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.

My husband and I visited in December 2025 and decided to climb Guadalupe Peak. It was amazing…read more The trail was maintained. A search and rescue ranger was walking the trail to keep a count of the hikers, which made me feel safe. I was so stoked that we were able to summit. We went to the ranger station afterwards to buy souvenirs and share our achievements. The rangers just looked deadpan at us after sharing our news. It left me disheartened. They could have pretended to care about our little victory. Would have liked to hike Devils Hall, but we were beat after the peak.

I had biketoured through this amazing community three years ago (JAN 2018) on my beloved…read moreDoublevision, and after overnighting at the city park, enjoyed a much-needed brekkie at the fabulous Spanish Angels Cafe before leaving the village. This time (01DEC2021), I had "aged out" and am now reliant upon my eBikeKit-assisted CruzBike (model S40), which enables me to continue my biketouring with help from an eWheel. I needed a site that had a 110v outlet that I could recharge the eBatteries. I contacted Diana at City Hall (915.964.2344), who gave me Mr. Chacón's number (432.940.6658), owner/operator of the excellent E & I RV Park, and gave me the requisite permission to overnight there. I also had access to the outlet to make the essential recharge connection. It was FANTASTIC! I highly recommend this site for an inexpensive camping experience, and it certainly gets my coveted "iWheel of Approval!" Worth noting is that this wonderful community is some 15miles/24kms North of US62-180 on FM1437, and is at a lower elevation than most of the surrounding area. It is similar to White Sands National Monument in that the cold seeps up from the ground, and unless you have a pad/layers, you'll chill to the bone! In fact, there is nearly a 20F air temperature difference from US62-180 to Dell City. Also, it's quite interesting to not just take 1437, but make a round trip on the "agricultural loop", which junctions back with 62-180 further East/closer to the salt flats--important if you are continuing to Guadalupe Mountains National Park or Blue Origins Launch Site one.

Really nice guy, clean space, quiet. Really enjoyable, would recommend and will definitely come…read moreback.

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.

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 time here and was staying close by Carlsbad. Getting here super easy for a National Park…read more Parking was easy and close to the visitor center. Visitor center gives a great overlooking view of the valley below. Great educational preview for the caves and bat show. Wear good shoes you will be walking down A Lot ! No flops or crocks your feet will hate you. Bring a backpack for a light jacket and flashlights are allowed. Good for looking into some deep portions of the cave. I brought 2 flashlights one that clipped on my backpack and aimed down so I can see my footing. There are some wet spots in the cave and slipping IS a Possibility. Second one was bright enough to look into deep openings around the caves. My EDC is a Wurkkos TD11 has up to 3k Lumen which is plenty. The pack also had some snacks that you can only eat at the bottom where the food court is. Brought 2 water bottles that were packed with ice and electrolytes. Now the big issue. Cell phones are great but I also brought my insta360 x5. Good for low light and extra batteries. No one up top told me I couldn't bring it in. Mind you I was using just the standard stick. Yes it extends but I only used it as the short stick. I also did bring a clip on rig just in case. 3/4 down was stopped by one Ranger and told yes as long as I didn't extend the stick it was ok. At the bottom by the food court another ranger told me no MUST put it away period. Fine for the main big chamber I used the clip on mount to get my shots. Just be aware that Rangers vary. Yes I was responsible and didn't interfere with the environment. Just wanted to capture the beauty. Now the rest of the story. Lots and lots of down hill switchbacks. Tons of spots to take AMAZING pictures. The bats are just below the entrance of the caves and in a separate chamber. You can spot a few outside that chamber. Way way way way way down you go switchback and beautiful spots of picture taking. Blown away and the final Big chamber. If your planing go for the Ranger led tour as it will bring you further down into deeper chambers! Remember camera restriction as mentioned. Handicap can take an elevator down to the main chamber so they can experience the awe. As for going back up 2 options elevator or hike back up. I love my hips and knees so I chose elevator. As for the bat show. Get there 630pm ish is fine show starts 730p-830p. but do know that if its windy (past 20mph) no bat show as the bats are too small to battle hight winds. If you miss it there is live viewing on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/live/BwiIsjXt3KI?si=uf5eNH9g2KD0hnfl

Call me the naysayer. I hated this place…read more I bought the tickets ahead of time for the timed entry. Self guided big room tour. We decided to do elevator up and down. It's 750' down to the cave. That's like 50 stories. Then it's a 1-1/4 mile loop walk. It's relatively cool, damp and dark in the cave. They have lights everywhere. And some signs you can read. But I didn't see a ranger anywhere in the cave. So why didn't I like it. The whole walkway is paved with railings on both sides. And they have brought lights in. Which made it seem unnatural to me. I almost felt like I was at Disneyland the cave ride. Then as I was walking around - I felt like you see 1 stalagmite you've seen them all. Ok - so I guess one looks like a Chinese theater and another looks like a penis. But they are all stalactites and stalagmites. It was probably the lack of ranger interaction - nobody to ask questions to or give any insight into the caves. So 1-1/4 miles of looking at the same boring crap. Granted it didn't help that some other visitors brought their screaming toddler down there. And that's all I heard the whole time. And when you got near the elevators - they actually have restrooms down there that smell like a sewer. I will 100% say this was the worst national park I ever visited.

