LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Guadalupe Mountains National Park: Mckittrick Canyon
built 266 days ago
The Guadalupe Mountains are a study in contrasts and many of the park's most spectacular places are hidden and difficult to access. Viewed from the surrounding desert the mountains look sere and forbidding giving little indication of the lush forests that fill "the Bowl" or the spectacular scenery that awaits a hiker in McKittrick or Dog Canyons. It is the intent of the National Park Service to keep the Guadalupes as wild and undelveloped as possible, indeed some areas are currently strictly off limits due to the fragile nature of the local ecology. It takes effort, but the Guadalupe Mountains offer the determined hiker a spectacular, hidden wilderness that is unique among America's National Parks.
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Winter months are the ideal months to climb in the Guadalupe Mountains, but early spring and fall can be nice as well. Summers are still doable, but a very early start is highly recommended to avoid the high afternoon heat. McKittrick Canyon is in full glory in late October/early to mid-November, depending on the year.
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Located in McKittrick Canyon, Pratt Lodge was built by Wallace E. Pratt in 1931 and 1932, of stone quarried from the base of the Guadalupe Mountains, using heart-of-pine from east Texas for rafters, collar beams, and roof supports. Pratt, a geologist for the Humble Oil Co. (now ExxonMobil), and his family came for summer vacations when the heat in Houston became unbearable. He finally retired here in 1945. In 1957, the Pratts donated 5,632 acres of their 16,000-acre ranch to the federal government to begin the national park. In addition to the grand stone lodge, there are several outbuildings, stone picnic tables, and a stone fence.
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More than 300 bird species are known to frequent Guadalupe Mountains National Park; there are more than 40 species alone that nest in McKittrick Canyon. With several unique life zones and a myriad of habitats, the park is a birder’s paradise.
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Mckittrick Canyon