Nice campground for $20 a night ($10 if you have a park pass). You can reserve online. There is no…read moreelectric or water at the sites. There are flushing restrooms down by the RV parking and vault toilets by the tent camping. Gorgeous views of the Guadalupe mountains. Some of the sites require a small walk. Trails are off limits to dogs except for the paved trail around the visitor's center. Beautiful sunrise and moon rise views of you happen to be around during a full moon.

Pine Springs Campground is the primary spot for camping within Guadalupe Mountains National Park…read more For all you adventurous tourists and National Park gurus out there...I would think it'd sort of be a right of passage that after exploring around Guadalupe Mountains...you'd spend an evening or two here at Pine Springs. I'd say the best aspect to this campground is the location. It's unbeatable! Just next door to this Pine Springs Campground (literally within walking distance) is the Pine Springs Trailhead. From here at the park's chief Trailhead...you have access to the paramount hikes within Guadalupe Mountains! So when you complete your day filled with desert hiking among the remote and desolate surroundings of Western Texas...simply walk on over here to the campground to rest for the evening. It's so convenient!! It's $15 per night to camp at Pine Springs. What I did...or what the Park Ranger instructed me to do was...choose from any of the 20 Pine Springs campsites offered, then set up your tent and belongings, and even back your car into the site. Now on your own accord walk on over to the Pine Springs Trailhead area where you'll approach an instruction board on how to pay. And it's pretty much like any other campground. You'll fill out an envelope with payment and your information and then drop it into a security/safe box. Next take the receipt from the envelope and hang it beside your campsite as proof of payment. It's that easy and now your campsite is reserved for however many nights you plan on staying. Campsites are offered on a first come, first served. So...if you arrive at Guadalupe Mountains in the morning...you're good to go for the rest of the day to start enjoying hiking. If you arrive in the late afternoon time, you can still set out on a hike, or just relax at the campsite for the remainder of the day. Btw, you can pay with a credit card for your campsite. It's not always the case at other places...but here there is a convenience. I liked how this Pine Springs Campground was surrounded by all the mountains and arid terrain. It's really scenic with Guadalupe Peak, El Capitan and Hunter Peak situated in the backdrop. Although I stayed here for only 1 evening, I happily would have remained longer had I been interested in seeing more sights. Ultimately I used 2 full days at Guadalupe Mountains and this 1 and only evening. Just relaxing at night back over the summertime with the sun setting...I really enjoyed and admired the very quiet and still setting. I felt like I was able to connect with nature. In all, it was a fulfilling overnight. I will mention a few sort of drawbacks to Pine Springs Campground. Nothing major...just a few items which sort of prevented me from giving this place 5 stars... The ground where I set my tent upon was so hard...it was borderline solid concrete. I had to use plenty of padding to make my rest comfortable. Basically, there was no grass here. There weren't showers either. Back at the trailhead were bathrooms with faucets though. It said there was no RV Dump Station here. The closest one was back in Carlsbad. Finally, due to the very dry conditions, no wood or charcoal fires were allowed. Only containerized camp stoves were permitted. Overall, these weren't the biggest deterrents...but they didn't make for the most efficient conditions. Overall, I still much appreciated my time staying here at Pine Springs Campground. For me it was the perfect way to not only end my first day at Guadalupe Mountains Park...but it set the precedent for getting started on the right note the following day when I walked over to the Trailhead section and began climbing epic Guadalupe Peak Trail to the "Top of Texas"!!

First off, the visitor center has a water filling station, nice restrooms and amazing employees…read more Their gift shop is really small compared to other national parks but they have a good variety of items to choose from. This park is on mountain time- remember that- even if your phone keeps jumping back and forth between the time zones. I hiked the Guadalupe Peak Trail and oh my goodness such an amazing hike. I started early and made sure to have plenty of water. When I was coming down, I was a little surprised by how many people were starting the hike... in June at the hottest time of the day. Make sure to be prepared and enjoy all the breathtaking sights.

So I spent part of the week here exploring and I really enjoyed my time here. It is the smaller…read moreNational Park in Texas on about 85,000 acres (compared to Big Bend National Park which is 800,000 acres) but still plenty to explore. This park is more for folks that really like to hike, explore and camp. There are a few entry points into the park but there really is no scenic routes through the park. You are expected to park somewhere and walk to your destination instead which I find very interesting to do (can see alot more too). I've visiting the frijole ranch that had a small museum inside explaining the history of the park. Attach to it there are a few trails you can take off to do. I did the smith springs and it was very pretty to see. Once you manage to get up the hill there were some seats and rails you can hang onto and relax while watching the spring. I also did the Guadalupe Mountain Peak trail, which is the highest peak in Texas. That one takes about 6 to 8 hours to hike (round trip) and it had amazing views. There was also a mark at the to there you can take a picture too which was cool. Definitely need to be prepped to do this or any of the hikes (water, food, first aid, hiking stick and good hiking boots). The Salt Basin Dunes were also really nice to explore but expect to do half a day here. That one you drive over dirt road to get to but very nice views of the mountain. It also had a place you can use the restroom and sit down to eat. The place is exactly what you expect...alot of sand hills you can climb but very soft and cooling (just watch your step). I didn't get to explore all the park since there was a government shut down and closed one of the trails I wanted to do but overall It was definitely worth the trip to visit. I plan to come back next year when it's not too hot (best time for fall colors and cool air for tough hikes). I would absolutely recommend anyone to at least check this park out at least once in your life. Make sure do your research and bring what you need.

