backcountry
The majority of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park is a designated wilderness area. Approximately eighty miles of trails provide access to this land for hikers and horsebackriders. Horses are not permitted to be kept in the backcountry overnight. Backpackers may camp in the backcountry in a number of designated campsites which must be reserved at the rangers stations. There is NO WATER IN THE BACKCOUNTRY, so hikers must be prepared to carry one gallon per person per day. Trails entering the backcountry originate at Pine Springs, Dog Canyon. The climb into the mountains on any of these trails tends to be very strenuous.
lodging
There is no lodging within the park. The nearest hotels/motels are in the tacky tourist town of Whites City, New Mexico, just outside the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, about 35 road miles away. The Best Western franchise there is tolerable.
camping
Guadalupe Mountains N.P. has two major campgrounds- Pine Springs located near the park's main entrance, and Dog Canyon which is on the very remote north end of the park, accessible through New Mexico. The park also has ten primitive campsites in the backcountry, each containing 4-8 hardened tent pads. All overnight backpackers must register and stay in one of the primitive camps -- no off-trail camping is allowed. All camping spots are first-come-first-served, so arrive early to ensure you get one. In fact, campsites can be quite hard to get during the last week in October, when the maple leaves are turning and bathing McKittrick Canyon and other areas in red. In the Summer or Winter however, backpackers willing to travel to the more remote primitive campsites, such as Mescalero which is best accessed from the Dog Canyon entrance, are likely to be the only human beings for miles.