Texas / Culberson County / Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Frijole Horse Corral Campground

Open — Open year-round and available for reservations through Recreation.gov up to two months in advance. Busiest March through May and September through November. Stock users must obtain a free stock use permit at Pine Springs Visitor Center (open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) on the day of riding or up to 24 hours in advance.

About

Frijole Horse Corral Campground serves as the primary equestrian camping facility on the east side of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, situated one mile east of Pine Springs Visitor Center at 5,400 feet elevation. This specialized group campground caters exclusively to stock users with four corrals accommodating up to 10 horses, mules, burros, or llamas, along with hitching posts, water troughs, and extra trailer parking. The single group site accommodates 1-12 people and features two tent pads (one raised for accessibility), two RV parking spaces (one paved for accessibility), a picnic table, and drinking fountain. The large gravel parking area serves double duty as trailhead parking for the Foothills and Frijole trails and can accommodate horse trailers or RVs, though the area is not level. Before riding, stock users must obtain a free stock use permit at Pine Springs Visitor Center. The campground provides access to designated stock trails including El Capitan Trail, Salt Basin Overlook Trail, Foothills Trail, Frijole Trail, Tejas Trail, and portions of Bush Mountain, Blue Ridge, and McKittrick Canyon trails. The landscape features scattered gray oaks, redberry junipers, whitethorn acacia, and desert-adapted plants with views of Hunter Peak, El Capitan, and Guadalupe Peak. Visitors should prepare for significant highway noise from US 62/180 located approximately 100 yards away and frequent high winds exceeding 50 mph, particularly during winter and spring months.

Directions

Located one mile east of Pine Springs Visitor Center on the north side of US Highway 62/180 near Mile Post 131, on the Frijole Ranch access road. From Interstate 10 at Van Horn, take TX Highway 54 north 56 miles to US 62/180, then east 9 miles. From El Paso, take US 62/180 east 110 miles. From Carlsbad, NM, take US 62/180 west 55 miles.

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