Guadalupe Bachelor Weekend

The route

One road out, one road back

US-62/180 runs from El Paso straight past Guadalupe Mountains National Park to Carlsbad Caverns, so the whole trip is one highway with a few short spurs. El Paso is the big supply stop; Whites City and Carlsbad cover the second half. Tap any stop for directions.

→ELP → El Paso supply run · rigs, food, stove fuel, water~1 hr
1Pine Springs Campground · Fri + Sat nights~1 hr 50
2Guadalupe Peak trail · starts at camp, Satwalk
3McKittrick Canyon · Sun morning hike~15 min
4Chosa BLM camp · Sun night, campfire~45 min
5Carlsbad Caverns · Mon morning~20 min
✈Caverns → El Capitan overlook → ELP~2 hr 45

Fill up in El PasoThere's almost nothing for the 110 miles between El Paso and Pine Springs. Top off gas, and buy stove fuel and food before leaving town. Whites City (gas, small store) and Carlsbad are the next real stops.

Day by day

Four days, one summit, one fire

Sunset is around 5:25 pm, so every day ends with tents up before dark. Times are Mountain Time, which the park keeps even though it's in Texas; phones may jump to Central near Pine Springs.

FRI

JAN 15 · ARRIVAL

Camp: Pine Springs

by 1:00 pm
Everyone lands at ELP. Pick up the SUVs (one per four guys).
1:45 pm
El Paso supply run: food for three days, stove fuel canisters, about 2 gal of water per person, ice, beer. Fill gas.
3:00 pm
Drive east on US-62/180, past the Hueco Mountains and across the salt flats, with El Capitan getting bigger the whole way.
4:50 pm
Pine Springs. Pay the park entrance fee, tents up at the group site, dinner on the stoves.
night
No fire allowed in the park, so it's lanterns, layers, and best-man toast number one under a very dark sky.

Late arrivalsAnyone landing after 2 pm should drive out separately. The last stretch is fine in the dark, but the tent sites are a short walk from the parking lot, so bring a headlamp.

SAT

JAN 16 · TOP OF TEXAS

Camp: Pine Springs (same site)

6:45 am
Coffee and breakfast burritos on the stoves.
7:30 am
Guadalupe Peak. The trailhead is at the campground. It's 8.4 mi round trip with about 3,000 ft of climbing to 8,751 ft, the highest point in Texas, marked by a steel pyramid on top. Plan 6–8 hours.
or
Easier option: Devil's Hall. 4.2 mi round trip up a rocky wash to a slot canyon with 50-foot walls. Same trailhead.
3:30 pm
Everyone back at camp. Rest your legs, check out Frijole Ranch, or drive to Whites City for food and gas.
night
Big stove dinner and the main party. Fire night is tomorrow.

Wind and waterThe upper trail is exposed. If gusts are howling, turn around at the saddle. There's no water on the mountain, so carry 3 L each, plus microspikes if there's been recent snow.

SUN

JAN 17 · CANYON + FIRE

Camp: Chosa BLM, near the caverns

7:30 am
Break camp. Leave no trace at Pine Springs.
8:15 am
Drive about 15 minutes to McKittrick Canyon. It's a day-use area with a gate, so check the gate hours the week before (it's on the bookings list).
8:45 am
Hike to Pratt Cabin and the Grotto. Roughly 6.8 mi round trip up the canyon floor, mostly gentle, past an old stone cabin to a cave-like overhang. Strong legs can keep climbing toward the Notch.
1:00 pm
Drive northeast through Guadalupe Pass to Whites City, about 45 minutes. Buy firewood, steaks and ice there, or go 30 minutes on to Carlsbad for a full grocery store.
3:30 pm
Set up at Chosa. Fire night: steaks on the grate, the actual party, and the groom's roast.

Book the caveCarlsbad Cavern needs a timed-entry reservation on Recreation.gov ($1 each). Book the 9:30 am Monday slot for the whole group as soon as tickets open.

MON

JAN 18 · MLK DAY · UNDERGROUND

Camp: none, fly home

7:30 am
Coffee, drown any coals, pack the cars, and sweep the site for trash.
9:00 am
Carlsbad Caverns visitor center. Buy entrance passes ($15 each) at the desk.
9:30 am
Hike in through the Natural Entrance. About 1.25 mi of steep switchbacks, dropping roughly 750 ft. Then walk the Big Room loop, about 1.25 mi on a mostly flat paved trail.
12:15 pm
Elevator back up. Quick lunch at the visitor center or in Whites City.
1:00 pm
Drive back southwest on US-62/180. Stop at the El Capitan overlook for the group photo.
3:45 pm
Gas up near ELP and return the rentals. Book flights leaving after 5:30 pm.

