Parking
Start at Dog Canyon Trailhead across from the ranger station. Parking is listed for cars and larger vehicles; potable water is available at the trailhead.
Overview
About Lost Peak–Marcus Loop
Why go
- A full circuit links Tejas, Blue Ridge, Marcus, and Bush Mountain.
- Open views toward Lost Peak and northern New Mexico.
Heads up
- A long day with about 2,800 feet of climbing.
- Route-finding on the northern Bush Mountain trail can be difficult in tall grass.
Lost Peak–Marcus Loop is a 13.4-mile circuit from Dog Canyon Trailhead. It climbs south on Tejas below Lost Peak, crosses a short section of Blue Ridge, then returns north on Marcus and Bush Mountain. The mapped loop passes the Lost Peak saddle but leaves out the off-trail summit bump. Plan on about 7–8 hours and roughly 2,800 feet of climbing. It is a rewarding choice for a fit hiker looking for a long northern high-country day; the length and route-finding make it a poor fit for a casual stroll.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this a full-day hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Guadalupe Mountains map
Full mapElevation6,237–7,700 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Guadalupe Mountains alert
- CautionDevil’s Hall wash dangerous when wetThe Devil’s Hall hike is strenuous, and its wash section is dangerous when wet or if water is present. - The wash requires rock scrambling.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Guadalupe Mountains Tour Guide
Your drive to Lost Peak–Marcus Loop, narrated.
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 area
Dog Canyon: A Meadow Walk and Wildlife0:00 / 0:35
“Dog Canyon is ahead, a wooded base for exploring the park's northern side.”
Plays on the road 0.3 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Guadalupe Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- McKittrick Canyon: A Walk to Pratt Cabin
- The Madrone’s Peeling Trunk
- 22 audio storiesacross Guadalupe Mountains’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Aoudad, Mule Deer, Wild Turkey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 32 trails, 34 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Lost Peak–Marcus Loop
Follow the loopTejas first follows the side of the canyon, then climbs to the ridge and continues through open…
Tejas first follows the side of the canyon, then climbs to the ridge and continues through open grassland below Lost Peak. At the southern junction, take Blue Ridge only as far as the Marcus junction; this is a brief, more wooded stretch. Marcus drops below the trailhead, turns east, climbs a few hundred feet, then descends again. From its Bush Mountain junction, follow Bush Mountain north toward Dog Canyon. The loop uses the short Tejas approach between the trailhead and that junction on both sides.
Open country needs attentionMost of the northern crossing is open, with Blue Ridge providing the main tree-covered stretch.
Most of the northern crossing is open, with Blue Ridge providing the main tree-covered stretch. Bush Mountain north of the Blue Ridge junction is infrequently traveled and can be hard to follow when grass grows over the tread. Cairns mark the line, but bring a compass and paper topographic map and be ready to navigate. The grassy route passes below Lost Peak; the summit bump is a separate off-trail detour.
The Lost Peak viewThe pale rocky wall of Lost Peak rises above dry grass and scrub, with rolling ridges beyond.
The pale rocky wall of Lost Peak rises above dry grass and scrub, with rolling ridges beyond. Bush Mountain also opens views toward the north and New Mexico. For a photo, keep some grass and scrub in front of the pale cliff; the foreground makes the bare rock and open country read together.
Starting at Dog CanyonBegin at Dog Canyon Trailhead across from the ranger station.
Begin at Dog Canyon Trailhead across from the ranger station. Parking is listed for cars and larger vehicles, and potable water is available at the trailhead. Pets are not allowed on park trails; trained service animals are permitted in the backcountry.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Guadalupe Mountains
33 sightingsAoudadMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
162 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
11 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
34 sightingsCollared PeccaryMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
37 sightingsDiamondback RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
42 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.
