Planning your fall hike at Guadalupe Mountains

By Adrian Hedden

Trees exploded with orange and yellow, the leaves radiating colors calling out to the eyes that fall began.

My wife Cassie and I were almost blind. The colors blasted our sockets. It’s illumination seemingly unheard of in the scrublands of the high desert.    

Along the trails of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, the fall announces itself as the flora transitions from the typical greens and browns of the leaves into the tell-tale colors of the season.

Cassie Marrs (left) and Adrian Hedden, Nov. 20, 2021 at McKittrick Canyon.

“It’s easy to forget how much our state has to offer,” Cassie said as we approached a thicket of fall brilliance, seemingly forgetting we were technically just over the border in Texas.

I’ve been among the thousands of New Mexicans every year that swarm like bees looking for pollen to the park during the fall months, starting in late September until November when the temperatures cool and the leaves begin to turn.

It might sound like just a long walk, but a trip to Guadalupe Mountains is a chance to escape the daily grind, get some exercise and experience something real beyond the plastic, electric bricks most use for their amusement.

Here’s what I’ve learned over several years of fall hiking at Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Go at the right time of year

Planning a visit to Guadalupe Mountains to see the famous fall colors, a rarity in the arid desert landscapes of New Mexico, takes some planning and knowledge of the area. I’ve made the mistake of going too late, when the colors give way to brown, dry brush of winter, or too early when they have yet to begin morphing amid the blistering heat.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park gives multiple updates on the progress of the fall color transition on Facebook. These updates can help you decide the best week to go to see the most colors.

This year, I set out on Oct. 12, early in the season but late enough, or so I thought, to see some good colors. I was somewhat disappointed to see most of the trees still green, but it was the right time weather-wise as the air was not yet cold and the sun pleasantly heated the trails to an enjoyable temperature.

Plan for a full day experience

Most of the best trails for fall colors are between three and five miles, so plan for a few hours on the trail and account for an about 40-minute drive to the park from Carlsbad, the closest city. It’s best to set a full day aside for the experience. You don’t want to be late for some afternoon plans or feel rushed on the trail. 

A unique experience like this should not be forced into a quick morning excursion or an afterthought after a busy day. Take your time and enjoy the escape to our gorgeous mountain vistas. Hiking is not a race; it’s one of the easiest ways to enjoy nature – at your own pace.

Make sure to stop at the Visitor Center, either at Pine Springs or McKittrick Canyon, pay the $10 fee for most visitors and grab a map to help find the right hike.

The path to McKittrick Canyon is awash in fall colors, Nov. 20, 2021 at Guadalupe Mountains.

Choose the right trail

McKittrick Canyon

McKittrick Canyon is the park’s most popular trail, with the trail head starting about a mile from the Pine Springs Visitor Center on National Parks Highway. I’ve found this trail to be easy, with little elevation gain and heavy shade coverage from several trees and plants that also display those elusive fall colors.

The shortest loop is to Pratt Cabin, an historic house built in the park, about 2.3 miles from the trailhead, according to the National Park Service. 

There are also several optional extensions, taking hikers a few miles further into the mountains than the defined path to another historic cabin or to the “grotto” where some interesting rock formations can be enjoyed.

The problem with McKittrick is its popularity. The trail is frequently crowded, especially during the busy fall season. Parking is limited and fills up quickly early in the day. Vehicles of all kinds snake through the entrance road to the trail head, especially on weekends, waiting for that coveted parking spot to open.

Our first time, Cassie and I waited for almost an hour in the line for parking.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said, frustrated behind the wheel. “There’s got to be other trails.”

Smith Spring Trail

Our war against overcrowding brought us to the shorter, but surprisingly more magnificent Smith Spring Trail.

The hike starts at a trailhead at the main Visitors Center, Pine Spring, and loops for about 2.3 miles at an “oasis” in the normally parched locale, the National Park Service reported. The desert drinks eagerly at the flowing waters at the top of this trail, some respite for the environment’s lips crusted with drought.

There is a little more elevation gain, as the trail gradually climbs about 400 feet, but we found the colors brighter and denser. Although it’s a shorter trail, the colors seem packed in tighter, giving a more intense view of the fall colors.

We stood at the top of Smith Springs, our faces aglow with the hidden beauty of barren southeast New Mexico that can be found if one is only willing to go for a walk.