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Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is 110 miles east of El Paso on US 62/180. The park's 86,416 acres occupy a rugged scenic section of the Guadalupe Mountains and include 8,749-foot Guadalupe Peak, the highest elevation in Texas.
The mountains are uplifted remains of the Capitan Reef Complex that originated some 250 million years ago during the Permian era when an inland sea covered part of what is now Texas and New Mexico. The 400-mile-long, horseshoe-shaped reef lies exposed in three places--the Apache, Glass and Guadalupe mountains. The Guadalupe Range forms a massive wedge towering above the west Texas desert; at the apex is the 2,000-foot sheer cliff, El Capitan.
Despite their barren appearance, the Guadalupes encompass stands of pine, fir and hardwoods that harbor elk and mule deer as well as javelinas, a variety of birds and an occasional cougar. By the end of the 19th century the Mescalero Apaches, who had hunted and camped in the Guadalupes, had been expelled by the U.S. Army to make way for westward expansion and ranching activities. Relics of this period can be seen in the park, including buildings from the Williams and Frijole ranches as well as the remains of a Butterfield Stage Station.
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