Wallace Pratt Lodge

Wallace Pratt Lodge is a stone building in McKittrick Canyon within Guadalupe Mountains National Park, showcasing regional building practices of its era. The structure combines limestone walls with heart pine woodwork and was designed by architect John F. Staub.

An oil geologist named Wallace Pratt built this summer home between 1931 and 1932, following his discovery of the Guadalupe Mountains during a 1921 business trip. The house was later absorbed into protected lands that became today's national park.

The lodge reflects early 20th-century building practices, showing how visitors and residents wanted to combine mountain beauty with comfortable living. The stone and wood construction represent how people chose to work with the landscape rather than against it.

The lodge sits in a canyon with seasonal water flow that can affect access and visibility of the structure. Visitors should walk the designated paths and cross the terrain carefully, especially after rainfall.

Seasonal flooding in McKittrick Canyon was so problematic that Pratt built a second residence called Ship on the Desert to use during drier periods. This unusual arrangement shows how nature shaped the way the land was actually used.