The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness

The Foothills Trail connects the Pine Springs Area with the Frijole Ranch and can be easily connected with the Frijole Trail to make a pleasant loop along the eastern escarpment of the Guadalupe mountains. From this relatively easy section of trail, you get excellent views up Bear Canyon and toward El Capitan and Guadalupe Peak. You also frequently see wild animals like deer along the trail as well as wildflowers in the spring.

The ruins of historic Pinery Station is on the National Register of Historic Places and is just a short walk from the main Pine Springs Visitor Center on an easy, wheelchair-accessible, paved path. The station was once part of the Butterfield Overland Mail route, which ran biweekly from St. Louis to San Francisco in the mid-1800s. The stagecoach drivers that worked the mail route traveled an astonishing average of 120 miles a day. The Pinery, which sits at 5,534 feet, was both the highest point and most isolated station on the route. The rock structure is the remains of a wall that once encircled the somewhat fortress-like station consisting of a wagon repair shop, a blacksmith shop, and three mud-roofed rooms with limestone walls for drivers and passengers to rest. The Butterfield Mail Coach only used the Pinery 11 months before switching to a new route, but other people from outlaws to soldiers continued to use station for decades after. This is a fascinating part of Texan history with stunning views; its a must-see if in the Pine Springs Area.

The Pine Springs Area and Trailhead is where many trails in the National Park begin and is by far the most heavily used day-use area in the park. Despite this, however, the parking lot is rather small so either plan to arrive early to get a spot or just park in the much larger Visitor Center lot. It is just a short distance away and there is a short trail connecting the two areas.

Pine Springs Visitor Center is Guadalupe Mountains National Park's main Visitor Center. You pay entrance and camping fees, and can pick up overnight wilderness use permits here. In addition to more administrative activities, you can also tour the museum, visit the gift shop, get maps and trail information, and chat with rangers. There are also restroom facilities and water fountains for you to use. The Pine Springs Visitor Center is also a great place to park when the Pine Springs trailhead parking fills up (which it often does) because its just a short distance away and a much larger lot.

Smith Spring is an oasis in the desert. Surrounded by plants, the heavily vegetated Smith Spring stands in stark contrast to the surrounding dry, rocky desert. This is a fantastic spot in the foothills of the mountains to relax in the shade, take some photographs, and be on the lookout for the many animals that rely on this important source of water in the desert.

Manzanita Spring is a small wide pool located a short distance up a paved trail from the Frijole Ranch. It is a great place to look for wildlife like mule deer, elk, javelinas, gray foxes, and birds like violet-green swallows and white-throated swifts. You also get great views of El Capitan and Guadalupe Peak from this spot. Manzanita Spring is a great place to rest, sip some water, and take in the views and wildlife in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

The Frijole Ranch was built about 1876 by the Rader Brothers by Frijole Spring. The ranch complex consists of seven buildings and represents the most complete early ranching compound in the Guadalupe Mountains that still stands today. The National Park Service eventually purchased Frijole Ranch in 1966 and it has served many roles for the park, including as an employee residence and utility buildings, a Park Service operations center, and, beginning in 1992, as its current iteration as an interpretive center and museum. The museum has exhibits and information about the human history of the Guadalupes from Native Americans who also lived around Frijole Spring for millennia, to the early ranchers and the Rader family, to National Park Service. There are also staff members present to answer questions as well as bathroom facilities and a picnic area nearby.

The parking lot is small so may need to park down nearer the visitor's center. Don't forget to record your hike starting and ending in the log book at the trailhead.