Guadalupe Peak

Guadalupe Peak is the highest natural point in Texas, an 8,751-foot summit in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The standard route starts at Pine Springs and climbs about 3,000 feet over 8.4 miles round trip. Plan on 6 to 8 hours. This is a strenuous, rocky hike to choose when the climb itself is part of the day, not a quick viewpoint stop.

The Pine Springs Trailhead is about half a mile from the visitor center. Parking can fill early on weekends, with overflow at the visitor center. Start early in summer to get ahead of the heat and afternoon thunderstorms. Winter winds at the summit can exceed 40 mph, and are typically about 10 mph stronger than at Pine Springs. Pack lunch and water before leaving; carry at least a gallon per person for the day and turn back when half is gone. The route is listed as open year-round and does not require a reservation, though the park charges an entrance fee. Dogs are not allowed on trails, except trained service animals.

The steepest switchbacks come in the first 1.5 miles. After the trail passes a cliff and rounds onto a cooler, north-facing slope, pinyon pine, Southwestern white pine and Douglas-fir replace much of the high desert scrub. That shift from dry, open slope to mountain forest is one of the hike's best surprises.

At about mile 3, the first crest is a false summit, with more than a mile still to go. The trail crosses a wooden bridge before the final climb. El Capitan comes into view to the south. The route is rocky underfoot, so trekking poles can help, especially on the descent.

A stainless-steel pyramid marks the summit. From here, the park's ridges and desert open out in every direction, with El Capitan to the south on a clear day. For a summit photo, include the pyramid with pale summit rock and the open desert behind it; that gives the marker a sense of place. The view is the payoff, but reaching it takes the full hike.

American Airlines placed the summit pyramid in 1958 to mark the hundredth anniversary of the Butterfield Overland Mail. The stagecoach route began carrying mail and passengers in 1858 and passed south of the mountain. The summit marker ties this remote high point to a much older travel corridor through the region.

The Guadalupe Mountains reveal the Capitan Reef, a limestone reef built in a Permian sea about 275 to 277 million years ago. Sediments and evaporites later buried it; tectonic uplift, faulting and erosion brought the reef back to the surface. The pale rock underfoot is part of that much older landscape.