Texas' Least Visited National Park Expects Crowds As The Best Place In The Lone Star State For Fall Foliage

When thinking about autumn leaves, there is a raft of usual suspects that come to mind. Undoubtedly, New England is considered the king of fall foliage tours (be they on two legs or four wheels), and there are many awe-inspiring national parks beloved by travelers during the season. However, you may want to whip out a map of West Texas when planning your next autumn-themed trip.

Boulders, canyons, and kaleidoscopic foliage all co-exist under the same roof in breathtaking Guadalupe Mountains National Park, one of America's least crowded national parks. Forget about the Connecticut crowds and the fully-booked New Hampshire hotels, and instead head to the magic borderlands to experience the fall season with a Southern twist — that is, miles and miles of enchanting desert making way to canyons full of deciduous trees. A closely guarded secret for decades, Guadalupe Mountains National Park reigns supreme as a leaf-peeping destination in the South. Every year between the end of September and mid-November, maples, oaks, and other species paint this untamed corner of Hudspeth and Culberson counties in a marvelous palette of reds, golds, oranges, and yellows.

With over 80,000 acres of national park to explore just on the Texan side, it is wise to be strategic in advance about what places and experiences you don't want to miss when visiting. For top leaf-peeping, McKittrick Canyon is the place where the most visibly impactful autumnal magic happens. To embark on this epic journey, start at the McKittrick Canyon Contact Station and follow the 9-mile out-and-back trail to the Notch, or tackle "the hardest hike in Texas" all the way to The Ridge. While you do not have to complete the whole trail to immerse yourself in the tree-studded views that will accompany you all the way, if you do choose to stay, you may want to bring a backpack or camp in one of the designated Wilderness Campgrounds through the night, as either hike can take between 6 and 12 hours.

Another favorite spot to admire the fall foliage is Pine Springs Canyon, where maples are plentiful and you can hop and skip from smooth, round boulders as you chart your way through the hue-changing woodlands. This particular trail leading to Devil's Hall is shorter than McKittrick, but more strenuous due to the shifting rocks. Though this trail may not be ideal for first-time and casual hikers, the difficulty comes with many rewards: breathtaking canyons, tall trees, and other geological wonders await.

Whichever way your heart leads you, you can count on sights that you would not find elsewhere on U.S. soil, as the swathes of red, orange, and gold make their way through cacti and agave plants, their crinkly melody resounding among creeks and steep canyon walls typical to this arid area.

Deciding what month to visit is crucial, as equinox timings in the southern regions may differ from those in the north. While New England may experience longer falls on the back of upcoming cold winters, Texas' falls often feel more like an extension of summer, with fewer sunlight hours, or a similarly mild-temperature early winter. 

To catch the colors at the height of their vividness, or simply boost your odds to see them at the right time, plan your escape between the middle of October and the middle of November, or two weeks earlier if hiking through Dog Canyon, on the northern side of the park. Bear in mind it's never guaranteed to catch the palette to be in full bloom (or at all), as the color change is heavily dependent on the reduced sunlight, which has an impact on the chlorophyll responsible for coloring leaves green. That means that if the darkness takes longer to set in during any given year, those conditions could delay the color change of deciduous trees.

There's no better time to visit the park, as word has started to get out, with glossy travel magazines like Travel + Leisure and Chron singing praise of this undervisited Texan gem. And it may not be easy to reach from major transport hubs, but it's certainly worth the trek. It's about 230 miles from the vineyard city of Lubbock, and about 330 miles away from Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you are planning to fly, the best way to reach the park is by hopping on a plane to Ciudad Juárez International Airport, a shorter 180 miles away, but on the other side of the border.