60 Mammals and 16 Bat Species

Other residents include elk, javelina, mule deer, bobcat, badger, and both striped and hog-nosed skunks.

At the top of the food chain sit the mountain lion and the black bear, though sightings of either are uncommon. Coyotes, gray foxes, raccoons and ringtails turn up far more often, and the ringtail is one of the animals most closely tied to this park. Elk and mule deer, the biggest plant eaters, spend most of their time up in the high country. Javelinas, by contrast, are usually found down on the desert floor.

Bears, mountain lions, javelinas and coyotes all share the trails with hikers, and skunks regularly visit the campgrounds. An animal that seems calm is still wild, and approaching or feeding it can put you at risk, so never offer food. Lock food, coolers, cooking gear and toiletries inside a hard-sided vehicle, ideally in the trunk, or use the campsite storage lockers. Should a bear or mountain lion cross your path, do not run; retreat slowly until you have put distance between you. If it acts aggressive, stay put, wave your arms to look big, shout, and throw stones.

Birders have recorded over 300 species in the Guadalupes, many of them only occasional visitors. For a demanding outing, the hike to The Bowl covers 8.7 miles round trip and climbs into a leftover stand of Douglas fir and ponderosa pine. Up there, red crossbills, band-tailed pigeons and hairy woodpeckers share the trees with dark-eyed juncos, mountain chickadees, and both pygmy and white-breasted nuthatches. Autumn can also bring Townsend's warblers.

McKittrick Canyon shelters a grove of maples that grow wild here, an odd fit among the cactus and yucca of the Chihuahuan Desert. Late in the fall their leaves go bright red, a show best viewed from the canyon and its surroundings.