Cave rulesIt's 56°F and damp all year down there. Bring a light jacket and shoes with grip. No food in the cave (water only) and don't touch the formations. The last hike-in entry is 2:30 pm.

Where we sleep

Camps

Two nights in the national park, one on BLM land. The big difference: the park bans all open fires, including charcoal and propane fire rings. Chosa is where the fire happens.

$60 / night · group siteNo fires

Pine Springs

The park's main campground, right at the Guadalupe Peak trailhead. It has two tent-only group sites for 10–20 people (about five tents each) and 20 walk-in tent sites. There's a restroom with running water and a bottle-filling station.

Nights: Fri + Sat
Book: Recreation.gov, up to 6 months ahead, so the window is already open. Needs 10–20 people.
Under 10 guys?: Book 2–3 regular tent sites instead
Elevation: ~5,800 ft

Permit · optionStoves only

Guadalupe Peak backcountry

For the hard-core version of Saturday: carry packs 3.1 mi up and sleep 1 mile below the summit, then tag the peak at sunrise. Five sites on a small knoll with little shelter from the wind.

Permit: From the Pine Springs visitor center; not reservable on Recreation.gov
Water: None; carry it all up
Call: Decide Friday based on the wind forecast

Free · BLMFire rings

Chosa Campground

A free BLM area off US-62/180 south of Whites City: a big fenced gravel lot with stone fire rings around the edge. Basic, but about 20 minutes from the cavern entrance, and you can have a fire.

Night: Sun
Find it: US-62/180 near mile marker 9, east on Dillahunty Rd (CR 424) ~0.25 mi
Facilities: Trash bin only. No water, no toilets.
Fire: Confirm with BLM Carlsbad the week before

Read before you fly

Ground rules

No fire in the park

Guadalupe Mountains bans all open fires, including charcoal and propane fire rings. Stoves and lanterns with canister fuel only. The fire waits for Chosa.

Book early

The Crew tab tracks what still needs doing. Everyone also pays a $10 park entrance fee at Guadalupe and $15 at Carlsbad.

Carlsbad Caverns · 575-236-1309

Respect the wind

The Guadalupes are notorious for gusts. Stake tents fully, keep gear weighed down, and turn around on the peak trail if it gets dangerous.

Pack it all out

Trash, bottle caps, cigar butts and food scraps all leave with us. Chosa has a bin; the trail doesn't.

Fire closures happen

The park has closed trails and wilderness camping for fire danger before, mostly in dry, windy stretches. Check park alerts the week before. Pine Springs stayed open last time.

Someone stays sober-ish

One designated driver per car each day, plus a headcount before any night walk. The nearest hospital is in Carlsbad.

Emergency · 911

Live forecast

Weather at every stop

Loading the latest forecast.

What mid-January usually looks like

Mid-January out here is usually dry and sunny, with days in the 50s and nights near or below freezing. The summit runs 10–15° colder than camp, and the Guadalupes are known for strong wind, so wind chill is the real number. A dusting of snow up high is possible.

~7:05sunrise

~5:25sunset

~10h20daylight

Camp and summit figures are estimates from elevation. Check the forecast for Pine Springs and Guadalupe Peak the Wednesday before.

Crew

Who's in

Add yourself, say whether you're coming, and drop in your flights. The headcount here feeds the bookings, the cars and the cost sheet.

To do

What has to get booked

Claim one, book it, and paste the confirmation number here so everyone can find it.

Cars + tents

Who rides with who

Four guys and gear per SUV, two per tent. Put people landing around the same time in the same car.

Enter the trip code above to see cars and tents.

What to bring

Packing list

Your checkmarks save in your own browser only. Everything fits in one checked bag plus a carry-on. Stove fuel can't fly, so it gets bought in El Paso. With no fire for two nights, warm layers matter more than usual.

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Group gear

Claim what you can bring. Quantities follow the number of SUVs. Bought or borrowed items get split in Settle up.

The money

What it costs each guy

Estimates for planning. Move the sliders to match the headcount and what flights actually come in at.

Guys on the trip (incl. groom)

10

Avg round-trip flight to ELP

$420

SUV rental per vehicle, Fri–Mon (all-in)

$420

Food + drink per guy

$140

Groom rides free (their share split across the group)

From	Typical routing	Est. RT
NYC / Boston	1 stop (DFW, DEN, PHX, ATL)	$350–550
Other East Coast	1 stop	$350–550
San Francisco	1 stop, or nonstop where offered	$250–450
Portland	1 stop (PHX, LAS, DEN)	$300–500

Rough ranges for a holiday weekend booked 2–3 months out. Not live fares; check Google Flights.

$0per guy, all-in
$0 without flights

Settle up

Who owes who

Log anything you paid for the group. Costs split evenly across everyone marked in.

Enter the trip code on the Crew tab to see expenses.