What To Expect Hiking Guadalupe Peak

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A glimpse of a Guadalupe National Park Mountain through the trees.
A glimpse of the Guadalupe Mountains.
Spencer and Alexis pose next to the metal pyramid signifying the highest point in Texas.
A celebration at the highest point in Texas.
Hiking the highest point in Texas seems intimidating, but we are here to tell you everything you need to know before you start your journey!

Weather

The temperature can drop well below freezing in the winter, so layer accordingly! We completed the hike in the beginning of March. With the anticipation of frigid weather, we bundled up to the max! Within the first mile, we shed all layers except one. Although the elevation may be colder on the mountain, the strenuous hike up will be sure to keep you nice and warm.
Alexis is walking down a switchback in Guadalupe National Park, passing a Texas Madrona tree.
Walking down a switchback, passing a Texas Madrona tree.

Terrain

At the start of the trail, the surroundings are similar to those of most desert hikes. The first mile is the most strenuous due to its swift elevation gain. After the first mile, there are a good mix of rocky switchbacks, sandy flats, and stair climbs. The top of the mountain is considerably rocky, making it more difficult to stay on the trail. Just don’t look down! We found it very similar to hikes in the Tetons. We tracked approximately 8.7 miles round trip, with almost 3,000 feet of elevation gain.
An overlooked point on the Guadalupe National Park hiking trail. Pictured is the Guadalupe Point with a Texas valley in the background.
Overlook onto the Guadalupe Mountains and a Texas valley.
Pictured is a fossilized seashell. Since the entire mountain was once the bottom of the sea, fossils can be found at 8,000 feet up.
A deep-sea fossil on top of the mountain.

Views

From beginning to end, this trail provides beautiful views of the Guadalupe mountains as well as the valley below. We took shady breaks under the unique Texas Madrona trees. We loved its curvy red branches and vividly green leaves. The rocky stretches of the hike glittered with quartz filled rocks.
The El Capitan peak is viewed from the top of Guadalupe Peak in Guadalupe National Park.
A view of El Capitan peak from above.

The Peak

Being a popular hike, the top of the mountain is not as crowded as we had expected for the clear sunny Wednesday. As we started this trail, we had figured out why. It is strenuous indeed! The hike up had light to medium traffic with about 7 others at the Peak. This makes for great photo-ops of the famous metal pyramid marking the highest point in Texas. Used as a mail route almost 200 years ago, it now serves as a beautiful 360 degree vantage point.
The metal pyramid signifies the highest point in Texas.
The signification of the highest point in Texas (literally!).