Guadalupe Mountains National Park Permit Guide 2026

Texas · New Mexico · No dogs in the backcountry

By Casey Rowan, Permit Ranger

Last updated August 1, 2026

Guadalupe Mountains National Park in West Texas protects the state's highest peaks, deep canyons, and rugged Chihuahuan Desert wilderness, with a network of high-country backcountry campgrounds. A wilderness permit reserves a specific campground for each night of your itinerary. Popular sites near Guadalupe Peak and McKittrick Canyon can be competitive on prime weekends.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park issues its wilderness permits through recreation.gov, and popular passes sell out ahead of the season. First-come-first-served: each entry date's campsite quota opens 3 months ahead at 7:00 AM Pacific (rolling window, no lottery, no later drop). Permits are itinerary-based - every night of the trip books a specific backcountry campground. Permit Ranger watches every pass here and alerts you the moment a sold-out date opens.

When permits are released

First-come-first-served: each entry date's campsite quota opens 3 months ahead at 7:00 AM Pacific (rolling window, no lottery, no later drop). Permits are itinerary-based - every night of the trip books a specific backcountry campground.

Fees

Reservation: $6 per permit (non-refundable)
Per person, per night: $6 per person per night

How to get a Guadalupe Mountains National Park permit

Plan your route and choose which designated wilderness campgrounds you want for each night of your trip.
Reservations are first-come-first-served: each entry date's campsite quota opens 3 months ahead at 7:00 AM Pacific on a rolling window, with no lottery and no later drop.
Book on recreation.gov the morning your dates open, since popular high-country sites can fill quickly. Every night of the itinerary books a specific backcountry campground.
If your dates are sold out, keep watching - cancellations return quota to inventory. Permit Ranger can alert you the moment a sold-out Guadalupe Mountains site reopens.

Notable trails

Each wilderness campground is a destination reached on foot via the park's trail network. A few notable routes to the permitted sites:

Guadalupe Peak Trail - 4.8 on AllTrails
McKittrick Canyon Trail - 4.8 on AllTrails
Bush Mountain Trail - 4.7 on AllTrails
Bush Mountain Trail to Blue Ridge Loop - 4.6 on AllTrails
Bush Mountain, Blue Ridge, and Marcus Trail Loop - 4.6 on AllTrails
Tejas Trail, McKittrick Canyon Trail, and Dog Canyon Trail - 4.4 on AllTrails
Permian Reef Trail and Camp Wilderness Ridge Trail - 4.1 on AllTrails
El Capitan Trail to Shumard Canyon Backcountry Campground - 4.0 on AllTrails

Top passes in this area

The most in-demand Guadalupe Mountains National Park entry points, each with its own detail page.

Frequently asked questions

When do Guadalupe Mountains National Park permits open?

What if my dates are sold out?

Cancellations open up all season. Watch the passes you want on Permit Ranger and you get an instant alert when a date you need becomes bookable.

Does Permit Ranger book the permit for me?

No. Permit Ranger alerts you the moment a watched date opens, with a direct booking link, but the booking is always yours to make on recreation.gov.

Plan ahead

Wilderness permit release calendar

Sold-out dates reopen all the time from cancellations and quota drops. Permit Ranger checks recreation.gov around the clock and alerts you the moment your dates open. It never books for you.

Browse Guadalupe Mountains National Park passes · Book on recreation.gov