Project Profile: Visitor Access & Ecosystem Planning in Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Hiking trails at Guadalupe Mountains National Park provide access to a landscape that will challenge and inspire you.

NPS Photo / Laurence Parent

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Recreation | FY22 $400,000

The National Park Service will create an implementation plan for front country management at Guadalupe Mountains National Park to minimize impacts to ecological, biophysical, and cultural resources while optimizing the quality of visitor experiences at locations with high levels of visitation. The project includes distributing visitor use more evenly throughout the frontcountry areas of the park through potential actions like campground relocation and trail management.

Why? Increasingly intense and more frequent rain events due to climate change are impacting ecological systems and visitor access and safety. Increasing visitation is straining deep wells that currently provide water for visitor use in the area. Visitor flow and movement at high use areas of the park may be contributing to resource impacts. Site redesign and visitor flow considerations will aim to improve visitor experience, ecological conditions, and resource protection.

What Else? Affiliated Tribes and the values of traditionally underrepresented visitor communities will be included in the planning process. This project will be an example of incorporating uncertain future climate conditions into visitor use management.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – Ecosystem Restoration

This project was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – Ecosystem Restoration, signed on November 15, 2021. It is a historic investment in the restoration and protection of the environment.