Guadalupe Mountains National Park
From World travel guide
Guadalupe Mountains National Park, often called "GuMo" for short, is a unit of the United States National Parks system, in the Big Bend region of the state of Texas in the United States of America. It contains the highest mountains in the state of Texas and rugged canyon country.
Contents |
Understand
The park's NPS web site, http://www.nps.gov/gumo/index.htm, is useful for additional information.
History
Landscape
Flora and fauna
GuMo is largely covered with the usual flora of the Chihuahuan desert (prickly-pear cactus, ocotillo, various yuccas, etc.), but one of its more startling features is a significant stand of native maple trees, quite an outlier in this ecosystem. The maple leaves turn a brilliant red in late fall and can be seen to good advantage from McKittrick Canyon and vicinity. Junipers and piñon pines are more typical of the larger trees of the park, if less scenic; there are stands of other pines (lodgepoles, etc.) in the mountains.
Top predators of the park ecosystem are mountain lion and black bear, but neither are frequently seen. Encounters with coyotes, gray fox, raccoon, and ringtail cat (one of the characteristic species of the park) are more common. Mule deer and elk are the largest herbivores, but javelinas are more typical of GuMo. While bat populations are not as concentrated or as famous as in the "Bat Cave" section of nearby Carlsbad Caverns, there are still 15 or so species of bats that take refuge in the smaller caves of the park.
Over 300 bird species are known from GuMo, although many of them are rare visitors. Large birds include golden eagle, various species of hawk, turkey vulture and sandhill crane. Many species of finch and warbler are present. There are few waterfowl except for accidental visitors during migration season. The largest venomous snake of the park is the western diamondback rattlesnake, but other rattlesnake species are also present. (Not to worry; your chances of a rattler encounter aren't high, although some caution is indicated when out on the trails around sunrise or sunset.)
Climate
Get in
The nearest city with major air service is El Paso, about 80 miles west. US highways 62 and 180 lead from El Paso to the park, on good road. Carlsbad (New Mexico) has commuter air service and is about equally far from the park on the east side, also along US 62/180; Carlsbad Caverns National Park is along the route from the town of Carlsbad to GuMo.
Fees/Permits
Get around
See
Do
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Lodging
There is no lodging within the park. The nearest hotels/motels are in the tacky tourist town of Whites City, New Mexico, just outside the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, about 35 road miles away. The Best Western franchise there is tolerable.
Camping
Backcountry
Ten primitive backcountry sites are available for camping, on a permit basis; see park web site for details.
Stay safe
Get out
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park is just a few miles away, across the New Mexico state line, and has terrain similar to that of GuMo, in addition to its famous caves.
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