It was time to leave Big Bend and head to our next destination, Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We packed up and made the long drive out of the park. We chose a scenic route that would take us through Fort Davis. The drive was so beautiful we considered stopping for the night at a free campsite we found so we could spend some more time in the area. We had heard a lot about the McDonald Observatory there and were interested in attending an evening stargazing program. We ended up deciding to save it for another time and stick with our plan to get to Guadalupe that day. There are so many places to go and things to see it can be really hard to pick and choose.

As usual, we arrived later than we intended at Pine Springs Campground just inside the park. The camp setup was different than most of the campgrounds we have stayed in. Instead of driving into a site, you park and walk a short distance into the campsites. It was getting dark and it was crowded so it was hard to see what spots were still available. We decided to sleep in the parking lot next to the RVs and choose a site in the morning.

Drive through the Fort Davis area

El Capitan as we approach Guadalupe National Park