El Capitan
El Capitan rises to 2,458 m in Texas. Guadalupe Peak stands 2,657 m to the north, 1.0 miles off. Texas Mountain Trail passes 5.5 miles off. 57 named places lie within 25 miles, 32 of them named summits.
The story
El Capitan (Spanish: El Capitán) is a peak in Culberson County, Texas, located within Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The 7th-highest peak in Texas at 8,085 ft (2,464 m), El Capitan is part of the Guadalupe Mountains, an exposed portion of a Permian period reef uplifted and exposed by tectonic activity during the late Cretaceous period. The southern terminus of the Guadalupe Mountains, El Capitan looms over U.S. 62/180, where its imposing height and stark outline have made it one of the iconic images of the Trans-Pecos to generations of travelers.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q5350921, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 2458 m
How to reach it
- 5.5 mi off the Texas Mountain Trail
- 26.7 mi off the Guadalupe Back Country Byway
57 named places within 25 miles
- Guadalupe Peak: 1.0 mi
- Shumard Peak: 2.3 mi
- Hunter Peak: 3.0 mi
- Bartlett Peak: 3.1 mi
- Bush Mountain: 3.8 mi
- Guadalupe Peak Monument: 1.0 mi
- Site of Conaway School: 1.8 mi
- Guadalupe Peak: 1.8 mi
- Ruins of "The Pinery" or "Pine Springs" Stage Stand: 2.6 mi
- The Pinery Butterfield Stage Station Ruins: 2.7 mi
- Smith Spring: 4.1 mi
- Choza Spring: 4.7 mi
- Soldier Spring: 6.1 mi
- Bell Spring: 7.3 mi
- Mary Spring: 15.4 mi
- Roadside picnic area: 2.0 mi
- Pine Springs Trailhead Picnic Area: 2.2 mi
- Pine Springs Picnic Area: 2.3 mi
- Trail West Park: 20.5 mi
- Dell City Park: 20.8 mi
- Frijole Ranch Museum: 3.9 mi
- Alkali Lakes Area of Critical Environmental Concern: 14.2 mi
- Victoria's garden: 20.6 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of El Capitan. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guadalupe Peak | N 351° | 2,657 m | 1.0 mi |
| Bush Mountain | NNW 340° | 2,626 m | 3.8 mi |
| Shumard Peak | NNW 335° | 2,621 m | 2.3 mi |
| Bartlett Peak | NNW 333° | 2,590 m | 3.1 mi |
| Hunter Peak | NNE 33° | 2,517 m | 3.0 mi |
| Lost Peak | N 2° | 2,383 m | 6.4 mi |
| Deer Hill | NNE 12° | 2,135 m | 14.4 mi |
| Cutoff Mountain | NNW 336° | 2,114 m | 8.8 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:04 | 18:39 | 19:11 |
| June solstice | 05:55 | 19:33 | 20:09 |
| September equinox | 06:48 | 18:25 | 18:58 |
| December solstice | 06:56 | 16:23 | 17:00 |
Local time (America/Denver).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Mar–Nov.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 43 | 45 | 52 | 58 | 67 | 76 | 76 | 73 | 69 | 61 | 50 | 44 |
| Precip in | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.8 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Pine Springs, 3 mi away.
Inside the official boundary of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Quietest months by visitation: Aug and Jan; busiest: Mar.
NPS visitation statistics, monthly averages 2021–2025 (2020 excluded).
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/356733656
Day trips start here
Take the scenic way to El Capitan.
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