Campground · Guadalupe Mountains National Park
A demanding hike to five tent pads and western sunset views.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Guadalupe Mountains Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Guadalupe Mountains National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Bush Mountain Wilderness Campground is a five-pad, tent-only camp reached on foot, known for western vistas and sunsets. It’s 6.2 miles one way from Pine Springs Trailhead via the Tejas and Bush Mountain Trails, with at least 2,000 feet of climbing to reach one of the park’s wilderness camps. Save it for a backpacking night, not a quick stop.
There’s no potable water, toilet, or food service at camp, so carry all your water and pack out your trash. A wilderness-use permit is required, along with a landfill-safe toilet bag for each person for each night. Fires are banned across the park, including charcoal; use a containerized backpacking stove if you cook. Pets aren’t allowed on trails or in the backcountry.
The campground pads have some shelter from high winds, but the approach trails are exposed and can be difficult in strong wind. The open western vistas and sunset views are the payoff; check the forecast before committing to the climb.
Wildlife
33 sightingsAoudadMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
163 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
11 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
34 sightingsCollared PeccaryMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
39 sightingsDiamondback RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
43 sightingsBlack-tailed RattlesnakeMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Guadalupe Mountains. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingManzanita Ridge Route1.4 mi · 1.5 hr · 3.2 mi awayA faint ridge connector from Tejas to Bush Mountain.
ChallengingGuadalupe Peak Trail8.4 mi · 7 hr · 3.5 mi awayClimb 3,000 feet to the highest point in Texas.
ChallengingHunter Peak Loop8.7 mi · 7 hr · 3.5 mi awayBear Canyon up, Tejas down, and a summit over the desert.
ChallengingDevil's Hall Trail4.2 mi · 4 hr · 3.5 mi awayBoulder scrambling leads to a natural staircase and narrow canyon hall.
ChallengingBowl Trail11 mi · 9 hr · 3.5 mi awayA long Tejas climb reaches a remnant forest in the high country.
ChallengingSalt Basin Overlook Trail11.3 mi · 8 hr · 3.5 mi awayA long, open loop to the Salt Basin’s wide western views.
ChallengingBush Mountain Summit Hike13.3 mi · 8.5 hr · 3.5 mi awayA long ridge hike to Texas’s second-highest summit.
ChallengingTejas Thru Hike11.8 mi · 8 hr · 3.5 mi awayCross the park’s high country from the Bowl to Dog Canyon.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayBush MountainTexas’s second-highest peak, reached by backcountry trail.
Campground · 1.5 mi awayBlue Ridge Wilderness CampgroundA five-site walk-in camp among ponderosa pine and Douglas fir.
Campground · 1.7 mi awayTejas Wilderness CampgroundA shaded camp worth the walk if you can carry your water.
Campground · 1.9 mi awayPine Top Wilderness CampgroundEight high-country tent pads near the Bowl, reached by a steep climb.Sight · 2.2 mi awayDevil's HallA strenuous boulder scramble ends at a narrow limestone hallway.
Campground · 2.5 mi awayMescalero Wilderness CampgroundAn eight-site, walk-in tent camp on the Tejas Trail.
Sight · 2.6 mi awayGuadalupe PeakA steep, rocky hike reaches Texas' highest natural point.
Campground · 2.7 mi awayShumard Canyon Wilderness CampgroundA nine-mile backpack to camps beneath the western escarpment.Parkwolf’s Guadalupe Mountains ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
