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

    Guadalupe Mountains

    National Park Texas

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  • 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 »

Pets

Pets are welcome in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, but please consider that bringing your pet to the park could limit your activities, especially hiking and backpacking, because pets are not allowed on most park trails or in the backcountry. In addition, many plants are spiny or poisonous, and many desert animals could pose a threat to your pet. Please review the following with regard to bringing your pet to Guadalupe Mountains National Park:
  • Pets are permitted in developed areas (parking lots, campgrounds, and roadways, but not inside buildings).
  • Pets must be under your physical control at all times. Please keep your pet leashed for their safety, as well as the safety of park wildlife.
  • Pets may walk with you (on leash) on the short trail between the campground and the Pine Springs Visitor Center, or along the Pinery Trail from the visitor center to the Butterfield Station, but pets are not allowed along any of the other park trails or in the backcountry, because they may disturb park wildlife or be harmed themselves by wild animals. There are many rattlesnakes in the park, and park wildlife may carry plague or rabies. Do not allow your pet near animals or their dens or burrows.
  • Do not leave pets unattended at campsites or in vehicles; heat kills quickly, and pets are especially vulnerable to predators if left alone. The nearest kennel service (with limited hours) is at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

  • Please clean up after your pet.

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.