4k Miles. 6 States. 7 National Parks. 16 Days in a Van – Leg 3
Checkout the previous leg of this maurauding march here:
Leg 3 Travel Map – 207 miles
Every National Park is worth visiting?
I’ve now been to 29 national parks. Up until my most recent road trip, I had a saying: Every national park is worth visiting and will amaze you in some way or another. After this trip, I’m not so sure that still holds true.
I visited three parks that made me question that belief. Now, before you crucify me, let me say this up front: I did enjoy visiting all three. They each had their charm. They were beautiful in their own way and offered moments of peace and reflection. But should they all be national parks? That, I’m not so sure of.
Case in point: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
I didn’t go out of my way to see this park, so it wasn’t a huge commitment. It made sense geographically—after visiting White Sands National Park in New Mexico and before heading to Carlsbad Caverns. The upside? You can hit both Carlsbad and Guadalupe in the same day if you start early.
I came in from White Sands by way of El Paso. And let me just say—El Paso, what is going on in the outskirts of your city? I have never seen so much trash lining the roadside. I’m talking old tires, huge metal parts, plastic, and just general chaos. It had serious developing country vibes. This was on Railroad Dr. near the Dal-Tile Factory. Fortunately, things cleaned up as I drove out of that zone.
As I made my way through El Paso County, into Hudspeth County, and up toward Guadalupe, I started to feel uneasy. There was nothing around. I barely passed any cars. It was nearing 5 p.m., and I hadn’t seen a single viable campsite. I hadn’t planned this leg well—decided that morning to “go for it,” as I like to do (as described in the “The Road Always Wins” blog). Normally, winging it works out. But this time, it was getting late and I was tired.
That’s when I passed one of the stranger RV parks I’ve ever seen. It started with a series of red and white roadside signs spaced out every 50 yards or so with different words on each sign:
LAST STOP. DRINKS AND SNACKS. RV PARK. HOTEL. GIFT SHOP. BURGERS. HOME COOKING.
I drove past it at first—but after remembering a sign I’d seen earlier warning of “No Services for 123 Miles,” I doubled back, low-key panicking.
I pulled in and found a funky little place called Cornudas.
There was nobody in the restaurant when I walked in (though I did see a sign that said: “The kitchen is always open if you’re cooking”), but I saw a few folks watching sports on a big flat-screen in the next room. A man in his 60s asked if I needed help. I told him I was looking for a place to park my camper van for the night. “No problem,” he said. “$20 for a boondocking spot.”
I told him that sounded perfect. Then he added, “You came at the right time. Tomorrow I’ve got zero availability.” I looked around—there wasn’t a soul in sight. “Really?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
He told me Guadalupe was overrun and the campsites were all full. I felt lucky to have stopped. Definitely not the kind of place where you can just pull over and stealth camp.
Then he said, “We’ve got a concert tomorrow night—expecting 300 to 400 people.” I was like, Wait, what?!
“What kind of music?” I asked, already teasing—“Country, right?”
He laughed and said, “Blues, country, and rock. Real popular event. Last year we sold a ton of brisket.”
He walked me out to the boondocking area. Normally a place this quirky might have me feeling a bit uneasy, but not Cornudas. The guy had a genuinely friendly vibe—pure aloha, as we say in Hawaii. I felt totally comfortable. That said, I was still glad my wife wasn’t with me—she might not have been as amused.
My Campsite was a little more rustic than usual
I wandered around that evening and saw they were indeed gearing up for a big event. The little hotel on-site was a bit creepy-looking, but I imagine with a crowd it probably turns into a festive hangout.
They really did look like they were gearing up for a big session with this legit smoker
I could see it was going to be a fun time, and I was kind of bummed I was going to miss it
The Park Itself
I woke up at dawn and made the 45-minute drive to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. As soon as I saw “El Capitan” rising in the distance, I knew I’d arrived.
The visitor center was fine—staff were friendly. I told them I had limited time and planned to do Manzanita Spring and part of the McKittrick Canyon Trail. They said that was one of their favorite routes. I grabbed a map and ducked into the gift shop to find something for my wife. Ended up getting a cute hat, but I’ll say this: the shop was bare bones. Easily the least impressive I’ve seen at any national park. The lighting was dim, and there were no windows.
After checking out El Capitan for a few minutes, I headed toward Manzanita Spring. The path was paved and wheelchair-accessible. Along the way, I stopped at Frijole Ranch House and took in some of the area’s history, which gave it a bit more depth. It’s wild imagining how tough life must have been for early settlers there.
Frijole Ranch House
The spring itself? Quiet and beautiful. Not exactly Lake Mary in the Tetons, but it had a peaceful, lonely charm. And there were hardly any people around, which I always appreciate. Perhaps if it were more sunny, the place would have seemed a bit more enchanting? I’ve heard it’s nice with fog.
How they distributed water around the Frijole Ranch house. It’s hard to imagine just “settling” for a place like this. You start a pioneer and you end up a settler
Next up was the McKittrick Canyon Trail.
The parking lot had more cars, and the restrooms were clean. My knees aren’t the best, so I have to pace myself with hiking. Luckily, this trail had some gentle ups and downs and was easy enough to manage. After being stuck in the van for a while, the hour-long walk was perfect.
The trail winds through a little valley and has a few natural stone steps that were kind of cool to see.
Final Thoughts
Is Guadalupe Mountains National Park a must-see? No, I don’t think so.
Did I enjoy my time there? I did. It was peaceful, and it was part of a great road trip adventure.
But if you’re going out of your way to check off all 63 national parks? Sure, give it a go. Otherwise, I’d say skip it unless you’re already in the area.
I had to get out of there to make my 1:15pm timed entry at Carlsbad Caverns National Park!
Check out the 4th leg of this courageous crusade here:
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