Campground · Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Eight high-country tent pads near the Bowl, reached by a steep climb.
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
Pine Top is an eight-pad wilderness campground in the park’s high country, the backcountry camp closest to the Bowl. The level tent pads sit among pines; some are shaded and tucked away, while others have views of surrounding peaks. It makes sense as an overnight for hikers heading into the Bowl or across the high country.
From Pine Springs Trailhead, the approach follows Tejas and Bush Mountain trails for 3.9 miles and climbs about 2,300 feet. That’s a long uphill carry before you set up camp. Get a wilderness-use permit for every overnight before setting out.
There’s no potable water, toilet, store, or trash collection at Pine Top. Carry all your water and pack out all waste; a landfill-safe commercial toilet bag is required for each person each night. Campfires are prohibited, so cooking means bringing a containerized-fuel backpacking stove. Keep your tent on one of the designated pads.
The site is among trees, but high winds and lightning remain real hazards here. Plan the night with those warnings in mind; the tree cover does not remove the exposure.
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
ChallengingGuadalupe Peak Trail8.4 mi · 7 hr · 1.9 mi awayClimb 3,000 feet to the highest point in Texas.
ChallengingHunter Peak Loop8.7 mi · 7 hr · 1.9 mi awayBear Canyon up, Tejas down, and a summit over the desert.
ChallengingDevil's Hall Trail4.2 mi · 4 hr · 1.9 mi awayBoulder scrambling leads to a natural staircase and narrow canyon hall.
ChallengingBowl Trail11 mi · 9 hr · 1.9 mi awayA long Tejas climb reaches a remnant forest in the high country.
ChallengingSalt Basin Overlook Trail11.3 mi · 8 hr · 1.9 mi awayA long, open loop to the Salt Basin’s wide western views.
ChallengingBush Mountain Summit Hike13.3 mi · 8.5 hr · 1.9 mi awayA long ridge hike to Texas’s second-highest summit.
ChallengingTejas Thru Hike11.8 mi · 8 hr · 1.9 mi awayCross the park’s high country from the Bowl to Dog Canyon.
ChallengingPine Springs to McKittrick Canyon18.8 mi · 14 hr · 1.9 mi awayA long high-country traverse ending in South McKittrick Canyon.Sight · 0.9 mi awayDevil's HallA strenuous boulder scramble ends at a narrow limestone hallway.
Sight · 1 mi awayHunter PeakA full-day climb to broad views from Texas’s sixth-highest peak.
Campground · 1.3 mi awayTejas Wilderness CampgroundA shaded camp worth the walk if you can carry your water.
Campground · 1.8 mi awayGuadalupe Peak Wilderness CampgroundOvernight on the steep climb to Guadalupe Peak.
Campground · 1.9 mi awayBush Mountain Wilderness CampgroundA demanding hike to five tent pads and western sunset views.
Campground · 2 mi awayPine Springs CampgroundA practical hiking base with tent sites, RV space, and mountain views.
Sight · 2.1 mi awayGuadalupe PeakA steep, rocky hike reaches Texas' highest natural point.
Sight · 2.2 mi awayBush MountainTexas’s second-highest peak, reached by backcountry trail.Parkwolf’s Guadalupe Mountains ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