Best part was the falls. Otherwise windy, unsteady terrain with mid views of a lot of brownread more

Couldn't check in because of lack of phone internet, then said I was too far away to check in. A…read morebeautiful drive to the park but watch for the range free cattle near the roads. A whole day can be spent here with the sites and the swimming pools at bottom of falls. There's also some great covered picnic sites with a grill and plenty of tables. To park at the falls lot is $5 and it's self service so have correct amount.

There's not much around for dining options. I used yelp and was able to find local eateries and a…read morenice brewery. The campgrounds itself were affordable. They had everything I needed for my short stay. Make sure you check out the caverns while here. They are majestic.

great staff, we had to postpone our trip for three weeks at the last second, air conditioning went…read moreout on trailer. They moved our reservation back the three weeks without a charge so we could still bring the grandkids to see Carlsbad Caverns. Then one of our grandchildren lost the restroom access card and they graciously replaced it for us. Could not have been nicer people. thanks

Whew! This was a tough little hike. The National Park Service has changed the rating of this hike…read morefrom difficult to strenuous and I can totally understand why. You will definitely be rock scrambling and bouldering during many parts of this hike and the portion that runs along the wash is extremely hard to follow. If I didn't download a map ahead of time, I would have been completely lost. There were times that I was literally looking up at huge rocks and wondering if I had hit a dead end, but ended up having to climb them to continue the trail. Don't be fooled by the AllTrails description of this hike. 3.6 miles and 577 feet of elevation gain really ends up being more like 4.2 miles and almost 700 feet of elevation gain. Although that's not a very difficult amount of elevation, what makes this hard is the fact that most of it includes rock climbing. I should also mention that it's an out and back hike, so most of the elevation is gained during the first half of the hike. You will use your entire body to get through this trail (upper and lower). The trail begins at the parking lot behind Pine Springs campground and visitor center. It starts off gradually inclining up a sandy single track hiking path through desert vegetation and alongside the wash. You'll hit a part of the trail where it'll actually meet the wash, and this is where you'll hike through the wash to finish the out portion of the trail. This is where it starts to get rocky and tricky. This portion where it follows the wash is so hard to follow. Make sure that you download a map ahead of time so that you have something to help you navigate. Reception is very spotty, so download the map so that's its ready for offline use. After scrambling through rocks, you'll reach the natural staircase. It's so stunning to look at but also terrifying to try and navigate through. I did see a few people actually climb in front of it and my anxiety went out the roof watching them do it. Most people just took the "shortcut" and hiked behind the staircase which is a bit longer to do but also much safer. And trust, I took that shortcut. I was not trying to die that day being extra adventurous. The shortcut is a bit nerve racking too, but there are places where you can put your hands and feet to climb up the rock (you can see the slits in the rocks). After passing the natural staircase, you'll reach the infamous "pool". It's nothing special folks; just a small puddle of water with hella mosquitoes inside. Eeeck! After passing the pool, you'll do some soft rock scaling and then you'll find yourself at Devil's Hall. There's no signage or anything, and I actually kept going past it at first because I wasn't sure if that was the end of the hike. Luckily there was another group of people up there who told me that I had made it. And then, the photo ops! Hiking back down all of those rocks is almost as brutal as climbing them. Trying to get your footing right while coming down loose gravel and boulders is killer. I slipped a couple of times. Witnessed a few people along the trail who slipped too. High ankle hiking boots are highly recommended. The ankle support will really come in handy. My feet were on fire at this point too, but I'm also out of shape and that's clearly my fault. The heat didn't help either. This trail has zero shade and I was burning up. Bring more water than you think you'll need and lather up on the sunscreen. From start to finish with breaks, it took me about 3 hours to complete this hike. Again, I wasn't in my best shape, but this hike ain't easy either. The nice views and the photo ops at the natural staircase and Devil's Hall pretty much made up for that though. It was surely an excellent workout too. I just wished that it was marked better, but I'm happy that I came prepared and downloaded the offline map. So, this hike probably wouldn't be too difficult for an avid hiker who hikes higher elevations and rock scrambles pretty regularly. But for the occasional hiker or the average Joe, get ready for a serious climb.

