Few activities clear the mind and test the soul like setting out to summit a soaring mountain peak. The clean air and slow pace of one foot in front of the other, the unobstructed panoramas and reassuring reminders that there still exists some scraps of roadless wilderness, and the back-to-nature sensation of swapping technology for something a little more primitive all come together to make long mountain hikes a nearly transcendent experience. And when you reach the top, even the blisters and weighty packs and sore muscles drop away like the worries you left behind somewhere on the trail.
When we think of hiking to the tops of great mountains, we tend to let our minds wander all over the country: Colorado's Rocky Mountain 14ers, California's High Sierra, and the snowy Alaska Range come to mind. But few mountain adventurers give Texas a second thought. And while Texas" great mountain ranges are all found in the state's eight westernmost counties, and the summits are often anything but an easy stroll to the top, hiking to the summits of Texas" highest peaks is equally as transcendent as anything the rest of the country has to offer. In fact, because they're in our very own backyard, they may be more so. So pack plenty of water because this month we are heading out into the Guadalupe, the Chisos and the Davis Mountains in search of Texas" highest peaks.
Around 260 million years ago, the Guadalupe Mountains were little more than a 350-mile reef at the edge of a great sea. Today, after years of uplift and erosion, they form the world's most extensive exposed fossil reef on earth in the heart of Texas" largest unspoiled wilderness areas. A visit to Guadalupe Mountains National Park puts you right in the middle of this wilderness with more than 80 miles of hiking trails to explore. Hikers here will traverse narrow ridgelines, encounter deserts scattered with yucca and agave, walk in the shade of sandstone and limestone ridges and peer into sheer-sided canyons. But the best trails here are those that lead to breezy Texas mountaintops overlooking it all.
Big Bend National Park
The best of these mountaintop trails leads to the "Top of Texas" where the state's highest peak, Guadalupe Peak, towers over the landscape at an elevation of 8,749 feet. The Guadalupe Trail is a steep but well-established 8.5-mile roundtrip hike through high desert terrain and conifer forest. From the trailhead at Pine Springs Campground to the peak, it's a 3,000-foot elevation gain to expansive views of the Chihuahuan Desert and surrounding peaks.
But there's more climbing to be done in the Guadalupe Mountains. Forests of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir mixed with vast spreads of soft grass lead the way from the desert floor to the summit of Texas" second highest peak, Bush Mountain (8,631 feet). From the top of Bush Mountain, hikers can see down into Pine Springs Canyon, protected by a wall of mountains, including Guadalupe Peak and the third and fourth tallest peaks in the state-Shumard Peak and Bartlett Peak.
Standing at 8,615 feet, Mount Shumard is the most rugged of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The west side of the mountain is a sheer rock wall, while the east side is a furrowed desert wilderness. This peak is not for the casual day hiker as a hard-fought trek through rocky, unmarked terrain is the only way to reach the summit. Another rugged peak without trails, Bartlett Peak, stands at 8,508 feet and ranks as the fourth highest peak in the state.
Still, the state's four highest peaks are attainable. In fact, 10 backcountry campsites in Guadalupe Mountains National Park mean a multi-day, multi-summit trek is possible. It also means that the adventurous hiker could bag Texas" four tallest peaks in one outing. This would make time to head south toward Big Bend and the Chisos Mountains for more tall Texas peaks.
While they may not be as tall or as vast as the Guadalupe, the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park are perhaps the most picturesque mountains in all of Texas. This range of peaks, many reaching more than 7,000 feet above sea level, is draped in lush alpine forests and forms a circular igneous outcropping that thrusts up suddenly from the Texas desert. The park offers more than 150 miles of hiking trails, including desert, river and mountain hikes, many of which offer visitors a respite from the Texas heat as well as some magnificent summit views of the Chihuahuan Desert below.
