カルバーソン郡の天然記念物・トップ9

Must do if the weather is right. Mid fall to early spring is the best time. Can take as little as 5 hours if you are reasonably fit (like 9 minute mile).

Lost Peak is located at the top of Dog Canyon in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Standing at 7,830 feet, Lost Peak is the ninth highest point in Texas and a great summit in a remote part of the park. Lost Peak is accessed just a short distance from the Tejas Trail on rocky, open, easy terrain. You will most likely have Lost Peak to yourself, so it's a fantastic, peaceful spot to enjoy the expansive views of the desert to the west, and mountains to the south and east.

This steep section of the Permian Reef Trail takes you up to the top of Wilderness Ridge through an ancient, fossilized reef known as the Capitan Reef. The trail was designed to showcase preserved Permian age geologic and fossil features in the park; you can download a NPS guide to the marked fossils along this trail ( http://npshistory.com/brochures/gumo/permian-reef-trail.pdf ). As you ascend this challenging, but fun, section of trail you get increasingly great views of the large imposing cliff-sides that comprise the bulk of the ancient reef and down into McKittrick Canyon. As you climb, you will pass by some amazing geologic features like a free-standing natural rock pillar, numerous fossils, the striking rounded rock rim of the Wilderness Ridge, and sweeping views across the park.

Deep in McKittrick Canyon is a small, shaded spot that houses a small, unique-looking cave at the base of rounded cliff. There are a few wooden picnic tables near the Grotto, making it a great place to stop for lunch or a snack on your hike.

The remote Bush Mountain is deep in the Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness and can only be accessed by hiking or horse-packing. Standing at 8,631 feet, Bush Mountain is the second highest peak in Texas. Many who hike Bush Mountain choose to make it an overnight trip; there is a wilderness campground and radio tower below the southeast side of the summit. Regardless of whether you make it a day hike or part of a backpacking trip, Bush Mountain is a great summit with lovely views of the mountains and desert surrounded by scrubby pine trees and grasses.

The Bowl is a small patch of dense remnant pine forest north of Hunter Peak. It is a great, challenging, destination in of itself, but is also a great add-on for those doing Hunter Peak and looking for some extra milage. This type of forest is somewhat unique at this elevation, and it is a great place to look for deer and elk among the trees in the shade.

Hunter Peak stands at 8,368 feet and was named after two ranchers, J. C. Hunter and J. C. Hunter, Jr., who owned much of the land that is now a part of the park. Hunter Peak has some of the best views in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Sweeping views of the vast desert are to the south, to the north are views of the Bowl, and to the west are phenomenal views of Guadalupe Peak. Hunter Peak is a proud summit and a great place to take in the some of the best views in Guadalupe National Park.

Also known as the "Top of Texas," Guadalupe Peak stands at 8,751 feet and is the highest point in the state of Texas. The summit hosts not only spectacular, panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, including the sheer cliffs of El Capitan, and the expansive desert, but it also has a monument marking its status as Texas's highest peak. This is a great place to eat a snack, snap some photographs, and relax after the strenuous hike.