Guadalupe Mountains National Park Fees & Reservations

Entrance to Guadalupe Mountains National Park is only $5 each, and that’s just for the 16’s and overs, plus it lasts for a whole week. Yep, you can visit Guadalupe Mountains National Park for seven consecutive days at less than a dollar a day – that’s what I call a bargain! Oh, in case you were wondering, visitors under the age of 16 years don’t have to pay at all.

On arrival at any of the park trailheads, or at the Pine Springs Visitor Center you’ll find the fee envelopes, just fill out your info, pop in your cash or credit card receipt, seal it up, remove the stub and place it in the collection safe. Make sure that the detachable stub is clearly visible on the dashboard of your vehicle – couldn’t be simpler.

If you are exempt from paying the entrance fees to the park, maybe you have a Golden Age Pass, Golden Access Pass or similar then you still need to fill out the envelope, write your pass number and type in the little space provided and display it on your dashboard. The following park passes are accepted;

• An annual Guadalupe Mountains National Park – at a cost of $20 for a whole year starting at the month of purchase.
• National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass – at a cost of $80 you can have entry to all federal recreational lands for a whole year.
• An Senior Pass – costs $10 and is a lifetime pass for all federal entrance fee areas for US citizens which have reached the ripe old age of 62 years or more.
• An Access Pass – is a free pass which lasts a lifetime for permanently disabled visitors.
• A Volunteers Pass – Free Pass offers unlimited entry for one year for volunteers who have accumulated 500 hours.

Camping at Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is the perfect place for a family camping trip, or a friends camping trip, couples camping trip, it’s just a great place to go camping.

You don’t need to make a reservation to camp in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, in fact, reservations aren’t accepted, all campgrounds are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Costs for camping at $8 per night.

Pine Springs Campground, Guadalupe Mountains National Park – is close to the Pine Springs Visitor Center off United States Highway 62/180.  There are 20 tent campsites available, all leveled, all gravel. There are also 19 RV camping sites at this campground. Campground facilities include;

• Flush toilet restrooms (accessible)
• Potable water
• Utility sink
• Drink Machine
• Pay telephones
• There are no showers at this campground
• Picnic table
• A maximum of 6 people or 2 tents per site
• There are no RV hook-ups at this campground
• There is no dump station at this campground
• There is an outside water faucet for filling water tanks

Dog Canyon Campground, Guadalupe Mountains National Park – is in a secluded canyon to the north of the park. This campground does stay a little cooler during the summer months than the campground at Pine Springs, it’s at a higher elevation and the location beneath steep canyon walls all help to keep the temperatures down, it also helps to shelter it from the gusty winds during the winter time. There are 9 tent campsites, 4 RV sites but no hook-ups or dump station.  There are sinks and flush toilets available in the rest room, but again, no showers.

Group Camping at Guadalupe Mountains National Park

There are two group camping sites at the park, one is at Pine Springs, the other is an Dog Canyon. The sites are available for organized camping groups of at least 10, but not more than 20 people. Group camping fees are $3 per person, and these can be reserved up to 60 days in advance.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park Campground Rules

Visitors to all Guadalupe Mountains National Park Campgrounds must obey the national park campground rules;

• Keep the campground clean and free from food scraps which can attract small mammals.
• All scraps and garbage must be disposed of in the trash receptacles.
• Food (including pet food) must not be stored in tents, store it in vehicles.
• Dishes should be washed in the utility sink provided, close to the restrooms.
• Gray water or dishwater must not be tipped onto the ground, use the utility sinks provided.
• The nearest RV dump station can be found at Canyon Street, Carlsbad, New Mexico.
• Pets may be exercised (on leashes) only on the trail which runs between the campground and the visitor center, plus the Pinery Trail. They are not permitted on other trails.
• Always clean up after pets.
• Never leave pets unattended. There is a kennel service at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
• Wood or charcoal fires are not permitted at Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
• Fuel camp stoves are permitted.
• Campground quiet hours are between 8pm and 8am. You are not permitted to run generators between these hours.

Imagine waking up to that view in the mornings – well, you can.