Guadalupe Mountains Pine Springs to McKittrick Canyon

This backcountry route connects two sides of the Guadalupe Mountains via old ranch roads that wind through the fossilized remains of a 250-million-year-old reef system — the same Capitan Reef formation that created Carlsbad Caverns. The 22-mile track climbs from Chihuahuan Desert floor through juniper and pinyon pine to the base of Guadalupe Peak (8,751 feet), Texas’s highest point, before descending into McKittrick Canyon where bigtooth maples create the state’s most spectacular fall display. Key challenge is the Devil’s Hall Fork crossing, where flash-flood debris creates technical rock gardens.

This moderate route needs high-clearance 4WD for rocky creek beds and steep limestone grades, but stock vehicles handle most sections with careful driving. Best tackled October through April to avoid scorching summers and catch McKittrick’s fall colors in late October. No permits for the road itself, but backcountry camping requires advance reservations. Carry extra water — this is high desert country where the nearest services are 55 miles away in Carlsbad. The reward is experiencing Texas geology at its most dramatic, from ancient sea floors to the state’s only real mountains.