mckittrick canyon

mckittrick canyon印象

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  542AnnF

  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!

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  Petethekid

  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.

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  525seank

  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.

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  DonnaRK66

  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.

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  932JB

  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

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  bshoptaugh

  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)

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  Laurie_AnnC_12

  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.

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  sputNlaika

  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. =)

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  clr1949

  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.

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  kayziewazie

  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.