truchas wrote:Arthur Digbee wrote:Having just hiked in McKittrick Canyon (Guadalupe Mtns) I was wondering about this too. It's a "day use" area and they close the gate at 4:30 pm. There's a backcountry campsite 8 miles up the trail; that site serves no purpose for people using other trailheads. So how do you use an overnight campsite from a day use parking lot?
I believe all you have to do is get a back country permit. You just won't be able to leave the parking lot because they lock it up. Smokey Bear almost gave me a ticket once on that road as I was trying to get out of there before they locked up the gate. By the way, that is a great hike up to that backcountry campsite. Same with the one on the Permian Reef Geology Trail.
That was my first time there, day hikes only, and I was impressed. It's a great January destination.