• The Western Escarpment of the Guadalupes rises above the white gypsum sands of the desert floor.

    Guadalupe Mountains

    National Park Texas

There are park alerts in effect.
show Alerts »

  • Smoking Restrictions

    Guadalupe Mountains National Park Superintendent Dennis A. Vásquez announced that the park will restrict smoking beginning Sunday, May 12, 2013, as a precautionary measure due to the park’s HIGH fire danger rating. More »

For Kids

Hiking can be as educational as it is fun.
The Web Ranger is a great way for kids of all ages to interact and learn. Click here to sign up and get started.
Come by the Visitor's Center to learn more about our New Junior Paleontologist Program. For those who are young at heart, we also offer the Senior Ranger Program for adults!
NPS Photo
 

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is not only an incredible outdoor playground, but also an outstanding natural classroom where kids of all ages can experience Mother Nature up close, in person. The rocky landscape is loaded with fossils, while canyons hide riparian oases teeming with water striders, and rimmed with delicate maidenhair fern. Mule deer peek out from behind desert scrub oak, as vultures soar high overhead. This is a world of amazing natural wonders - an irresistible place to explore. But it is also a land with history and fascinating stories of inhabitants from long ago. Native Americans once fought to keep it, while regiments of Buffalo Soldiers fought to protect it. Can you hear the thundering hoofs of the horses as the stage pulls into the station for a brief stop at the Pinery?

Whether your visit is a family vacation or a field trip with classmates and friends, there are many opportunities for kids to experience and appreciate the resources of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Begin at the Pine Springs Visitor Center where there are numerous exhibits and a touch-screen "Electronic Ranger" that has fun facts and information about the geology, cultural history, and flora and fauna of the park. Then enjoy a desert walk along a nature trail, or take a hike up a steep-walled canyon, or into the park's rugged backcountry. Evening programs are held at campground amphitheater during the summer season, and don't forget, the park has a Junior Ranger program - always a hit with the kids!

Did You Know?

Big Tooth Maples turn color in the Guadalupes in late October or early November.

As the green chlorophyll pigment in an aging leaf disintegrates and disappears, other pigments or colors already within the leaf appear. For example, shades of yellow and orange, are caused by the presence of xanthophyll and carotin.