Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [239]
SEASONAL EVENTS
McKittrick Canyon's beautiful display of fall colors usually takes place between mid-October and mid-November. It varies, however, so call before going.
If You Have Only 1 Day
This park is best explored over a period of 2 or 3 days, with at least 1 day devoted to the visitor center, historic attractions, and trails in the Pine Springs section, and another full day allotted to McKittrick Canyon. Those with additional time could then head over to the park's third section, Dog Canyon.
Those who have only 1 day can see quite a bit but will need to decide on either Pine Springs or McKittrick Canyon. If it's fall and the colors are right, drive to the McKittrick Canyon Visitor Contact Station, look at the exhibits, and hike the McKittrick Canyon Trail to the historic Pratt Lodge. If it's not fall or if you don't care about fall colors, go directly to the Pine Springs Visitor Center, see the exhibits, and hike one of the trails—the Guadalupe Peak Trail for the ambitious, or the Devil's Hall Trail for those who prefer less physical exertion.
Exploring the Park by Car
The Guadalupe Mountains are not the place for the vehicle-bound. No paved scenic drives traverse the park; roads here are simply a means of getting to historical sites and trailheads.
Organized Tours & Ranger Programs
On summer evenings, rangers offer programs at the campground amphitheater.
Historic & Man-Made Attractions
The Pinery was one of 200 stations along the 2,800-mile Butterfield Overland Mail Coach Route. The stations provided fresh mules every 20 miles and a new coach every 300 miles, allowing drivers to maintain the grueling speed of 5 mph 24 hours a day. John Butterfield had seen the need for overland mail delivery between the eastern states and the West Coast, so he designed a route and the coaches, then secured a federal contract to deliver the St. Louis mail to San Francisco in 25 days. In March 1857, this was a real feat. The Pinery commemorates his achievement.
Named for nearby stands of pine, the Pinery had abundant water and good grazing. It was a high-walled rock enclosure with a wagon repair shop, a blacksmith shop, and three mud-roofed rooms where passengers could get a warm meal, if they had time. The first mail coach came through on September 28, 1858. It continued until August 1859, when the route was abandoned for a new road that better served the West's military forts.
Located in McKittrick Canyon, Pratt Lodge was built by Wallace E. Pratt in 1931–32, from stone quarried at the base of the Guadalupe Mountains, using heart of pine from east Texas for rafters, collar beams, and roof supports. Pratt, a geologist for the Humble Oil Co. (now Exxon), and his family came for summer vacations when the heat in Houston became unbearable. He retired here in 1945. Soon after, he and his family built a second house, Ship on the Desert, outside the canyon. In 1957, the Pratts donated 5,632 acres of their 16,000-acre ranch to the federal government to begin the national park. In addition to the grand stone lodge, there are several outbuildings, stone picnic tables, and a wonderful stone fence.
Williams Ranch house rests at the base of a 3,000-foot rock cliff on the west face of the Guadalupe Mountains.