| Outdoor Project

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

Go straight from the trailhead information sign and pay station.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

Hiking McKittrick Canyon.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

The trail is well marked and easy to follow. The National Park Service wants to minimize the impact to the water in the stream, so minimize your traffic in the water.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

Agave plants are everywhere near the beginning of the trail.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

Alligator juniper bark is very different from the stringy bark of other species of junipers.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

Mule deer.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

Ringtail cat scat is ubiquitous along the trail. This nocturnal animal related to the raccoon is seldom seen.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

Hiking McKittrick Canyon.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

The beautiful Texas madrone tree with its red bark is an isolated holdover from the era when this area was much wetter.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

The Pratt Lodge. Wallace Pratt was drawn to McKittrick Canyon due to the stunning beauty of the area. He was a key contributor to the park and donated his private 5,700 acres to the state.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

Hiking McKittrick Canyon.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

Hiking McKittrick Canyon.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

Higher in the canyon, ponderosa pines start mixing with the desert plants.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

Hiking McKittrick Canyon.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

The last fall colors.

Dave Kiel

Photo Date:

11/13/2018

The water near the Grotto is fed from the ground. This year-round stream maintains a sensitive ecosystem, and the park service wants to minimize impact to it.