I hiked in from McKittrick Canyon (7.5 Miles) as opposed to from the Visitor Center (12 Miles)…read more Everyone tried to talk me into doing the opposite, but I am glad I did it this way. The climb up was steep and had a bunch of false summits, but once you get into the forrest you are almost there. Camp has eight pads set up for tents, and there are stones big enough to sit on. The cliffs with amazing views from the edge of the ridge are only about one hundred yards from camp. The camp is not set right on the cliff, and this is nice because it is just down on the other side of the ridge far enough to be blocked from the wind. Also, there are large trees which afford shelter and a place to hang a hammock. This place is well worth the workout. I went on a Saturday night at the end of March and there was only one other small group at camp.

A wonderful State Park, located on Brantley Lake! There are 47 camp sites with water and electric…read more They also have dispersed sites as well.

We have stayed here for 14 days. It is a nice secluded park, quiet, and dark but still close enough…read moreto Carlsbad and local attractions. We went to Carlsbad Caverns and Bat Flight Program, Sitting Bull Falls and The Flume during our second visit to this area. The park is in need of some trimming and weed control. Our site is filled with Texas Star Thistle. We had to do yardwork before setting up our pet fence. I mean it is everywhere here. There are dead trees at sites which should be taken down before they fall on someone. The sites are not level. The dump station is closed. They said they are taking bids from local companies and should be up in two weeks but it has been two weeks. We were able to use our blue boy and dump at a vacant host site. The park would be so much nicer if a little care was taken to clean the sites of vegetation. I'm not sure if we would stay here again.

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.

If you are going to Hueco Tanks to climb for the 1st time, start here, hire a guide or tag along on…read morea guided tour. Let them guide you through the process. A tour is the easiest method to get into the park. All the guides/tours I have hired have been nice, but this is the easiest method of getting a good guide. I have had nothing but good experiences on the tour groups. Just make sure you can climb at the level range of the tour. It is a business owned by climbers run by climbers. Everyone is nice and loves climbing. The climbing energy is infectious. Sometimes the facilities could be better and cleaner. The area seems to be getting better. There are flush toilets! The campground is the easiest one to get into. The National Park Campground is a plan ahead reservation system and can be trying. It is a bunch of climbers running amok, but it is not as bad it could be. The majority of the peeps are here to climb hard. If you are not into camping or a hostel environment El Paso has plenty of hotel/motel rooms. I didn't use the Rock Ranch to plan my first trip, but now I get all my guides/tours from here. See you climbing!

Best bet for climbers | Good vibes, cool facility $…read more This place is AWESOME. I wish I knew this place was open during the times I stayed in El Paso to climb at Hueco Tanks though. The time when I usually come to climb in the park is Veterans Day weekend, and that time frame is when they're just starting to open for the season. We went here to rent crash pads. $10/day for the regular 2 fold $15/day for the tri fold *the ones we rented were NEW!!!!! This place is in association with the American Alpine Club, so if you stay here you get a discount if you're a member. From what I saw, there are a couple rooms that have several bunk beds, a couple rooms with single beds, some rooms that have their own bathrooms, a shared bathroom down the hall, a common space area, a bar area, and a shared kitchen. The outside has some training equipment, too. It's just a place full of climbers staying to be close by to the park instead of 45 minutes away in El Paso, near the airport. There is also camping spots available and lots of parking spaces. We'll be back next year and hopefully if they are open we'll be staying here :)

Slant rhyme summary: draconian rules, beautiful views!…read more In the winter, this place is open 8am to 6pm. You can leave this campground anytime (insert boomer Hotel California Dad joke here), but you can't get back in. How do they accomplish this? The road into the campground is gated. The gate is locked on one side (driver's right) and the other side is open, BUT it has those one-way spikes like the rental car agencies have. This is brutal. We were here trying to do rock climbs in the Organs and we had to SPEED back into the campground to not miss the 6pm cutoff. It made it impossible to enjoy the lovely eateries and breweries in Las Cruces so...we chose not to sleep here for multiple nights and just leave our tent setup. Having said all that, this campground is immaculate. It's one of the nicest public campgrounds I've stayed at. Every site has a fire ring, a grill, a picnic table WITH a minipavillion, and a flat area to pitch a tent. To top it all off, it's only $7 a night and has amazing views of the Organ mountains! My guess is that this area has problems with rampant vandalism (many of the Organ mountain trailheads are also locked from 8am to 6pm) and is maybe understaffed, so this is their solution to the issues. If you go to bed early and are really good at cooking in a campground, this is the spot for you. If you're the type of person that likes big days in the mountains followed by hiking out by headlamp followed by crispy brews in town...look elsewhere.

This is a beautiful campground nestled in the Organ Mountains. We came on a weekend evening and…read morewere able to find an unoccupied tent site. This is the closest campground I found near White Sands; it was about a 40 minute drive. The stars were beautiful. Make sure to bring exactly $7 cash as you deposit it into the box to get a permit. There were picnic tables and grills for each campsite. We had a nearby garbage bin. The vault toilets were surprisingly very, very clean. The Pine Loop Trail was a lovely four-mile hike that starts right by the campground. It takes you up into the mountains, and it took us about two hours to complete. There were many false trails that weren't marked. It's rated as moderate, although I think it was more challenging.