#10 of 18 sights in Guadalupe Mountains
Sight · Guadalupe Mountains National Park
A tough hike reaches the ridge's window into South McKittrick Canyon.
Overview
The Notch is a natural break where McKittrick Canyon Trail first crosses the ridge above South McKittrick Canyon. Most day hikers turn around here or at the nearby Grotto. It’s a challenging 5–7-hour hike, so come if you want a full day on the trail; this isn’t a quick roadside viewpoint.
Parkwolf’s verdictA ridge opening worth the hikeMap
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.
Recorded for this place
McKittrick Canyon: A Walk to Pratt Cabin“McKittrick Canyon's trailhead is coming up. I'd choose the walk to Pratt Cabin, a stone summer home with a porch for a break. It's four point eight miles round trip, taking two to four hours on rocky ground.”
Plays as you drive up to The Notch in the Parkwolf Guadalupe Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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
Start at McKittrick Canyon Visitor Center; the trailhead is on the far side of the building from its parking lot. The trail follows the canyon floor for about four miles before a steep, arduous climb up the canyon’s north side reaches the ridge. The four miles are only the approach to the climb, not the whole outing. McKittrick Canyon is day-use only, so leave enough time to return before the entrance gate closes. Pets aren’t allowed on this hike.
From the opening, look into the interior of South McKittrick Canyon. The tree-lined valley sits between steep, pale limestone slopes. For a photo, keep some of those enclosing walls in the frame instead of zooming in on the valley floor; they show how the ridge break opens into the canyon.
The Guadalupe Mountains expose the Capitan Reef, built along the edge of a tropical sea about 273 million years ago. Algae and microbes built much of the reef. It was later buried, then lifted and exposed as softer rock eroded away. The walls around The Notch are part of that old reef, so the view is also a look at the ancient landscape beneath the mountains.
Late October and early November are the usual high-color season in McKittrick Canyon. Deciduous trees turn red, yellow, and brown against the desert plants and steep canyon walls—a striking contrast in this dry country. The color is seasonal, so its timing shifts from year to year.
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
ModerateThe Grotto and Hunter Line Shack7 mi · 4 hr · 2.5 mi awayA seven-mile canyon walk to shaded stone seats and ranch history.ChallengingMcKittrick Canyon Trail to The Notch9 mi · 6 hr · 2.5 mi awayGentle canyon miles lead to a steep, rocky climb to the Notch.
ChallengingPermian Reef Trail9.6 mi · 6 hr · 2.5 mi awayFossil markers reward the steep climb to ridge and canyon views.
ChallengingMcKittrick Ridge Trail from McKittrick Canyon15.2 mi · 10 hr · 2.5 mi awayFour canyon miles, a steep climb, and no water at camp.
ChallengingMcKittrick Canyon to Dog Canyon15 mi · 10 hr · 2.5 mi awayA canyon climb, a high ridge, and a finish in Dog Canyon.
ModerateMcKittrick Canyon Nature Trail0.9 mi · 1 hr · 2.5 mi awayA compact desert loop for geology, junipers and a canyon view.
ModeratePratt Cabin Trail4.8 mi · 3 hr · 2.5 mi awayA 4.8-mile canyon walk to a historic stone cabin
ModerateMarcus Overlook5.2 mi · 4 hr · 3.1 mi awayA rocky high-country hike to broad southern and western views.
Sight · 0.4 mi awayHunter Line ShackA stone ranching shack at the end of a 7-mile round trip.Sight · 0.5 mi awayThe GrottoA shady cave-like picnic stop halfway up McKittrick Canyon.
Campground · 1.1 mi awayMcKittrick Ridge Wilderness CampgroundEight remote tent sites on the ridge, reached by a steep backpack.Sight · 1.5 mi awayPratt CabinA stone cabin built with limestone hauled by pickup and horse-drawn sled.
Visitor center · 2.5 mi awayMcKittrick Canyon Contact StationA practical starting point for McKittrick Canyon’s trail.
Campground · 2.6 mi awayWilderness Ridge Wilderness CampgroundA five-pad backcountry camp at the end of a 2,000-foot climb.
Campground · 3.2 mi awayDog Canyon CampgroundA quiet northern base for hikes into the park's high country.
Visitor center · 3.2 mi awayDog Canyon Ranger StationA practical stop in the park’s remote northern district.Parkwolf’s Guadalupe Mountains ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
