Pine Springs Visitor Center - Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in west Texas. The park was authorized by Congress in 1966 and opened to the public in 1972. It is located about 100 miles east of El Paso, Texas or about 55 miles southwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The Pine Springs Visitor Center is located just north of US 62/180 as it passes through the park. This small visitor center houses an information desk, small bookstore, exhibits, museum area and theater. Restrooms are located in the same building. Upon request, a 12-minute narrated slide-show can be viewed in the theater. Partially due to its somewhat isolated location, its rather small relative size and its lack of a touring road, this is one of the lesser visited parks with average visitation of about 170,000 people per year. We visited in late April and early May, 2015.

Entrance to the Visitor Center

Theater

Exhibits in the theater

Museum exhibits

Geology exhibit

Interactive kiosk

Wildlife exhibit

Guadalupe Mountains

Mountain Mahogany

Texas Madrone

Oak Mistletoe

Soaptree Yucca

El Capitan

Lower part of Pine Spring Canyon

Lizard on the sidewalk

Hunter Peak

An entrance fee of $5 per person is collected at the visitor center or at self-service kiosks at trailhead parking areas. The entrance fee is valid for seven days. Other options include an Interagency Annual Pass providing access to most national park, national forest and BLM fee areas for $80 and a lifetime Interagency Senior Pass for those age 62 and older for $10.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/gumo/index.htm.