mckittrick canyon

I was not that excited by the Guadalupe Mtns NP. the views are nice but not spectacular. Not absolutely sure it should even be a NP. Howver McKittrick canyon was much nicer than Frijole ranch or the visitor center area.The walk had a bit of running water, nice views of the canyon as you rose up, some oaks *(rare in this area) and some nice stone canyons at the 2.4 mile mark.This hike was far more scenic and at a lower slope than the Frijole ranch hiking trail.Birds were few but interesting too--got the Mountain Chickadee we were looking for and had a Golden eagle fly overhead. Good birdwatching if you know what to look for and where to look

Great backpacking into back country.Went here in December 2014, with a couple of camping/backpacking friends.Completely dried out creeks, no water whats-so-ever anywhere (so bring about 2 liter/person/day just to be safe!)Great high desert hike, starts out a bit steep, but worth it if doing McKittrick to Tejas trail back to Pine Ridge. What a wonderful trip, didn't see anyone else until the second full day of hiking - completely isolated from civilization (which is nice sometimes)

Since we were there in December, it was cold, chilly, and misty, so we had very limited views of the surrounding vista as we hiked. But no matter, we still thoroughly enjoyed this trail because of the signs on the trail that introduces the geological origins of the area. We are kinda geeky like that, so if you are into discovering the history behind a place, then you'll definitely enjoy this walk, otherwise its a quick, plesant hike (with moderate up and down hill climbs) amongst abundant desert flora (albeit mostly yellow in the winter).Apparently, Guadalupe Mountains used to be the bottom of the ocean! The canyon is a fossil reef, rich with life, formed approximately 250 million years ago as part of the Delaware sea - a deep land-locked arm of the vast Permian Ocean. And evidence of that is plenty abundant on the trail. Almost every rock contains fossils of some form of ancient (small) sea life that used to roam the bottom of the ocean. Discovering all these different prehistoric life forms frozen in various rocks was an amazing experience, almost like diving to the bottom of the ocean and looking for treasures! Ok, I might just been geeking out a little here, but as you can see, I was awe-struck. I throughly enjoyed the hike and hope you and your family will too. =)

I have reviewed McKittrick Canyon previously, noting in that review that the fall colors are the crown jewel of this attraction. My previous review focused on opposing some negative comments about the hike, the trail conditions, the overall scenery, and other complaints. This review is intended simply to show the beauty to be found in this wonderful oasis in the Chihuahuan Desert. My previous review focused on a visit in May. This visit was on Halloween day. Enjoy the pictures and plan a visit.

If you are just doing the 4 or so miles to the cabins in the canyon, this is a nice family-level hike (very moderate). However, if you're going to continue to hike up to the ridge... be prepared. It is a VERY steep and difficult hike, but worth it. I backpacked and camped overnight at the ridge at the top. The Notch is a gorgeous stop on the way. The views up and down the canyons are excellent. The best is just getting away into the peace and quiet of true wilderness though. Sunrise and sunset from the top are beautiful and the little forest up there is a delight after spending most of the day in desert-like conditions. Highly recommended for the fit and adventurous.

My wife and I like easier hikes. McKittrick Canyon offers different options on hikes. We enjoyed our hike very much with a lot of different scenery.

I just read some of the recent comments about McKittrick Canyon. I haven't been there after the apparent flooding. It was beautiful every time we went with November being the best. It's so interesting to experience this completely different ecosystem in this desert area. Didn't expect great views as I never expected to climb to the top of a mountain. Just enjoyed the unusual trees and the scenery and the history of the property and info found in the Pratt Cabin.

There are several reasons that McKittrick Canyon may be disappointing for those who just show up expecting world class views. The Canyon IS beautiful, a source of year-round water in the immediate vicinity of the Chihuahuan Desert, but1) The best coloration is the fall change of leaves near the end of October. Otherwise its a green canyon, like thousands of others in the Rockies of NM, CO, or WY.2) some of the best views are from above, and the limited access time at the gate locked daily from 6PM to 8AM restrict hikers ability to reach the high ground for these great views.3) A SEVERE flood in the fall of 2013 forced the re-routing of a few sections of the trail4) The first mile plus of the trail is on a gravel road, so one has to look to the surroundings for the grandeur, instead of straight ahead.As a point to defend the views from above, I have a photo. I myself have not visited in the fall.Considering this canyon, and the whole park in general, are in the dead center of a desert, this oasis is awe inspiring.

