Pine Springs Campground, Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Campground

Facilities

The campground features 35 sites total with 20 tent, 13 RV and 2 group sites available by reservation.
Campsite occupancy is limited to 6 persons or 2 tents, per site. Group sites allow 10-20 persons per site.
No open fires (this includes portable propane fire rings and charcoal) are permitted anywhere in the park. Only cooking stoves or lanterns using containerized fuel are permitted.
Tent sites are hike-in only (38’ – 277’ from parking) and cannot accommodate RV parking due to the narrow access road. Each site offers a tent pad and picnic table.
RV sites are paved but very basic, offering picnic tables at most sites.
No shower facilities, hookups or dump stations.
The park is remote. Fuel your vehicle and purchase supplies before heading to the park. The visitor center bookstore carries limited camping and hiking supplies.

Natural Features

The Pine Springs Campground is in an area with small, scattered trees, shrubs, and grasses. Trees include gray oaks and alligator junipers, which cast partial shade at some sites. Texas madrones, bigtooth maples, chinquapin oaks, and ponderosa pines become more common along the canyon floor. Higher elevations include Douglas fir and hop-hornbeam. Shrubs include whitethorn acacia, Mexican orange, Apache plume, sumacs, and algerita. Desert-adapted plants also occur in this area, and include prickly pear cactus, New Mexico agave, sotols, and soaptree yuccas.
Hunter Peak and cross-sectional views of the Capitan reef are visible from the campground. Roadside pullouts (one mile and four miles away) provide excellent views of El Capitan. Hiking into Pine Springs canyon or along the foothills reveals Guadalupe Peak. The Guadalupe Peak trail ascends to the highest point in Texas and offers excellent views of the surrounding desert.
Birds commonly seen and/or heard around the campground can include Canyon towhees, turkey vultures, white-winged doves, common ravens, chipping sparrows, Say’s phoebes, common poorwills, and phainopeplas depending on the season.
Night sky visibility is excellent and nearly pristine directly overhead, to the south, and the southwest. Nearby high ridges and peaks are situated to the west and north.

Recreation

The Pine Springs Trailhead includes access to many different types of hikes. Hikes to Guadalupe Peak or the Bowl are strenuous, 8-9 miles, and have 2500-3000 feet of elevation gain. Another strenuous hike is the Devil’s Hall Trail (4.2 miles round-trip, 500 feet elevation gain, ½ of the trail in a rocky, uneven wash which includes route-finding and boldering skills). For a more moderate hike consider the the Frijole/Foothills Trail. The El Capitan Trail offers excellent open views of the surrounding desert and close approaches to the cliff face of El Capitan. Because of its distance, lack of shade, some primitive route travel, and numerous elevation changes, this trail is best saved for cooler times of year and for people with experience in route-finding.
The ruins of a Butterfield stage station, called the Pinery are next to the highway, and a short, paved nature trail connects the visitor center and the historic site.
The Frijole Ranch & History Museum is 1.5 miles away. The grounds are always open, but the museum is staffed intermittently.
Seven miles to the east on Hwy 62/180 is McKittrick Canyon. This area offers three trails, the McKittrick Canyon Nature Trail (0.9 miles loop), McKittrick Canyon Trail (4.8 miles round-trip to Pratt Cabin or 6.8 miles round-trip to the Grotto) and the Permian Reef Trail (8.4 miles round-trip, for serious geology buffs).

Recreation Sites

Tent Only Nonelectric
Rv Nonelectric
Group Tent Only Area Nonelectric
Overnight

Activities

Amphitheater
Backpacking
Birding
Camping
Day Use Area
Environmental Education
Evening Programs
Hiking
Guided Interpretive Walks
Interpretive Programs
Picnicking
Photography
Visitor Center
Wildlife Viewing
Cultural Activities
Star Gazing
Wilderness

Amenities

Accessible Drinking Water
Accessible Flush Toilets
Accessible Parking
Accessible Sites
Accessible Trails
Accessible Vault Toilets
Accessible Walkways
Cell Phone Service
Drinking Water
Geological Attractions
Gift Shop
Historic Sites
Host
Interpretive Trails
Museum
Parking Area
Paved Roads
Pets Allowed
Picnic Tables
RV Parking
Self Pay Station
Tent Pads
Trailhead Parking
Trailheads
Utility Sinks
Water Spigot
Picnic Area
Paved Sites

Nearby Attractions

Carlsbad Caverns National Park: In addition to a variety of cave tours, the national park also offers hiking trails and a scenic drive. Rattlesnake Springs and Slaughter Canyon, part of Carlsbad Caverns are nearer attractions for day use activities. Birding is excellent at Rattlesnake Springs.

