Fall in Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Hiker Jason Merlo sent us this snap of a succulent set against the backdrop of traditional fall colors in McKittrick Canyon, Guadalupe Mountains National Park.‎

Fall Color in Guadalupe Mountains National Park

This is fall color season and hikers are heading to Guadalupe Mountains National Park to soak in the season.  The park suffered from large areas of severe flooding, but McKittrick Canyon trail, where much of the fall color can be seen is open again.

If you've hiked McKittrick before, keep in mind that the flood changed the course of the trail and work crews are still expected to be on the trail doing repairs.  The trail is now a bit harder to hike.

Pratt Cabin on the McKittrick Canyon Trail

Devils Hall, another trail known for fall color in the park is expected to remain closed for some time, but McKittrick is open and ready for you! 

A flyer on McKittrick Canyon can be downloaded here.

From the park's website:

"McKittrick Canyon Trail
Follow an intermittent stream through the desert, transition, and canyon woodlands to the historic Pratt Lodge, Grotto picnic area, and Hunter Cabin. A guide book is available at the McKittrick Canyon Contact Station or the Headquarters Visitor Center. Rated moderate; the 4.8 miles round-trip to Pratt Lodge takes 2 hours."

A List We Don't Want to Be ON, But Are: 10 Best Places for Fall Foliage (But Can't See Now)

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

A list from the National Parks Conservation Association includes our own Guadalupe Mountains National Park:  "The 10 Best Place You Can't See Fall Foliage" because of the national parks closures due to the government shutdown.

Unfortunately, our McKittrick Canyon and Devil's Hall trails (traditionally the best for fall colors) experienced damaging floods in September, and it may take some time for those areas to reopen.  Extra trail crew staff were working hard on McKittrick before the national park closures October 1, so the status of this year's color season is still uncertain.  Take a look at the flooding in McKittrick Canyon, via YouTube:

When the trail reopens, we've been advised it probably won't be rated "easy," but will be safe and passable.  We heard the flooding made many changes to the trail, and hikers might find their "old favorite" could feel new again.  We're excited to see it ourselves! 

As soon as we hear the status of trail work after the parks reopen, we'll share the park's estimated date for visits to McKittrick Canyon.  Stay tuned here, on our Facebook page, and/or our Twitter account!

Greater Earless Lizard

This weekend, the Texas Mountain Trail, along with three chapters of Texas Master Naturalists (from El Paso, from Midland/Odessa and from the Davis Mtns/Big Bend) worked in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, learning from rangers, hiking the trails and developing a volunteer cadre to help the park during peak visitation times.  Plans are afoot to invite more Texas Master Naturalists to lead interpretive hikes on the park's trails.

When heading back from our hike to Pratt Cabin on the McKittrick Canyon trail, we encountered this Greater Earless Lizard.  We noticed him first because of his color and his quick movement along the trail.   Then he'd stop running away from us, stop, and wait, perched on top of a large rock next to the trail.  And then he'd do pushups!  The movement is thought to signal territory and send a message, "get out of my space."

He repeated this sequence several times and we crept forward, trying to get photographs to share with all of you. We saw him along the trail near the end of our hike, in the rocky arid pathway not too far from the Visitors Center.  

To learn more, here's a great page on the Greater Earless Lizard from Desert USA:  http://www.desertusa.com/animals/greater-earless-lizard.html 

Why do lizards do pushups?  Here's an article by livescience.com:  http://www.livescience.com/32192-why-do-lizards-do-push-ups.html

Head on out to the Guadalupe Mountains' McKittrick Canyon...perhaps you'll see a Greater Earless Lizard yourself!

McKittrick Canyon trail is one of the places marked on the Far West Texas Wildlife Trail, a project of our Texas Mountain Trail along with Texas Parks and Wildlife and our neighboring Texas Pecos Trail.

And the hike is one of our Texas Mountain Trail Heritage Hikes in the Peak Fitness Challenge!

McKittrick Canyon Hike, Guadalupe Mountains National Park

McKittrick Canyon in Guadalupe Mountains National Park is known for fall color, but it offers great views and a nice adventure anytime of the year.  Part of our Peak Fitness Challenge, and designated as a Texas Mountain Trail Heritage Hike, there are a variety of distances for you to try.  We took the 4.8 round trip option to Pratt Lodge...which offers a great place to rest before heading back.

Click here to get details on the Trail from the Park's website.


There are lots of places along the trail to rest in the shade, but
do take cover from the sun.  Here Stonewear Design's
Lynx top is a good choice to protect skin from the sun's rays.

Cabin in the Woods

Who doesn't dream of a cabin in the woods?  One of our favorite places is Pratt Cabin in Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  Located along the popular McKittrick Canyon Trail, the cabin was built among maple, oak, walnut and madrone trees, deep in the forest by Wallace Pratt in 1931-32.

Read more about Wallace Pratt and his cabin here.

The trail is a popular one in the fall, for it boasts true fall color.  Read more about the trail here.

Fire at Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Last week, lightning started a fire in the remote north end of Guadalupe Mountains National Park.  The fire affected small portions of the Dog Canyon area near the trailhead and the small portions of the upper McKittrick Canyon trail, though thankfully Pratt Cabin and the Grotto area were untouched.  Even those areas affected by fire are now open to visitors.  Park staff tells us the Dog Canyon trailhead area (seen here before and after) will green up quickly with the expected summer rains.