Park 2: Guadalupe Mountains Nat'l. Park, TX:  Left Hot Springs on Wednesday at 6:30am---long, hot (108 degrees) drive across to Pecos, TX for the night, then on to Guadalupe Mts. NP today.  This 40 mile mountain range was once a reef growing beneath the waters of an ancient sea on the West Texas/New Mexico border. 


El Capitan in background-8,085 ft.

After having our passport stamped at the Headquarters Visitor Center, we hiked the 2.5 mile loop trail to Smith and Manzanita Springs and picnicked at Smith Spring, high on the canyon wall where a veritable garden of maidenhair fern surprised us in this desert climate.  Drove on to Carlsbad, NM for the night & fantastic BBQ at Danny's. 

Odometer: 2,572 miles.

Canyon trail to the springs

Picnic at Smith Spring