Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [240]
- mile access road, navigable only by high-clearance 4WDs, follows part of the old Butterfield Overland Mail Route for about 2 miles. The road crosses private land and has two locked metal gates for which you must sign out keys at the visitor center.
It's not clear exactly who built the house and when, but it's believed to have been constructed around 1908. The first inhabitants for any significant period of time were almost certainly Henry and Rena Belcher. For almost 10 years, they maintained a substantial ranch here, running up to 3,000 head of longhorn cattle. Water was piped from Bone Spring down the canyon to holding tanks in the lowlands. James Adolphus Williams acquired the property around 1917, and with the help of an American Indian friend, ranched and farmed the land until he moved to New Mexico in 1941. After Williams's death in 1942, Judge J. C. Hunter bought the property, adding it to his already large holdings in the Guadalupes.
Another historic site is Frijole Ranch, which was a working ranch from the 1870s until 1972. Inside the ranch house is a museum with exhibits on the cultural history of the Guadalupe Mountains, including information on the prehistoric American Indians, the Mescalero Apaches who came later, the Spanish conquistadors, and ranchers of the 19th and 20th centuries. On the grounds are several historic buildings, including a schoolhouse.
Day Hikes
This is a prime hiking park, with more than 80 miles of trails that range from easy walks to steep, strenuous, and sometimes precarious adventures.
This exceptionally easy stroll follows a series of numbered stops keyed to a free brochure, available at the trailhead. You'll learn about the native vegetation and cultural history of the area as you ramble along a virtually level dirt path in a lovely meadow.
SHORTER TRAILS
Indian Meadow Nature Trail
.6 mile RT. Easy. Access: Dog Canyon Campground; walk south from the water fountain.
McKittrick Canyon Nature Trail
.9 mile RT. Easy to moderate. Access: McKittrick Canyon Visitor Center.
An ideal way to discover the variety of plants and animals that inhabit the canyon, this trail has some steep climbs. Read the numerous interpretive signs along the path, telling you all you wanted to know about, for example, why rattlesnakes are underappreciated and how cacti supply food and water for wildlife.
Pinery Trail
.75 mile RT. Easy. Access: Trailhead by the Pine Springs Visitor Center, or from parking area on U.S. 62/180, ½ mile north of visitor center entrance road.
Paved and accessible by wheelchair, the Pinery Trail gives visitors a brief introduction to the low-elevation environment at the park. The interpretive signs discuss both the plants along the trail and the history of the area. About .25 mile from the visitor center, the trail leads to the ruins of an old station left over from the Butterfield Stage Route (see "Historic & Man-Made Attractions," above).
Smith Spring Loop
2.3 miles RT. Easy to moderate. Access: North edge of Frijole Ranch and Museum.
The Smith Spring Loop begins in the dry desert and climbs 440 feet to the lush oasis of Smith Spring. The first part of the trail, which takes you to Manzanita Spring, is easy and navigable by people with mobility impairments. If you take this walk in the evening, you might catch a glimpse of an elk, deer, or other animal coming to the spring for
water. After Manzanita Spring, the trail begins the climb to Smith Spring, following a good example of a desert riparian zone along Smith Canyon. Look for the damage caused by a lightning fire in 1990, and note how the desert environment has recovered and even improved. Smith Spring itself is a magnificent oasis, with enough water seeping out to form a small waterfall and stream. Here you'll find maidenhair fern, bigtooth maple, chinquapin oak, and Texas madrone— all in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert. Although lush, the area is fragile, so please remain in the designated area to preserve the ecosystem.