Lincoln National Forest: The Guadalupe District of the Lincoln National Forest is located just over the state line, north of the national park. Road access is through New Mexico, north of White’s City, via Dark Canyon Road to NM SR 137 through Queen (also the way to the national park’s Dog Canyon). The forest provides for various camping, hiking, caving, hunting, and picnicking opportunities. Sitting Bull Falls is a nice waterfall and picnic area in the Lincoln National Forest. Five Point Vista is a glorious ridge road ride of the area, closer to Dog Canyon.

Fort Davis National Historic Site and State Park: Fort Davis is one of the best surviving examples of an Indian Wars' frontier military post in the Southwest. From 1854 to 1891, Fort Davis was strategically located to protect emigrants, mail coaches, and freight wagons on the Trans-Pecos portion of the San Antonio-El Paso Road and on the Chihuahua Trail. This is located about 2.5 hours south of the park. A state park is located nearby with camping and a scenic drive. Also located in Fort Davis is McDonald Observatory with several programs available.

White Sands National Park: Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dunefield. White Sands National Park preserves a major portion of this unique dunefield, along with the plants and animals that live here.

Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site: Hueco Tanks State Park is located on the east side of El Paso, about an hour and a half from the Guadalupes. At Hueco Tanks, you can hike, rock climb, bird watch, study nature and history, picnic and stargaze. Visitors can take guided and self-guided tours to view rock imagery.

Getting Here

Latitude

31° 53' 43.9080" N

Longitude

104° 49' 33.7080" W

The Pine Springs area of Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located on the north side of US Hwy 62/180 near Mile Post 130. From Interstate 10, take the Van Horn, Texas exit. Follow TX Hwy 54 (56 miles/17 km) north to the intersection of US Hwy 62/180. Turn east on 62/180 and travel (9 miles/14.5 km) to the park. From El Paso, TX, follow US Hwy 62/180 east for (110 miles/177 km) to the park. From Carlsbad, NM, take US Hwy 62/180 west for (55 miles/88.5 km) to the park.

Need to Know

Entrance Fee. A separate park entrance fee of $10 per person (16 and older) is required for all visitors not covered by an Interagency annual or lifetime pass (check your pass for details). If you do not have an interagency pass, you may pay the fee upon arrival or purchase in advance .

No Open Fires. No open fires (this includes charcoal) are permitted anywhere in the park. Only stoves or lanterns using containerized fuel are permitted.

Tent campsites are for tent campers only. If you plan to sleep in a vehicle. you must reserve an RV campsite. Camp within designated sites, place tent/s on provided tent pad only. Maximum of two tents per site.

Groups larger than 10. Groups larger than 10 people must reserve the Pine Springs or Frijole site. Reserving multiple individual sites for events or family gatherings exceeding 10 people is not permitted. Pine Springs Group Sites are for tents only, RVs are not permitted. Groups exceeding 19 people require a Special Use Permit issued before arrival in the park.

The Park is Remote. Fuel your vehicle and purchase supplies before heading to the park. Limited camping or hiking supplies may be available in the visitor center’s bookstore.

Time Zone. Guadalupe Mountains National Park is in the Mountain Time Zone. However, due to proximity to Central Time Zone cell phones or other devices my switch frequently between the two time zones. To reduce confusion: we suggest setting your phone to Mountain Time Zone and turn off the automatic setting or set a World Clock for El Paso, TX then refer to the World Clock during your visit.

Quiet Hours. Quiet hours are from 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM. No generators, during quiet hours.

Tie-downs prohibited. The use of weight-bearing hammocks, slacklines, tarps or similar devices tied to natural and/or manmade features is prohibited.

Wilderness Camping. Wilderness camping outside of the established campgrounds (such as Pine Springs Campground) requires a permit. You may reserve a Guadalupe Mountains National Park Wilderness Permit in advance or pick one up first-come, first-served. You must visit the Pine Springs Visitor Center (open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily except holidays) to pick up all overnight wilderness permits.

Pets. Pets are permitted in the campground and along the park road. Leashes 6 ft. in length are required. Pets may not be left unattended or inside vehicles. Pets causing a disturbance may be asked to leave, no refunds of fees. All trails are closed to pets, except the Pinery trail, a paved nature trail next to the visitor center.

Stay on established trails. Avoid creating social trails by staying on established trails between campsites.

No Cell Service. Cell phone service may be available in the Pine Springs area , depending on your service provider. Free Wi-Fi may be available in front of the Pine Springs Visitor Center.

Visiting with Stock. Visitor horse corrals are available at Frijole Ranch. Only daytime horse trips are permitted in the backcountry, a permit is required.

Review all campsite information about the specific site before booking. If you reserve a site that is not designed for your RV or Tent, you may be asked to leave, without refund.