McKittrick Canyon
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McKittrick Canyon is a scenic canyon within the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas and Eddy County, New Mexico. The steep, towering walls of McKittrick Canyon protect a rich riparian oasis in the midst of the Chihuahuan Desert.
McKittrick Canyon | |
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Floor elevation | 4,997 feet (1,523 m)[1] |
Long-axis direction | East-West |
Area | 5,632 acres (2,279 ha)[2] |
Depth | 3,200 feet (980 m) |
Geology | |
Age | 12 million years[2] |
Geography | |
Location | Culberson County, Texas, and Eddy County, New Mexico, United States |
Coordinates | 31°58′45″N 104°45′17″W [1] |
Topo map | USGS Guadalupe Peak, El Paso Gap |
Traversed by | McKittrick Canyon Trail |
Rivers | |
McKittrick Canyon Archeological District, Guadalupe Mountains National Park | |
Location | Address restricted[3] |
Nearest city | Salt Flat, Texas |
Area | 411 acres (166 ha) |
NRHP reference No. | 91001381[4] |
Added to NRHP | September 26, 1991 |
The majority of McKittrick Canyon is part of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, but is separated from the main park area and managed as a day-use only area with limited visitation hours.[2] A large part of North McKittrick Canyon, though, is located in the Guadalupe Ranger District of Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico. Access to McKittrick Canyon is by a 4.2-mile (6.8-km) gated side road that leads to the mouth of McKittrick Canyon from U.S. Route 62/180. Here, the National Park Service maintains a parking area, restroom facilities, and visitor center, which is staffed most of the year by volunteers.