Pine Springs Campground

Great

Primitive campground inside Guadalupe National Park. It's first come, first serve. The sites offer a gravel tent pad and a picnic table! There's also restrooms and water! It's really all you need if you're not too high maintenance!

We had a pull through site and took a nice hike. Campsite was full by end of day. Nice camp hosts. Enjoyed our stay.

Like all NP campgrounds, no fires are allowed which is disappointing. There are pit toilets which are incredibly clean however, the walk up to the flushing RV toilets isn't too far. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of privacy at the sites because they seem pretty tightly packed at first. Each site has a nice tent pad and picnic table. The parking isn't very adequate and at most of the sites you will need to carry your gear from your car a little way to the campsites. Sites are first come first serve. We got there in the late morning during busy season and had several sites to pick from but the camp ground did fill every day. The views are decent from the campground. Location is ideal. It's pretty central in GMNP and only 30 minutes from Carlsbad Caverns NP(where they only have back country sites). Overall, not a bad campground and probably the best option around while visiting GMNP and CCNP if you're a tent camper(their RV parking lot looked terrible).

When you camp here in an RV you are basically parking in a parking lot.  It has a bathroom and all, but other than that - just a parking lot.  However, this is right at the trail head for Guadalupe Peak so if you are planning to hike that it is super convenient!!  Parking lots get full really early in the day and you end up parking at the visitor center and hiking down to the trial head.  But, if you stay here it makes it super easy to walk out of your door and hit the trails.  For that reason alone we would stay here!  It's not somewhere I would want to spend a week though.  Just a night to be able to easily jump on the trails the next morning!

We camped at tent site 12. We had stunning views with some shade. The National Park staff was very informative and interactive they patrol the area frequently. They have the cleanest chemical toilets I have ever seen. Trails are beautiful and well marked. I absolutely would recommend this park to any and everyone.

Bag the peak of Guadelupe Mountains National Park and you will have bagged the highest point in Texas. The Pine Springs Campground is an excellent starting point for a trip to the park. The campground is close to the park entrance and ranger station. You'll be camping with Guadelupe Peak within your sight. However, there are a number of trailheads that you can reach from this campground - Guadelupe Peak, Devil's Hall, El Capitan and The Bowl.. The weather at the park can be brutal varying from high heat in the summer to strong winds year round to snow in the winter. Many of the hiking trails do not have tree shade, so be prepared to hike and be exposed to the sun for long periods of time. The campground has toilets and potable water, but no showers. The individual campsites are all first come, first served. I believe that the group campsites can be reserved in advance. The sunrises and sunsets at this park can be dramatic. You may not see the sun on the horizon unless you are on top of the peak, but the alpenglow on the mountains can be seen from the Pine Springs campground. There are not many towns near the park, so get your supplies before you exit I-10. Otherwise you'll need to drive far into Carlsbad, NM.

This is a beautiful park with stellar camping. It is close to all the things you’ll want to do in the National Park. You are nestled among the famous cliffs and mountains of the area surrounded by interesting plants and wildlife. There are separate loops for tents and RVs with the full amenities of a state park...thankfully including water.

Yay: this is a hot and sticky area and although there are no showers the bathrooms have full water, allowing you take a washcloth bath. Sites are spread out well for good privacy.

Nay: not too much shade, but not awful for TX.

Surprise: lots of hikes leave right from the campground, simplifying the day a little! As always the rangers are great. Incredible sunsets.

We stayed here one night during our trip to Guadalupe.

Bathrooms had running water and we were able to finally wash our dishes! Lots of wildlife, we saw a javelina and her babies cruise through the campsite.

From the campground there are a multitude of trails that are easily accessible, and the campsite is not at all far from the visitor center or the main road. We loved the interpretive trail with info on all the native plant species (handicap accessible). We also saw some sheep while we where there!

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is seriously underrated. And their developed campground, Pine Springs, is a gem in the NPS.

Pine Springs is located near the visitor center and main hub of the park, making it a great base camp for epic day hikes in the park.

When we first arrived at the park, we felt adventurous and got a backcountry permit (free) for several overnights we planned to do throughout the park. However, since there is no road running up and over the huge ridge, and most of the trails don’t easily connect, we quickly realized that our plans would require a lot of hauling our packs up and down 3,000-foot elevations changes and camping in sub-freezing temperatures each day. Our first night was spent up along the ridge in the “Bowl,” but our other three nights were spent in Pine Springs.

Pine Springs checked off most of our requirements for an awesome campsite: cheap (only $8/night for a tent site), close to the highlights (the classic Guadalupe Peak trail leaves from the parking lot) and scenic, spacious sites (check, check). Amenities were the basic flush toilets and picnic tables, but for the cost, that was more than understandable.

There is a lot the Guadalupe Mountains offers, including the hikes we mentioned: The Bowl loop, Guadalupe Peak (highest point in Texas!), McKittrick Canyon hiking, and some of the greatest sunsets of our entire trip.

You can read much more about our four days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Guadalupe Mountains)

Nestled at the bottom of the beautiful Guadalupe mountain this campground is family friendly and totally Texas !!

Decent level sites for the tents off one loop with the RV off to another loop (i like that you're not surrounded by an RV when in your tent). The tent sites are much nicer than the parking lot for the RVs. Sites are decently spaced out with your normal table and fire ring, you then also have nice clean restrooms and potable water. You're right up against the Guadalupe Mountains which are a wonderful sight.

Right up against the Guadalupe Mountains! They have water, real bathrooms, and a decent amount of shade...a great combination in Texas. Sites are great, you park and then walk 5 to a few hundred feet to your very private, semi-shady site. Short walk to the visitor center and some hikes (from easy to extreme) start here. No reservations but not super busy, at least not in May. Good wildlife too!

Pine Springs campground is a place full of awe and wonder. Hiking through this vast mountainous region makes you wonder how long it took for these mountains to form and become such an amazing land of beauty and unanswered questions. As such a nice place, I would recommend it, although it is not in a forest setting as is much of the Appalachian Mtns.

This site is really popular among local sin the area. Make reservations online so you are guaranteed a spot. Do not come here during the summer. I made the mistake and the temperature was in the high 90s. It felt like you were becoming human jerky. The site was only 8 dollars and it was really clean. There are a lot of photographers out here hoping to make a time lapse of the stars. They have warm showers but need to remodel the buildings because it is kind of old. The sight is quite secluded and you have privacy from other campers. At night the stars light up and it is so beautiful. In the morning I recommend waking up really early for the sunrise and to summit Guadalupe Peak. The trek is very difficult but is absolutely worth it. The trek is quite dangerous and has a few unstable places. This campsite was worth it and am looking to coming again

I spent one night here while visiting Guadalupe Mountains in late February. The campground was pretty close to full when we got there so we got one of the last spots available. We had to park about 50 feet from our camp and carry all of our stuff in. It wasn't a very big deal but mildly inconvenient. The campsites are very small and surrounded by thick brush. Even though the sites are pretty close together, the brush helps to isolate you from other campers. There are pit toilets at the end of the campground which were clean and well kept. It is a short walk to the park visitors center. Overall this campground is pretty decent.