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The Dominance
of Guadalupe PeakThe
Peak can be seen from east of Carlsbad, toward Hobbs. It can be seen to about
60 miles west of Salt
Flat. That spans well over 100 miles and no telling how far south toward Van
Horn. It dominates Salt
Flat and Salt
Flat Lake.
The domination of Guadalupe Peak to the surrounding area
is not totally unique in Texas. The Chisos Mountains in the Big Bend National
Park are visible throughout most of the park. The bluff of Guadalupe Peak,
also known as Signal Peak
and El Capitan, is at
the southern end of the Guadalupe Mountain Range of the Rocky Mountains
making it prominent from the east, west and south and offers limitless photographic
opportunities.
Just read this morning in TIME that one can see the world's
tallest building, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, from 60 miles away on a clear day. Guadalupe
Peak can be seen from at least that far away even on a not so clear day.
Nearby Points of Interest
Including
the Peak itself, points of interest in the nearby region are the towns of Salt
Flat and Dell City
as well as the Salt
Flat Lake. My guess is that the peak is visible, east and west for about 120
miles on US 180. |
Guadalupe
Peak From US 180 |
Guadalupe
Peak From The South On SH 54 |
Guadalupe
Peak - Old Highway US180 |
1855
Back
in the 1855 a stage was attacked by Indians and a man, Jose Maria Palacios, was
killed. He was buried right where he fell, at the base of the Peak and a
crude rock slab had the information scratched on it. These pictures of the
old road was when I was trying to find the marker.
A guide at the Guadalupe Mountain National Park headquarters said it is still
there but the historian who knew where it was had not come in yet. |
The rest stop on the old road
Photo Courtesy Barclay
Gibson, November 2009 |
Again, on the old
road was a quaint old Rest Stop. You have to get permission to hike up
there.
Also sometime in the 1870s a wagon train had just crossed over
the unimaginably difficult road through Guadalupe Pass when it, too, was attacked
by Indians. The train was passing through a huge, white sand dune area. After
the massacre, all trace was lost of the expedition until about twenty years ago
a man flying over saw the remnants of the circle of wagons protruding from the
dunes. Only last year (2008) it was located on the ground and has not been excavated
yet. You can hike to the area under supervision of the Park Service only. |
Guadalupe
Mountain National Park |
Guadalupe Mountains
National Park
"Park information, including park conditions, closures
or restrictions, weather and program information, may be found on the park’s website
at www.nps.gov/gumo/
or by contacting the Headquarters (Pine Springs) Visitor Center at (915) 828-3251
x2124. The Headquarters (Pine Springs) Visitor Center is open daily (except for
Christmas) from 8:00 AM until 4:30 PM. There is no public transportation to the
park. The nearest gasoline, lodging and services are 35 miles away. Motorists
traveling past the park along U.S. Hwy 62/180 may tune in to the park’s Traveler
Information Station at 1610 AM for up-to-date park information." |
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