-
Guadalupe Peak Hike – The Top of Texas
Guadalupe Peak Trail quickly became one of my favorite hikes in all of Texas the moment I started nervously hiking it alone on a cold November day. The trail leads you to Texas’s highest point, covering around 8.5 miles with an elevation gain of roughly 3,000 feet. According to the National Park Service, the hike is rated strenuous and, depending on your level of fitness, can range from 6-8 hours. If you keep a good pace and hike frequently, you should be able to knock it faster. I was able to summit in just over 2 hours with 30-45 minutes at the top and another 2 hours descending. One of…
-
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
The Guadalupe Mountains National Park is probably one of the park systems best kept secret and a place you will not want to miss out on. GMNP averages 200k visitors a year, while a National Park like Yosemite or Grand Canyon can go as high as 5 or 6 million visitors in a year! This means that if you are looking for solitude and some of the most amazing views of Texas, you are in for a treat. I did not know much about the Guadalupe Mountains and planned my trip around visiting the Carlsbad Caverns, its sister National Park a few miles away. During my research, I noticed that…
-
Enchanted Rock One Day Epic Loop
Enchanted Rock State Park is fast becoming one of my favorite State Parks in Texas for multiple reasons. The first reason is just how centrally located it is to so many major cities in Texas and secondly for how much fun you can have by combining multiple trails for all levels of hiking fitness. During my first trip to Enchanted Rock we combined the most popular trails to make a nice 4-5 mile loop that showcases the highlights of Enchanted Rock. Summit Trail Echo Canyon Trail Base Trail Turkey Pass Trail Frontside Trail Summit Trail 1.6 Miles The Summit Trail is the highlight of the park and for most people…
-
Enchanted Rock Summit Trail
Enchanted Rock State Park is one of my favorite and most accessible parks in all of Texas. It is located right outside of Fredericksburg, Texas which is centrally located near Austin and San Antonio. I recently visited the park for the first time as a way to get out of the house during our Covid19 quarantine times. You can read more about my first visit HERE and how the new safety protocols Texas State Parks have implemented might alter your visit. You can also read about my tips on travelling during the new health crisis we live in HERE. The Summit Trail The Summit Trail at Enchanted Rock is the…
-
Enchanted Rock State Park
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is a must do stop for everyone in Texas and one that has been on my bucket list for quite some time. The park contains the largest pink granite monadnock in the United States which rises 425 feet above the surrounding area with an altitude of 1,825 feet. The State Natural Area is part of the Texas State Park system and sits right outside of Fredericksburg, TX which is less than 2 hours from San Antonio and Austin, and right around 4 hours from Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. This means if you are a fan of road trips there is no reason you cannot make…
-
Arizona, Destinations, New Mexico, Texas, U.S. National Parks, United States, White Sands National Park
Southwest Road Trip Part 1
A road trip is so much more than a journey to new places but a lifetime experience that cannot be taken for granted. I have always loved driving and enjoyed even more hitting the open road with close friends to new places near and far. This road trip though took me to some of the most amazing places I have ever been too and let me gain a new love for nature and the outdoors. I started this trip with the plan to have some fun in places that always seemed to be just out of reach. Yet I ended this trip with a new appreciation for the outdoors and…
-
Cadillac Ranch – Amarillo Texas
If there is one stop along Route 66 that most people know about but might have no idea where it is located, its Cadillac Ranch. I have always heard about this art installation for years but in all honesty never actually knew where it was at or when I would ever get a chance to see it. When I started planning a trip out to Amarillo for a hiking trip I stumbled upon a list of things to do in the area and Cadillac Ranch was at the top of that list! I personally was not aware of how much history the art installation had but had just seen it…
-
What To Do and Where To Stay – Fort Davis Texas
Fort Davis in the Southwest corner of Texas just near the borders of Mexico and New Mexico is one interesting town to say the least. Now I will say this quaint little town is thr epitome of the road less travelled and in a corner of Texas that most people will never visit. But if you ever get a chance to be down South near Big Bend National Park or Marfa, TX then you owe yourself a quick trip to Fort Davis. What To Do In Fort Davis, TX The main attraction in this little town and the reason I even heard of it was due to the McDonald Observatory…
-
Big Bend Hot Springs Trail
Big Bend National Park is still one of my favorite National Parks in the U.S. for many reasons. One of them being just how many things you can do while you are visiting and how many of these things are normally completely vacant. During my last visit to Big Bend we mostly saw just a handful of hikers during our entire stay and where able to enjoy one of the biggest parks iin the lower 48 in complete peace. The Hot Springs are a must do hike while you are visiting the park since the trail is quite short and covered in history of the original settlers of the region.…
-
Terlingua – Alpine – Marfa – Texas
I debated on writing anything at all about this area of my trip to Big Bend National Park but I would regret not mentioning what became one of my favorite drives in a long time. This area of Texas to put it bluntly is pretty sparse of any visitors and any locals but if you are visiting Big Bend National Park this must be on your route in or out. Terlingua is a pretty unknown town to most people and I bet almost no one would be able to tell me where it is located. This town is located on the Northside of the park and is essentially known for…
