McKittrick Canyon to Dog Canyon

McKittrick Canyon to Dog Canyon is a 15.0-mile one-way point-to-point hike across Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It begins on the floor of South McKittrick Canyon, climbs over McKittrick Ridge, then descends north on Tejas Trail to Dog Canyon. Allow 8 to 12 hours of walking on strenuous terrain. Plan for two days and one night on the ridge, as the park itinerary recommends. The reward is a complete change of scene, from the canyon's wooded floor to a high limestone ridge and the open northern country.

The route does not return to its start. There is no park shuttle, and the road drive between the trailheads takes about two hours, so arrange a pickup or leave a vehicle at each end. Both trailhead areas have accessible parking; lot sizes and fees were not found. The McKittrick Canyon gate closes daily at 5 p.m. Mountain Time, and hikers must be out of the day-use area by closing. A day hike needs no reservation, but any backcountry overnight requires a wilderness permit. Staying at the developed Dog Canyon Campground requires a separate reservation. Carry all food and water for the route; no food service or dependable potable refill point was identified on trail.

The first four miles follow the canyon floor through a sequence of wooded, water-carved environments. Pratt Cabin, The Grotto and The Notch are useful landmarks at about 2.3, 3.5 and 4.5 miles from the trailhead. The lower walk is generally easy to follow, then narrows and grows rockier beyond The Grotto. Stay on the tread and out of the water to protect the canyon habitat. In autumn, the canyon's deciduous trees add color beneath its pale limestone walls.

After The Notch, the route climbs about 2,380 feet in roughly two miles over loose or hardened rock. Poles help on this sustained ascent. Views open back into South McKittrick Canyon and across its bordering ridges; false summits can make the top seem nearer than it is. From The Notch, look both ways down the canyon for the defining view of the wooded floor between steep walls. The ridge reaches 7,916 feet before the gradual descent toward Tejas Trail.

The trail passes the saddle at Lost Peak, not its summit; no trail reaches the top. Beyond the saddle the landscape opens into the grassy northern part of the park. At the Tejas junction, turn north for the final 4.0 miles to Dog Canyon Trailhead. Dog Canyon sits at about 6,300 feet, so the endpoint is still high country, not a low desert exit.

Pratt Cabin, also called the Stone Cabin, stands along the canyon route. Petroleum geologist Wallace Pratt became captivated by McKittrick Canyon in 1921 and later used the cabin as a summer home with his family. He donated nearly 6,000 acres of canyon land, which became the nucleus of the national park. Houston architect John F. Staub designed the cabin, built mostly from local limestone and pine.

If you want the canyon without the ridge traverse and its transport problem, turn around at The Grotto for about 7 miles round trip, or at The Notch for about 9 miles round trip. Both use the same opening section, but neither includes the route to Dog Canyon.