| Guadalupe Mountains National Park | |
|---|---|
 Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas, as seen from Hunter Peak | |
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| Location | Culberson County andHudspeth County, Texas, US |
| Nearest city | Dell City, Texas |
| Coordinates | 31°55′N104°52′W / 31.917°N 104.867°W /31.917; -104.867 |
| Area | 86,367 acres (349.51 km2)[1] |
| Established | September 30, 1972 |
| Visitors | 172,347 (in 2018)[2] |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | nps |
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is anational park of the United States in theGuadalupe Mountains, east ofEl Paso, Texas. The mountain range includesGuadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,751 feet (2,667 m), andEl Capitan used as a landmark by travelers on the route later followed by theButterfield Overland Mailstagecoach line. The ruins of a stagecoach station stand near thePine Springs visitor center. The restored Frijole Ranch contains a small museum of local history and is the trailhead for Smith Spring. The park covers 86,367 acres (134.9 sq mi; 349.5 km2)[1] in the same mountain range asCarlsbad Caverns National Park, about 25 miles (40 km) to the north inNew Mexico. The Guadalupe Peak Trail winds throughpinyon pine andDouglas-fir forests as it ascends over 3,000 feet (910 m) to the summit ofGuadalupe Peak, with views of El Capitan and theChihuahuan Desert.
TheMcKittrick Canyon trail leads to a stone cabin built in the early 1930s as the vacation home ofWallace Pratt, apetroleum geologist who donated the land. Dog Canyon, on the northern park boundary at the Texas-New Mexico State line, is accessed viaCarlsbad, New Mexico orDell City, Texas. Camping is available at the Pine Springs campground and at Dog Canyon. A public corral for livestock is available by reservation. The park observes Mountain Time.
The Gypsum sand dunes lie on the west side of the park near Dell City.[3] A roughfour-wheel drive road leads to the Williams Ranch.[4]
As stated in the foundation document:[5]
Guadalupe Mountains national park preserves, protects, and interprets an area of outstanding geological values, scenery, wilderness, and other natural resources in the northern Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas.
TheGuadalupe Mountains give their name to theGuadalupian series in thePermian period.[6][7] TheInternational Commission on Stratigraphy estimates the mountain range's age at 272–260Mya.[8] The mountains have had a tumultuous history for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence shows that people have lived there for over 10,000 years in and among the manycaves andalcoves. Hunter-gatherers followed large game and collected edible vegetation, as evidenced by the discovery of projectile points, baskets, pottery and rock art.[9]
The first Europeans to arrive in the area were the Spanish in the 16th century, but they did not make serious attempts to settle in the area. The Spanish introduced horses; nomadic indigenous tribes like the Apaches soon found them an asset for hunting and migrating.Mescalero Apaches followed game and harvested the agave (or mescal) for food and fiber (Mescalero is Spanish for mescal-maker). Agave roasting pits and other artifacts of Mescalero culture can be found in the park.
The Mescalero Apaches occupied the mountains through the mid-19th century, but were challenged by an American transportation route at the end of theAmerican Civil War. During the 1840s and 1850s, many immigrants travelled west crossed the area. In 1858,Pinery Station was constructed near Pine Springs for theButterfield Overland Mail. The Butterfield Overland Mail crossed Guadalupe Pass, located at 5,534 ft (1,687 m) above sea level. The9th Cavalry Regiment was ordered to the area to stop Indian raids on settlements and the mail stage route. During the winter of 1869, Lt. H.B. Cushing led his troops into the Guadalupe Mountains and destroyed two Mescalero Apache camps. They were eventually driven out of the area and into USreservations.
Felix McKittrick was one of the first European settlers in the Guadalupe Mountains; he worked cattle during the 1870s.McKittrick Canyon is thought to be named after him.Frijole Ranch was the first permanent ranch house, constructed in 1876 by the Rader brothers. It became the only major building in the region and served as a community center and regional post office from 1916 to 1942. Today, it has been restored and serves as a cultural museum. In 1908 Williams Ranch House was built, and it was named after one of its inhabitants, James Adolphus Williams. Judge J.C. Hunter fromVan Horn,Texas consolidated most of the smaller ranches in the area into the Guadalupe Mountain Ranch.[9]
In 1921,Wallace Pratt, a geologist forHumble Oil and Refining Company, was impressed by the beauty of McKittrick Canyon and bought the land to build two houses there.
