December 2022
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 the McKittrick Canyon Trail to the Grotto, about a 7 miles roundtrip. Hiking through the breathtaking scenery, we visited the Pratt Lodge and the Grotto. The Grotto is a small open cavern in the local limestone with stalagmites and stalactites. The former owner of the Pratt Lodge, Wallace Pratt, loved the area and bought and donated the land and lodge to the state, provided it would be included in a national park. Indeed, this “most beautiful spot in Texas” is worth protecting.
