The best walks and hikes in Guadalupe Escarpment Wilderness Study Area

Lost Peak is located at the top of Dog Canyon in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Standing at 7,830 feet, Lost Peak is the ninth highest point in Texas and a great summit in a remote part of the park. Lost Peak is accessed just a short distance from the Tejas Trail on rocky, open, easy terrain. You will most likely have Lost Peak to yourself, so it's a fantastic, peaceful spot to enjoy the expansive views of the desert to the west, and mountains to the south and east.

The Dog Canyon Trailhead is in the northern part of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. This higher-elevation trailhead makes it a little easier to gain access to the high-country than if coming from the more popular Pine Springs Area. There is car and RV parking, trash cans, a bathroom, potable drinking water, a hitching post/ corral for pack animals, and a trail register.

This steep section of the Permian Reef Trail takes you up to the top of Wilderness Ridge through an ancient, fossilized reef known as the Capitan Reef. The trail was designed to showcase preserved Permian age geologic and fossil features in the park; you can download a NPS guide to the marked fossils along this trail ( http://npshistory.com/brochures/gumo/permian-reef-trail.pdf ). As you ascend this challenging, but fun, section of trail you get increasingly great views of the large imposing cliff-sides that comprise the bulk of the ancient reef and down into McKittrick Canyon. As you climb, you will pass by some amazing geologic features like a free-standing natural rock pillar, numerous fossils, the striking rounded rock rim of the Wilderness Ridge, and sweeping views across the park.

After traversing the top of Wilderness Ridge, which grants you fantastic views of McKittrick Canyon from various viewpoints along its edge, you will reach a metal barbed-wire fence and "revolving gate" marking the Texas – New Mexico border. This a good turn-around point on the Permian Reef Trail and a rather fun way to end this beautiful hike; you can say to friends that you've hiked from Texas to New Mexico!

The Notch is where the McKittrick Canyon Trail passes through a physical break in the ridge, marking an excellent viewpoint over the canyon about halfway between McKittrick Ridge and the McKittrick Canyon Trailhead. For most day hikers, the Notch is the stunning, traditional turnaround point that offers incredible views of the sheer peaks that tower over the canyon. These views are even more exceptional in the fall as the leaves change from green to red, yellow, and orange.

This line shack and remains of a tack room were once part of the ranching interests owned by Judge J.C. Hunter. Hunter also once owned 70,000 acres in what is now Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The Hunter family sometimes hosted guests at this site, which they called the Guadalupe Mountain Ranch, when they managed these lands. Although you cannot enter the cabin, it's still a neat place to check out in a beautiful setting for those interested in the history of ranching and the park, and it is just a short distance away from the Grotto.

Deep in McKittrick Canyon is a small, shaded spot that houses a small, unique-looking cave at the base of rounded cliff. There are a few wooden picnic tables near the Grotto, making it a great place to stop for lunch or a snack on your hike.

When visiting McKittrick Canyon in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, make sure to take a break at the historic Pratt Cabin, which is just a short distance off the main trail. Built in the 1930s by oil geologist Wallace Pratt, the cabin served as the Pratt family's summer home until 1940. Wallace, along with his wife Pearl and their three children, cherished this retreat and spent many summers here, sharing the cabin with friends. He later used the cabin to host geologists from around the world to study McKittrick Canyon. Today, the cabin is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and you cannot enter the cabin without a volunteer or ranger present. Even if you can not go inside the building, you can still appreciate the charm and beautiful setting of this historic site. Take advantage of the grounds around the cabin and the adjacent garage, where there is a picnic and rest area (but no bathrooms) as well as interpretive signage about Pratt family and their contribution to the creation of Guadalupe Mountains National Park.