Tejas Trail Sample - Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Since we only had one afternoon to spend at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, we chose to hike a short (~850 feet one-way) section of the Devil's Hall and Tejas Trails to get a better perspective of Pine Spring Canyon from the dry creekbed and a bit beyond. We started at the composite trailhead in Pine Spring Campground during our September 2021 visit. About 100 feet from the trailhead, we left the Devil's Hall trail and turned right onto the Tejas Trail. The trail passes through a mix of vegetation with trees,  cacti, shrubs, and grasses all intermixed. I would describe the short section we walked as easy to moderate, but don't be fooled by that as the trail climbs 2000 feet in the next 4 miles rating it as strenuous.

Trailhead

Typical trail surface

Tejas Trail intersection

Typical Tejas Trail surface

Another view of the trail

A ridge extending from Guadalupe Peak

Pine Spring Canyon

The flanks of Hunter Peak

An ephemeral stream has carved this bluff

Crossing Pine Spring creekbed 

Unusual rock formation

View upstream of Pine Springs Canyon

Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa)

View east toward the Great Plains

The ridge of Hunter Peak

An entry fee of $10 per person is valid for seven consecutive days at Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Fees may be paid with cash or card at the visitor center or they may be paid with cash at the trailhead by using the green envelopes provided. Other fee payment options include the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes including the Annual Pass ($80), Senior Pass ($80 for a lifetime), Access Pass (free with a documented disability), and Military Annual Pass (free for active-duty personnel). A pass holder can bring up to three additional adults (age 16 or older) with no additional fee. Also available is a Guadalupe Mountains National Park Annual Park Pass for $35.

The Guadalupe Mountains National Park website is https://www.nps.gov/gumo/index.htm.