Amazing Trail. About 4 MI total. Wear proper shoes, this one's a rocky one, lots of boulders to…read moreclimb and scramble over but fun and rewarding. You will start from the parking lot using the same Trail for Guadalupe Peak, then it splits. The peak one way the devil's hall or the other. You will follow the little Trail all the way to the creek wash, then you head up the wash the remainder of the way. You just walk the wash till you get to what they call The Devil's Staircase. You can't miss it. You'll climb and enter that and immediately you run into a tank filled with water hopefully and from there you keep going forward into the wash. Don't give up you're almost there. It looks sketchy I know but keep going. Then before you know it you come to the slot canyon known as The Devil's Hall. Amazing hike. Go do it. Get out and explore. Happy hiking

My husband & I stayed in The Sacramento Switchback Apartment, it was perfect! It was very clean,…read morefresh & cozy. In the evenings, just before sunset, we enjoyed watching the elk cross the field & wander along the mountain side just across the street. Listening to the elk bulge all night was awesome. Anjelica, our host, was fantastic! We did not experience any issues, but have no doubt she would have handled anything quickly.

First, the RV park is perfect for a weekend away, it's not so crowded due to the fact that is small…read morein the amount of spaces offer for rent, which makes it more of a private get away but the owners have ample property for all the activities a camper likes. Me and my wife hike on their property to beautiful views, grill outside in the night, pay with our pets and got to visit a lot of the local interesting spots which are all locate withing a 10-20 minute drive from the place, making very combinient. And the price includes everything (water, sewage, and electric) Second, the owners are very friendly and welcoming and they are willing to explain to you everything about the area, which its neat because this park was build on historic land, then makes it more special. Overall a great experience and we will defenatly come back again

The plus: very close to the Carlsbad cavern national park. So if you need to wait inline to get…read morewalk-in tickets, this is the place to park your RV. The negatives: it's a long list. Started with the person taking the call to make reservation, unfriendly (though the staff onsite was ok), DIRTY bathroom and shower, insulations on the ceiling were on the floor, NASTY shower floor, very dark, everyone is close together, because there isn't a place to put your stuff in the shower, you bring a chair but then RV surrounding it can see us (my daughter kept screaming there was a person on the RV watching her). Glad we didn't have coins to do laundry, because it was dark and the surrounding just felt really unsafe. I will NOT recommend this place (especially for the money) unless you need to go to Carlsbad cavern to wait online for tickets.

too tight of quarters, literally on the side of the road, super close to carlsbad caverns thoughread more

Very well maintained grounds and newly updated Aminity Center. Flat, long sites with beautiful pine…read moretrees in between most sites. Great Mountain View's. Nearby truck stop and highway noise not an issue during our stay. Would definitely make this a stop coming though I10 in the future.

We have stayed here a couple of times over the past few years. We were always impressed with the…read moreeasy access and the long sites. It has been a couple of years since we have been here and unfortunately what a difference. The office area is very dusty and messy. Site 19 is an unbelievable eyesore. A toilet sits outside and a homemade shower that is falling down. Come on, Mountain View owners, you can do better. What you allow will continue and worsen.

Out on the frontier removed from the frustrations of civilization sits Balmorhea an artesian gem…read morehiding among the tumbleweeds. The springs themselves are astonishing. Crystalline water, a natural oasis. Wilderness as a touch of elegance. The water is cool, refreshing, and large enough you can swim without bumping into a flotilla of inflatable flamingos every ten seconds. It is serene. Now, the true pièce de résistance: tiny fish. Yes darling, little cousins of piranhas nibbling delicately at your skin. At first, it's mildly horrifying. Being lightly snacked upon by aquatic creatures isn't typically on the itinerary. It's nature's exfoliation service. Truly. These miniature aestheticians gather around and provide the most delightful, ticklish skin treatment imaginable. Think of it as a rustic version of spa fish pedicures, except this one is completely natural, wildly entertaining, and performed by creatures that actually live in the ecosystem instead of a questionable salon tank. The entire place has this fascinating ecological charm that sneaks up on you. You're floating in a massive spring-fed pool, mountains in the distance, dragonflies skimming the water, and tiny fish politely tend to your skincare needs. The magic of Balmorhea (I'll let you figure out how to pronounce it correctly) is that it's a living ecosystem, and being able to swim in the middle of it is special. It's frontier chic. Don't expect marble spas and cucumber water. Following an afternoon, my skin felt absurdly smooth, stress level plummeted, and it was imperative to recommend the remote desert destination without qualification. Five stars for the fish running the spa.

Fun time at this park…read more Enroute from San Antonio to El Paso, we were able to stop at this park to get the kids out of the car and into some refreshing spring water It was clean, not crowded and left us already planning a return on our next trip back or towards Big Bend National. There are cabins on the ground, picnic tables, barbecue pits. I saw a basketball court. They had a few nature areas to enjoy. I was certainly pleased with just getting my feet wet, but the water is clear and if you were interested in seeing more below the water, I recommend goggles or snorkeling gear. I hear companies teach scuba here too. There's not much else near the park, so bring all the amenities you need or want there. Good times with nature. We will return.