Guadalupe Mts National Park

While visiting Carlsbad and Guadalupe Mts National Parks, I stayed on BLM land at MM 5.1 in New Mexico. Texas has NO BLM LAND, so it's going to be tough going across the state. However, you can stay at picnic areas and rest areas for one night.

This is El Capitan, the landmark everyone associates with Guadalupe Mountains. To the right of it is Guadalupe peak, the highest point in Texas.


The Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoaches came through here for a short time, September 1858 to August 1859. This station, called The Pinery, was the highest in elevation of the many stations along the route.


They traveled day and night, carrying up to 9 passengers, baggage, and 12,000 letters.


They had to complete the 2700-mile journey between St. Louis and San Francisco in 25 days as promised in their contract, and they never failed. A passenger going the whole distance paid $150, and a letter cost 10 cents.


While here, I hiked the very pretty trail up McKittrick Canyon to the Pratt Cabin.


Ah, made it. This is the entrance to the cabin area.


Wallace Pratt, petroleum geologist and conservationist, built the cabin as a summer home during the depression.


"The Stone Cabin," as he called it, had stone walls, floor, and roof, made of limestone slabs. He donated the cabin and over 5000 acres of McKittrick Canyon to the National Park Service in 1961. Thanks, Wallace! I really enjoyed it.