Smith Spring Loop Trail - Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Continuing our May 2015 visit to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, I hiked the 2½ mile Smith Spring Loop Trail. To reach the trailhead, drive east 1.4 miles on US 62/180 from the Pine Springs Visitor Center. Turn north onto a dirt road signed for Frijole Ranch and drive ½ mile to a picnic loop on the left. The picnic area has several covered tables, a vault toilet and two accessible concrete parking spaces. A concrete sidewalk circles the outside of the parking area while a concrete curb and gutter demarks the inside of the loop. All that is missing is asphalt pavement to cover the gravel parking and driving sections. The trailhead kiosk is located on the northeast side of the loop. After signing in on the log sheet, proceed northeast down the concrete sidewalk to the Frijole Ranch Cultural Museum. A six-gallon per minute spring is enclosed in a spring house on the ranch. The museum is usually operated by volunteers and was not open the morning I was there. The sidewalk continues to Manzanita Spring for a round-trip distance of ¾ mile. One short section was washed out and replaced with gravel, so it might be accessible for strollers, but not for standard wheelchairs. Most powered mobility devices should not have any problems. From Manzanita Spring, I continued hiking the loop in a counter-clockwise direction to Smith Spring before returning to the parking lot. There are a couple of well-signed trail junctions on the return leg, but if you remember to keep left you'll continue on the loop. The trail ends back at the museum where you'll have to retrace your steps up the sidewalk back to the picnic and parking area.

While the portion of the trail near Smith Spring has plenty of shade, most of the trail will be in direct sunlight. Please remember to carry and drink plenty of water; pack at least a snack to eat; apply and re-apply sunscreen regularly; wear sun-protective clothing and a wide-brim hat; carry a first aid kit; and be alert for rattlesnakes and mountain lions. This trail is rated moderate by the park service with an average grade of about 5%, but it is a breeze compared to Devil's Hall Trail. The trail is well-defined with almost no chance of getting lost if you pay attention to your surroundings.

Topographic map with GPS hiking route

Trail elevation profile

Gravel parking area with concrete sidewalk

Trailhead kiosk

Sidewalk to Frijole Ranch Cultural Museum

The Rader brothers settled here in the 1870s

Spring house

Variously a "bunk house, storage shed, barn and school house"

The sidewalk continues toward Manzanita Spring

The kitchen, two bedrooms and upstairs were added by the Smith family after 1906

The washed out section of the sidewalk

Western Primrose

Manzanita Spring and Nipple Hill (5682')

The trail is rock and dirt beyond the spring

Engelmann Daisy

Most of the trail is a single-track with gravel surface

Descending to cross a wash

The trail is easy to follow even crossing a wash

Guadalupe Mountains

Plains and mesas of west Texas

Larger deciduous shrubs signal a source of water nearby

Crossing another wash

Texas Madrone and Chinkapin Oak line the trail

A small stone bench allows hikers to enjoy the view

Arriving at Smith Spring

Reflecting pool

An oasis in the desert

The tiny Smith Spring waterfall

Another view of the pool

Stone bench for viewing the waterfall and pool

Trail leaving Smith Spring

Frijole Ranch, access road and picnic area

This portion of the trail is rockier than the ascending side

The trail crosses a wash as it meanders down the hillside

More rocks as the trail descends

Lizard

Crossing a wash

Crossing another wash

Open hillside

Another view of Nipple Hill

The descent continues

Crossing another wash

Keep left at all trail junctions to stay on the loop

El Capitan

Arriving back at Frijole Ranch Cultural Museum

Sand Verbena

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.