There is something about driving into the desert that never gets old. After saying goodbye to Ezra and the San Antonio crew early Sunday morning, we pointed Charlotte west and let the landscape do its thing. The drive from San Antonio out toward the New Mexico and Texas border is just beautiful. Honestly, the whole country is beautiful to drive through, but there is something specific about watching the terrain shift into wide open desert that settles something in you. We felt it every time.
We were headed to Chosa Campground, a BLM land spot sitting between Carlsbad, New Mexico and the Texas border. We had been to this area before, last year we spent time at Carlsbad Caverns and loved every second of it. But Guadalupe Mountains National Park had been on our list since then, and this year we were finally doing it.
Home base: Chosa Campground
Let’s be real about Chosa for a second. It is a big open parking lot with no amenities. No hookups, no bathrooms, not even a porta-potty. What it does have is a trash can, and at this point in van life we have learned to celebrate the small wins.
What it also has is a view. We could see the mountains from camp, and even on the quiet days when we were just working and hanging out, that view made everything feel worth it. The campground was fairly well populated while we were there, but not in a loud or overwhelming way. It had that easy, live-and-let-live energy that you tend to find in desert camping spots. We ended up staying for two full weeks, which felt exactly right.
The weather helped. Late February and early March in the desert is genuinely lovely. Cool nights, sunny days, the kind of weather that makes you want to be outside as much as possible. After the cold front we had dealt with in Florida, this felt like a reward.
A chores day in Carlsbad
Before we got into full exploration mode we had a full chores day in Carlsbad. Laundry, errands, the whole production. When you live in a van, a chores day is basically an all day affair, and this one was no exception. The upside is that Carlsbad has everything you need, including a Planet Fitness, so by the end of the day we were clean, stocked up, and ready to actually enjoy the week ahead. Sometimes you just have to get the unsexy stuff out of the way first.
Tackling the peak trail
The following Saturday we drove into Guadalupe Mountains National Park and did the hike we had come for: the Guadalupe Peak Trail, the highest point in Texas.
Here is what you need to know if you are planning to do this one. It is 8.2 miles out and back with almost 3,000 feet of elevation gain. It is strenuous. The trail goes up and then it comes back down, and both directions make themselves known in your legs. We started at 9:30 in the morning and did not get back to the trailhead until 3:30 in the afternoon, so plan for a full day and do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
A few things we would tell anyone doing this hike: start early, wear a hat, and bring your sunglasses. There is virtually no shade on this trail, and the sun is relentless. Hiking poles are also a really good idea, especially on the descent. The good news is that the trail is genuinely doable for all kinds of hikers. It will just take longer for some than others, and that is completely fine. Go at your own pace, take your breaks, and keep moving.
The view at the top makes every single step worth it. Standing at the highest point in Texas with the desert stretching out in every direction is one of those moments that is hard to put into words. We just stood there for a while and took it in.
The babies stayed in the van for this one. We had gone early enough in the day and early enough in the season that the temperatures were still very manageable, and they did really well. Knowing the weather was on our side made it much easier to commit to a full day hike without worrying.
Guadalupe vs. Carlsbad: two very different experiences
We get asked sometimes how places compare, so if you are trying to decide between Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains, here is our honest take: they are very different experiences. Both are desert, both are stunning, but in completely different ways. Carlsbad takes you underground into one of the most incredible cave systems in the world. Guadalupe takes you up into wide open sky and sweeping views. Where we camped at Chosa the landscape was mostly flat with the mountains visible in the distance, which gave the whole stay a quiet, expansive feel that we really loved.
We would recommend both without hesitation. If you can do both in the same trip, do it.
Up next
We left Chosa after two weeks and headed to our next stop, one we had been looking forward to for a while. White Sands National Park is dog friendly, and we could not wait to take Rooster.
Have you done the Guadalupe Peak Trail or spent time in this part of the desert? Tell us about it in the comments, we would love to hear about your experience.
Wandering with Charlotte 
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