Emory Peak Trail at Big Bend National Park
The highest peak in the Chisos range is Emory Peak at 7,835 feet. The steep 4.5-mile trek to the top rapidly gains 2,400 feet in elevation while passing through mixed woodlands of juniper, oak and pinyon pine before a short rocky scramble at the end provides unobstructed views of the entire Chisos range as well as expansive desert vistas and, on a clear day, distant views of the rugged Sierra del Carmel Mountains across the Mexican border. From the top of Emory Peak, hikers can trace the winding Rio Grand River from Santa Elena Canyon all the way to Boquillas Canyon. The well-worn trail, starting at the Chisos Basin, is mostly wooded and north facing, making for shaded morning hikes and perfect conditions for viewing wildlife like whitetail and mule deer as well as the occasional black bear and mountain lion.
Just below Emory Peak are Lost Mine Peak (7,550 feet), Toll Mountain (7,415 feet), and Casa Grande Peak (7,325 feet). And while none are as accessible as Emory, they each offer their own challenges and rewards. Casa Grande Peak is a giant block of rhyolite cliffs with a flattop summit. There are no park-maintained trails to the top of Casa Grande, but the more eroded southeast side offers some rugged, rock-scrambling options for determined and adventurous climbers. Between Emory and Casa Grande Peaks stands Toll Mountain, named after park founder Roger Toll. From the campsite below, Toll Mountain offers no marked trails to the top, but an easy bushwhack to the summit is doable for most experienced hikers and well worth the effort. The park's second highest peak, Lost Mine Peak, is perhaps the most elusive. With a short bushwhack to the top and a steep final pitch, this peak is rarely summited by park-goers. Still, a collection of spires, crevices, and ridges make this one of the park's most rugged and beautiful peaks.
More than 40 designated backpacking campsites in the High Chisos Mountains make multi-day outings in the rugged volcanic landscape a worthy undertaking for adventurous hikers.
Texas" second highest mountain range, the Davis Mountains, is significantly larger than both the Guadalupe and Chisos Mountains. The Davis Mountains are a mix between desert peaks boasting very little vegetation and groups of lush peaks covered in evergreens and aspen trees. While the Davis Mountains are not protected by the National Park Service, much of this isolated range is safeguarded by The Nature Conservancy, created by the Davis Mountain Preserve, as well as the surrounding ranchlands. This is due in part to the spiritual significance these mountains had to the Native Americans. A large amount of arrowhead finds in the high country, a spectacular collection of pictographs in Madera Canyon, and a sacred cave site in Wolf's Den canyon are evidence of such significance.
At 8,378 feet, Mount Livermore is the highest peak in the Davis Mountains and the fifth highest in the state. The hike to the summit on Baldy Peak covers more than six miles with an elevation gain of about 1,800 feet. The hike is a strenuous mix of jeep trails and loose rocks, but the trail is well marked all the way to the top. Still, summiting this peak requires hikers to negotiate an exposed ridge and some non-technical climbing.
Because the Nature Conservancy owns the land on which the northern half of Mount Livermore sits, access to the summit must first be requested. In fact, most land around the Davis Mountains is privately owned, so access must be coordinated with landowners or managers upon request. Still, the area offers a number of campsites for extended stays. Just be careful to not stay too long, as there are plenty of peaks to climb in Texas.
Another notable Texas peak is North Franklin Mountain (7,192 feet), the tallest of the Franklin Mountains. Here, an 8-mile trek for hikers of all skill levels leads through red rock and desert flora, while the summit offers views of the stark West Texas and New Mexico desert landscape. Or bag the highest peak in the Hueco Mountains by hiking Cerro Alto (6,787 feet). This 8-mile round trip is a challenging hike that gains 1,600 feet of elevation with some bouldering at the top. However, the peak is on private property, so access must be requested before setting out. And, finally, the state's little known Chinati Mountains State Natural Area, 39,000 acres of Chihuahuan Desert peaks, will soon offer access to its two highest peaks-Chinati Peak (7,728 feet) and Sierra Parda (7,185 feet). The Chinati Mountains, the fourth largest mountain range in the state, are a remote and rugged wilderness filled with dry desert landscapes, jagged peaks and incredible craggy green canyons.
So when you get the itch to set out in nature, climb to new heights and know the kind of peace that awaits you at the top of the world, don't bother leaving the state; instead, head west where Texas" tallest peaks reside. And while you're there, take your time and don't forget to look up from the trail and take it all in.
