Horseback Riding -- About 60% of the park's trails are open to horses for day trips, but horses are not permitted in the backcountry overnight. There are corrals at Frijole Ranch (near Pine Springs) and Dog Canyon. Each set of corrals contains four pens that can accommodate up to 10 horses. There are no horses or other pack animals available for hire in or near the park. Park rangers warn that horses brought into the park should be accustomed to steep, rocky trails.
Wildlife Viewing -- Because of the variety of habitats here, and also because these canyons offer some of the few water sources in West Texas, Guadalupe Mountains National Park offers excellent wildlife viewing and bird-watching possibilities. McKittrick Canyon and Frijole Ranch are considered among the best wildlife viewing spots, but a variety of species can be seen throughout the park. Those spending more than a few hours will likely see mule deer, and the park is also home to a herd of some 50 to 70 elk, which are sometimes seen in the higher elevations or along the highway in winter. Other mammals include raccoons, striped and hog-nosed skunks, gray foxes, coyotes, gray-footed chipmunks, Texas antelope squirrels, black-tailed jackrabbits, and desert cottontails. Black bears and mountain lions also live in the park, but are seldom seen.
About two dozen varieties of snakes make their home in the park, including five species of rattlesnakes. There are also numerous lizards, which are usually seen in the mornings and early evenings. These include the collared, crevice spiny, tree, side-blotched, and Texas horned lizards, and Chihuahuan spotted whiptails. The most commonly seen is the prairie lizard, identified by the light-colored stripes down its back.
More than 200 species of birds are known to spend time in the park, including peregrine falcons, golden eagles, turkey vultures, and wild turkeys. You are also likely to encounter rock wrens, canyon wrens, black-throated sparrows, common nighthawks, mourning doves, rufous-crowned sparrows, mountain chickadees, ladder-backed woodpeckers, solitary vireos, and western scrub jays.
