Guadalupe Peak, High Above the Plains and Prairies

 
By Greg Fieg

The vastness of Texas affords the traveler a variety of terrains, from alligator-infested bayous, lush estuaries, sandy beaches and savannahs to rich farmlands, broad prairies and parched deserts. Ironically, however, the nation's second largest state is not generally regarded as mountainous, even though its highest peak, the Guadalupe, reaches nearly 9,000 feet, or more than half again higher than the "Mile High City" of Denver, CO.

Guadalupe Peak, situated next to the state's second highest point, "El Capitan," is located in Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Far West Texas just south of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The park receives visitors throughout the year, and in addition to a lengthy system of hiking trails and rock climbs, offers the ruins of a mid-19th century stagecoach stop.

Those traveling with high-profile vehicles, however, would do well to consult park rangers for a weather report before setting out for the mountain passes, which are often subject to high winds.

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