The two houses were:[9]
Both were used as summer homes by Pratt and his family up until 1960. Wallace Pratt donated about 6,000 acres (9.4 sq mi; 24.3 km2) of McKittrick Canyon which became part of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, which was dedicated and formally opened to the public in September 1972.[9]
In 1978, theUnited States Congress designated 46,850 acres (190 km2) of the park as awilderness area.[10]
The Guadalupe Mountains reach their highest point at Guadalupe Peak, the highest point inTexas,[11] with an elevation of 8,751 feet (2,667 m).[12] The range lies southeast of theSacramento Mountains and east of the Brokeoff Mountains. The mountain range extends north-northwest and northeast from Guadalupe Peak in Texas into New Mexico.[13] The northeastern extension ends about 10 miles (16 km) southwest ofCarlsbad, nearCarlsbad Caverns National Park; the southwest tip ends withEl Capitan about 90 miles (140 km) east ofEl Paso. The mountains rise more than 3,000 feet (910 m) above the arid floor of theChihuahuan Desert.[11] The Guadalupe Mountains are surrounded by theSouth Plains to the east and north,Delaware Mountains to the south, andSacramento Mountains to the west.
The northwestern extension, bounded by a dramatic escarpment known as "The Rim", extends much further into New Mexico, approaching close to the Sacramento Mountains. The range is bordered on the north by Four Mile Canyon; on the east by the valley of thePecos River; and on the west by Piñon Creek, Big Dog Canyon, Valley Canyon, Middle Dog Canyon and West Dog Canyon. Much of the range is built from the ancient Capitán Reef, formed at the margins of a shallow sea during thePermian Period. As the range is built up almost entirely oflimestone, upland areas have little or no surface water. The only significant surface water is McKittrick Creek, inMcKittrick Canyon, which emerges from the eastern side of the massif, just south of the New Mexico border. Elevations at the base of the range vary from 4,000 feet (1,200 m) abovesea level on the western side to 5,000 feet (1,500 m) on the east. Several peaks on the southern end exceed 8,000 feet (2,400 m).
According to theKöppen climate classification system, Guadalupe Mountains National Park has a coldsemi-arid climate (BSk). Theplant hardiness zone on Guadalupe Peak is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 6.1 °F (-14.4 °C).[14]
The Guadalupe Mountains experience relatively hot summers, calm, mild autumn weather, and cool to cold weather in winter and early spring. Snow storms, sleet storms, freezing rain, or fog may occur in winter or early spring. Frequent high wind warnings are issued during winter through spring. Late summer monsoons produce thunderstorms. Nights are cool, even in summer.
| Climate data for Pine Springs, Texas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1987–2009 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) | 76 (24) | 83 (28) | 90 (32) | 97 (36) | 105 (41) | 103 (39) | 99 (37) | 96 (36) | 90 (32) | 82 (28) | 82 (28) | 105 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53.9 (12.2) | 56.2 (13.4) | 63.4 (17.4) | 70.7 (21.5) | 78.8 (26.0) | 87.8 (31.0) | 87.2 (30.7) | 84.4 (29.1) | 80.1 (26.7) | 71.9 (22.2) | 61.0 (16.1) | 53.9 (12.2) | 70.8 (21.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 42.7 (5.9) | 45.1 (7.3) | 51.5 (10.8) | 58.2 (14.6) | 67.0 (19.4) | 75.7 (24.3) | 75.6 (24.2) | 73.2 (22.9) | 69.1 (20.6) | 60.8 (16.0) | 50.1 (10.1) | 43.5 (6.4) | 59.4 (15.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 31.5 (−0.3) | 34.1 (1.2) | 39.5 (4.2) | 45.7 (7.6) | 55.2 (12.9) | 63.5 (17.5) | 64.0 (17.8) | 62.0 (16.7) | 58.0 (14.4) | 49.7 (9.8) | 39.2 (4.0) | 33.2 (0.7) | 48.0 (8.