Guadalupe Mountains National Park, National park in western Texas, United States
Guadalupe Mountains is a national park in western Texas, near the border with New Mexico, covering rugged limestone peaks and deep canyons. The park spans several elevation zones, from dry desert to forested high country with conifer trees.
Hunter-gatherers left projectile points, baskets, pottery and rock art in the caves and alcoves over 10,000 years. In 1858 Pinery Station was built near Pine Springs for the Butterfield Overland Mail, which crossed Guadalupe Pass at 5,534 ft. In the winter of 1869 Lt. H.B. Cushing's troops destroyed two Mescalero Apache camps, and the Apaches were driven into reservations. Wallace Pratt donated about 6,000 acres of McKittrick Canyon, and the park opened in September 1972.
The name Mescalero comes from the Spanish for mescal-maker, referring to the agave the Apaches roasted for food and fiber. Agave roasting pits and other Mescalero artifacts remain in the park. The Frijole Ranch, built in 1876, served as the region's post office and community center from 1916 to 1942 and now holds a local history museum.
Most trails in the park are steep and exposed to sun, so hikers should start early in the morning. Water is available only at a few spots, so every visitor must carry enough supplies.
The range is a fossil reef: the ancient Capitán Reef formed at the margin of a shallow sea in the Permian Period, roughly 260–270 million years ago. The same limestone continues north as the rock of Carlsbad Caverns. Because the range is built almost entirely of limestone, upland areas have little or no surface water.
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