bowl", located in a high country conifer forest, are significant park features.
| Months | Time |
| Labor Day to Memorial Day | 8:00 am - 4:30 pm |
| Memorial Day through Labor Day | 8:00 am to 6:00 pm |
Located - Pine Springs accessed via U.S. highway 62/180 between Carlsbad, NM and El Paso, TX
Special Programs - Bi-lingual and sign language park ranger on staff. Visitor Center slide program captioned in English and Spanish. Park staff members are available to answer your questions, help plan your itinerary, and provide information about park resources. View an introductory slide presentation (an overview of the history and special features of Guadalupe Mountains National Park), or enjoy numerous exhibits on geology, and park flora and fauna. Schedules are posted for evening programs (spring through fall) and other special events.
Exhibits - Natural history exhibits; frequent slide program and geology video showings in Visitor Center daily.
Available Facilities - Headquarters Visitor Center is wheelchair accessible; accessible rest rooms. Bookstores, located in both parks' visitor centers, focus on educational materials and literature such as field guides, maps and history books.
| Months | Time |
| late April through October (Mountain Daylight Time) | 8:00 am - 6:00 pm |
| November through April (Mountain Standard Time) | 8:00 am - 4:30 pm |
McKittrick Canyon is designated as day-use only.
Exhibits - Features outdoor exhibits and slide program on the history, geology and natural history of the canyon.
Available Facilities - McKittrick Canyon Contact Station is accessible. The McKittrick Canyon Contact Station is open year-round as staffing permits. Stop in and pick up a trail guide for your canyon walk or other literature about Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Outdoor exhibits and a slide presentation are also available. Gate to McKittrick Canyon day-use area is locked at night.
Only a short distance from the Headquarters Visitor Center, an 1870s ranch house serves as a cultural history center, preserving artifacts of frontier life. (The museum is intermittently staffed.) Take a look at the old one room schoolhouse, and the spring house. A picnic table sits under the shade of the huge Chinkapin oaks; a great place to just sit and enjoy the moment.
The Frijole Ranch History Museum is wheelchair accessible.
Its close proximity to several springs makes it an excellent location for birding. You may also begin your hike along the Smith Spring Loop trail at this location.
Exhibits - Features exhibits on local history.
Ranger programs consists of summer evening programs in campground amphitheater, frequent slide program and geology video showings in Visitor Center daily. Check park bulletin boards for more information.
Would you like your child to become a Junior Ranger? The park rangers will explain how they can earn a certificate of achievement, Jr. Ranger patch, and a badge!
Fall Colors
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McKittrick Canyon fall colors season runs from approximately early-October through mid-November.
Thousands of visitors each year come to Guadalupe Mountains National Park to visit McKittrick Canyon during the latter part of October into early November for the sensational display of fall colors. In this tiny part of west Texas the foliage (brilliant reds, subtle yellows and deep browns) contrasts dramatically with the flavors of the arid Chihuahuan desert - century plant, prickly pear cactus, blacktail rattlers, steep canyon walls and crystal clear blue skies.
A Tribute to The Buffalo Soldier
In February each year, Guadalupe Mountains National Park honors the brave men of the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments by displaying artwork depicting the Buffalo Soldiers in the auditorium of the Headquarters Visitor Center. In July, 1997, Texas Parks & Wildlife employees put on a living history demonstration of the Buffalo Soldiers at Frijole Ranch, near the old military camp site. Check with the Visitor Center for future living history demonstrations.
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