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 1 (−17) | 3 (−16) | 9 (−13) | 10 (−12) | 31 (−1) | 43 (6) | 50 (10) | 49 (9) | 32 (0) | 9 (−13) | 8 (−13) | 0 (−18) | 0 (−18) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.63 (16) | 0.70 (18) | 0.54 (14) | 0.50 (13) | 0.85 (22) | 1.52 (39) | 2.78 (71) | 3.11 (79) | 2.29 (58) | 1.34 (34) | 0.96 (24) | 0.77 (20) | 15.99 (406) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.7 (1.8) | 0.4 (1.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.4 (3.6) | 2.8 (7.1) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 4.1 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 5.4 | 6.9 | 9.2 | 9.6 | 7.7 | 6.6 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 69.0 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 |
| Source: NOAA[15][16] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Guadalupe Peak. Elevation 8,749 feet (2,667 m). | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 49.2 (9.6) | 52.6 (11.4) | 59.2 (15.1) | 66.8 (19.3) | 75.2 (24.0) | 82.7 (28.2) | 81.7 (27.6) | 80.2 (26.8) | 75.0 (23.9) | 67.5 (19.7) | 57.5 (14.2) | 49.3 (9.6) | 66.5 (19.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 40.1 (4.5) | 42.9 (6.1) | 48.3 (9.1) | 55.6 (13.1) | 64.4 (18.0) | 71.7 (22.1) | 71.7 (22.1) | 70.7 (21.5) | 65.4 (18.6) | 57.8 (14.3) | 48.3 (9.1) | 40.1 (4.5) | 56.5 (13.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 31.0 (−0.6) | 33.2 (0.7) | 37.5 (3.1) | 44.5 (6.9) | 53.7 (12.1) | 60.6 (15.9) | 61.8 (16.6) | 61.1 (16.2) | 55.8 (13.2) | 48.1 (8.9) | 39.0 (3.9) | 30.9 (−0.6) | 46.5 (8.1) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.56 (14) | 0.98 (25) | 0.69 (18) | 0.54 (14) | 1.09 (28) | 1.72 (44) | 3.51 (89) | 3.89 (99) | 2.72 (69) | 1.47 (37) | 1.23 (31) | 1.07 (27) | 19.47 (495) |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 40.5 | 37.5 | 32.4 | 27.3 | 28.7 | 33.6 | 46.3 | 53.5 | 52.6 | 44.3 | 38.4 | 41.2 | 39.7 |
| Averagedew point °F (°C) | 18.0 (−7.8) | 18.7 (−7.4) | 20.1 (−6.6) | 22.4 (−5.3) | 31.2 (−0.4) | 41.5 (5.3) | 50.0 (10.0) | 53.0 (11.7) | 47.6 (8.7) | 36.2 (2.3) | 24.1 (−4.4) | 18.4 (−7.6) | 31.8 (−0.1) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group[17] | |||||||||||||
Three major ecosystems are contained within the park. TheChihuahuan Desert exhibitssalt flats,creosote bushes, andhoney mesquite on the western side of the park, with low elevations on the eastern side covered withgrassland,pinyon pine, andjunipers. The canyon interiors, includingMcKittrick, Bear, and Pine Springs Canyon, exhibitbigtooth maple,velvet ash,chinkapin oak, and otherdeciduous trees that are fed bysprings recharged by mountainstreams. Finally, alpine areas more than 7,000 ft (2,100 m) above sea level contain forests ofponderosa pine,Arizona pine,southwestern white pine,Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir,alligator juniper, and small stands ofquaking aspen.[18]
The range contains many largecave systems, includingCarlsbad Caverns andLechuguilla Cave. The history of the range includes occupation by ancientPueblo andMogollon peoples, and by theApache and various outlaws in the 19th century.[19]
The park is home to over 1000 species of plants, some of which include cacti, succulents, wildflowers, grasses and shrubs.[20]Viola guadalupensis, the Guadalupe Mountains violet, is a rare plant that is endemic to the park.[21]
Mammals that inhabit this national park includeelk,javelina,gray fox,American black bear,coyote,bobcat,striped andhog-nosed skunk,badger, sixteen species ofbat,mule deer, andmountain lion.[22] Birds of this park includegreat horned owl,chickadee,sparrow,woodpecker,turkey vulture,greater roadrunner,hummingbird,peregrine falcon,golden eagle,wren, andgrosbeak.[23]
Media from Commons
Travel information from Wikivoyage of theNational Park Service| International | |
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