#4 Gaudalupe Mountains, TX
Number 4 is the Guadalupe Mountains, the northern part of the Ciuhuahua Desert, close to the border of New Mexico and El Paso. I kind of went with the goal in figuring out what made these mountains so special, cause it kind of
just seemed like it's the tallest peak in Texas and that's it.
Walking through the first hike to the Pratt Cabin, and it was surely hot in the Mexican desert. This whole cabin was from this guy in the 1930s who decided to settle down here and just live life.
Another hike involved a loop to this creek at the base of the mountains, which apparently sustains life for the majority of the creatures in this biome. The water was so fresh and clear... And it led me to why this place was supposed to be cool: the valleys in this part of the mountains create a unique desert environment that can sustain life. Lots of butterflies especially.
I think I only appreciated this park more after the fact in the visitor center, where it explained how the mountains were formed
from literal microorganisms being compressed into layers forming an ancient marine fossil reef, especially cool is the El Capitan rock face.
This geology and the ecosystem creates apparently multiple plant species that only exist in the park!
I rate this park Hot Honey Rub out of Atomic in terms of Wingstop flavor.