This trail was just "okay". Everyone was raving about McKittrick Canyon, so I knew I had to hike it. I was disappointed. The Pratt Cabin was nothing more than an abandoned stone house and barn. The terrain of the trail changed after the cabin, but the surface of the trail was much better. (The early part of the trail was deep loose rocks that felt like walking through quicksand; the later part was solid packed earth.)Meh.My advice: Do the Devil's Hall trail instead. It has a great finale!

We have been to McKittrick Canyon several times in the past. This is the first time we were there in April. It was a beautiful hike we took to the Grotto in the Canyon. It is a fairly easy hike, but it is not a short hike. Before we got to the Grotto, we stopped at Pratt Cabin and sat on a bench in front of the cabin and ate our lunch.Next, we walked to the Grotto. This is an overhang in the Canyon that has stalagmites and stalactites. It is really a neat place. After we went to the Grotto, we walked up to Hunter's Cabin for a breathtaking view of Texas Mountains. It is hard to believe we have such huge mountains in Texas. We were told that there was flooding in the Canyon in September 2013, so there was a lot of debris and changes along the trail. This canyon is beautiful anytime of the year. It is a beautiful hike with a lot to see. We suggest that you go in the fall. The colors are incredible and pictures taken look like a painting. McKittrick Canyon is my favorite hike in the state of Texas.

Just wanted to give you a heads up if you are planning to hike McKittrick Canyon at Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We just hiked it earlier this week (May 2014) and found that the trail had been recently regraveled making the "easy hike" quite difficult. The trail itself is relatively level but they have recently added a lot of gravel (both large gravel in areas and small gravel in other areas) that make walking itself very difficult. It takes extra effort just to pick up your feet and move thru the gravel. We are in our mid-50s and often hike at Big Bend including Emory Peak Trail. The McKittrick Canyon itself is lovely and the stream in the desert is nice. Pratt Cabin and its porch chairs are a wonderful break at 2.3 miles. After the Pratt Cabin and the creek crossing just following it, the trail returns to "normal" and is much easier to hike. Please continue to the Grotto and the Hunter Line Cabin as that is the most beautiful part of the hike--lots more trees and lovely flowers. I would have given this trail a 5 if it weren't for the difficulty of simply trying to walk thru the gravel.

We unfortunately arrived just before closing (they close the gate to McKittrick Canyon at 6pm sharp......and it's a mighty big padlock), so we were only able to stop in the little unmanned visitor center, listen to the recording and look up the canyon. Maybe we'll make the trip again sometime and take the hike up canyon. I thought it was very cool that they had the recording from the previous owner of the property, what an historical keeper.

We took the McKittrick Canyon walk to see the park the way it is meant to be seen. This is not a tough walk. There are areas of loose footing. Nice views of the canyon walls and we now know what a wash looks like. It was very quiet there. You could hear other hikers long before you see them. At one point we stood still and just listened - to silence. Very enjoyable. Note that the visitor center here was not open (check hours) but the bathrooms were available (good thing).

Ok -- so some people won't agree with calling this a "hike," but most people don't "walk" 4.8 miles or more on a random whim. That said, this is not one of the most challenging hikes around, but ya' know what? That's ok. We need hikes for every ability and enjoyment level.We enjoyed the canyon on a beautiful fall day. Admittedly, the color is not on par with the fall colors in a New England forest, but this is Texas so we are happy to see any leaves change. But the added advantage of this hike in the fall is the weather is so much more conducive than, oh, let's say, May through October. The trail is well marked and maintained with services at the trail head. The day we went, the trail was well used though not crowded. There were several Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups hiking and picnicking at Pratt Cabin. Therefore, I would suggest starting later in the morning as we did because the groups seemed to have gotten an early start and the crowds were thinning as we started. But do keep in mind the rangers lock the gate at 4:30pm MST so plan to be out by that time.

McKittrick Canyon is beautiful and you get a little taste of every ecosystem Guadalupe Mountains National Park has to offer on the trails here. There are no downsides, just remember to bring water if you hike on the longer trails as there is no water available once you leave the canyon's small visitor center. I can't wait till the fall colors hit next month and in October when McKittrick turns into a blaze of glory.