Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Guadalupe Mountains National Park, The Most Beautiful Spot in Texas
“El Capitan,” Guadalupe Mountains National Park’s iconic beacon, greeted us when we approached its main entrance. As usual, we went to the visitor center first to show our “America the Beautiful National Park Pass,” picking up a park brochure and getting some suggestions about the hikes in the park.
We hiked part of the McKittrick Canyon Trail which totals 21.3 miles out and back. Hiking through a breathtaking scenery, we visited the the Grotto and the Pratt Lodge, both located near the trail.
Three miles from our starting point, we found the Grotto. The Grotto is a limestone natural amphitheater home to stalagmites and stalactites rock formations. And apparently a place where many hikers like to take a break before continuing the more strenuous part of trail going up the mountain. For us, however, it was the point of going back to the trailhead.
On our way back, we detoured from the trail to visit the Pratt Lodge, a small lodge that was built in the early 1900s. A friendly park ranger showed and informed us about the history of this little paradise on Earth.
The owner of the Pratt Lodge, Wallace Pratt, loved the area and wanted to protect it. So, he bought the lands and later donated everything to the state to become a national park.
Indeed, this “most beautiful spot in Texas” was and is definitely still worth protecting.
