Devil's Hall Loop

This 4.2-mile hike provides an alternate route to Devil's Hall in Guadalupe Mountain National Park, instead of a simple out-and-back hike. Devil’s Hall is a narrow canyon with sheer cliff walls. The trailhead for this hike is located near the Pine Springs Campground. There is limited parking here, so you may need to park in the Pine Springs Visitor Center parking lot and hike to the campground. Please note that dogs are not allowed on hiking trails in the park.

From trailhead it is a very short hike to a trail intersection, here take the Guadalupe Peak Trail. This portion of Guadalupe Peak Trail is a steady climb with a number of switchbacks, but the hiker is rewarded with views of vast desert and surrounding mountains. After about 0.8 miles you will have gained about 700 feet in elevation. Look for a metal sign that says “No Stock Beyond This Point." Here you will take a right onto the Guadalupe Peak Horse Trail and begin a gradual descent down to the valley. This trail provides outstanding views of the valley and the surrounding mountains. After 0.7 miles this trail meets the Devil’s Hall trail; take a left here. It is a little less than a mile to Devil’s Hall from this point.

Soon after joining the Devil’s Hall Trail, the trail drops into the rocky wash of the Pine Spring Canyon. Hiking the wash will involve some scrambling over rocks. The walls of the canyon narrow as you head up the wash. At one point you will encounter a rock feature known as the Hiker’s Staircase which one must carefully climb.  A bit further up the trail you will reach Devil’s Hall which is a narrow 200-foot-long canyon with sheer cliff walls one hundred feet high.

After exploring Devil’s Hall, head back down the wash. After leaving the wash, take a left at Guadalupe Peak Horse Trail intersection and follow the trail that runs through the valley. This trail is well maintained and quite easy. The total distance from Devil’s Hall back to the trailhead is 1.8 miles.